Quad City Arts
  • About
  • Programs
    • Art Services
    • Visiting Artist Series & Educational Resources
    • Public Sculpture Program
    • Metro Arts Youth Apprenticeship Program
    • Arts Dollars Grant Program
    • 45th Annual High School Art Invitational
  • Events
    • All Events
    • Chalk Art Fest
    • Riverssance Festival
    • Performing Arts Signature Series (PASS)
    • Annual Celebration & Lloyd Awards
    • Festival of Trees
  • Galleries
    • Rock Island Gallery
    • Airport Gallery
    • Second Avenue Window
    • Past Exhibits
  • Opportunities
  • Blog
  • Support
  • Artist Index

Quad City Arts brings music, puppets, and public art to Alternating Currents Festival

8/8/2022

 
Picture
.Quad City Arts is again collaborating with the Alternating Currents Festival in downtown Davenport Aug. 19-21 to present three events: performances by Squonk, two nights of Silent Disco, and public art project “Before I Die”.

After a successful 2021 Alternating Currents debut, Silent Disco will return to the Skybridge on Friday night and Saturday night from 9 PM to 11 PM. Come party on the Skybridge as three DJs battle it out. Attendees will be provided headphones and are able to switch between the DJs to enjoy a variety of music. It is a unique experience where you determine the music and you determine the volume. It’s easy to be social because there is no music to talk over. This is an 18+ event that requires an ID to participate. DJ’s include DollMiiite, Nozco, DJ Shane Brown, DJ Yesi, V3, and DJ Genesiis.
Picture
Progressive rock meets puppetry group Squonk, from Pittsburg, Pa., performed at last year’s Alternating Currents festival for two days. This year’s visit from Squonk expandeds the number of performances by the group to six, including evening performances with illumination. All performances will be Friday, Aug. 19, Saturday, Aug. 20, and Sunday, Aug. 21, in downtown Davenport in the parking lot beneath the Skybridge.
 
Composer Jackie Dempsey and artist Steve O’Hearn work with an ensemble of 10-20 artists to create post-industrial performances with original music, design, and staging. Their current show, “Hand to Hand” is propelled by two giant puppet hands, each the size of a house and rigged like a sailing ship. The Squonkers, dwarfed by the hands, climb a multi-tiered stage. Squonk's original chamber rock drives a journey that is spectacular, plaintive, and comic. Audience members come together to grab the rigging, each individual powering a larger movement of giant fingers. For more information, visit https://squonk.org/hand-to-hand.

The show schedule for Squonk is as follows:
Friday, August 19 at 6 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.
Saturday, August 20 at 11:30 a.m., 7 p.m., 10 p.m.
Sunday, August 21 at 1 p.m.
Each show is 1/2 hour long followed by a "backstage tour" for audience members. Backstage tours follow each performance and are coordinated and led by members of Squonk.

Don't forget to download the Alternating Currents App to stay updated with times and locations on all events and performances! DOWNLOAD THE APP HERE https://bit.ly/AC22APP
​
Picture
Picture
Quad City Arts is also placing two sets of Before I Die walls in the City of Davenport. One set in front of the Figge Art Museum and one in Kaiserslautern Square. Before I Die is a global participatory public art project that reimagines our relationship with death and with one another in the public realm. Originally created by artist Candy Chang in New Orleans after the death of a loved one, the public artwork invites people to reflect and share their personal aspirations in public. The Atlantic called it, “one of the most creative community projects ever.” People are encouraged to use the provided chalk to finish the statement, “Before I die I want to…” This interactive piece will change throughout the weekend and cause thought-provoking conversation.
Picture
All events are free and open to the public. No reservations or tickets required. Squonk and Before I Die is open to all ages, Silent Disco is an 18+ event.
 
Volunteers are needed in several roles to assist with these events.  We will need people for multiple events and roles here: Load in/load out and daytime info tent/set chaperons for Squonk; set up/tear down, guest registration and headset distribution for Silent Disco.

​
Visit https://bit.ly/3JL7IJR​

Picture

Metro Arts Wraps Up a great season

8/4/2022

 
The 2022 Quad City Arts Metro Arts Youth Apprenticeship Program has wrapped up. This year the program provided over fifty area youth ages 15-21 with a five-week paid summer apprenticeship. These apprentices are created art that positively impacts our community. These projects included mural painting, graphic design, film, and poetry. These projects were made possible through generous support from Black Hawk College, Downtown Davenport Partnership, Modern Woodman of America, and Chris and Mary Rayburn.
 
Two new murals were completed in Davenport at the intersection of 4th and Pershing led by lead artists Sarah Robb and Heidi Sallows. These murals were designed by the apprentices who wanted to highlight the diversity in our communities. One mural depicts an indigenous person from the Sac and Fox tribal nation who once inhabited these lands. Imagery in the mural includes animals and vegetation that was important to the Sac and Fox people. The original design also featured a tattoo on the arm of the indigenous person, but after a conversation with Juaquin Hamilton the Historical Researcher with the Sac and Fox Nation of Oklahoma, it was removed. Hamilton appreciated the attention to detail in the mural overall, but explained the tattoo was the tribal symbol for a tribe in Oklahoma. He also explained that selecting another symbol would leave out some of the tribal nations that occupied these lands. ​
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Across the street the other mural group used a different approach to highlight diversity and encourage interactivity. Wings were incorporated to encourage people to stop and interact with the mural, and if you look a little lower, the apprentices even included some for our furry friends. At first glance the mural looks to be made of random patterns, but a closer inspection will show this was well thought out. Each pattern represents a different culture through the fabrics that they wear.  

Picture
Picture
Picture
In Rock Island, Modern Woodmen of America has a new mural outside of their Print Shop and Mail Distribution Office that highlights historical aspects of their history, as well as its relationship to Rock Island and the river. Apprentices were given a tour of the printshop including  images of one of their oldest printers, the MWA logo, and the axe symbol. At a time when parades were more prevalent and more involved, MWA used to have a marching axe troupe to participate in parades.
Picture
Picture
The Graphic Design program, in partnership with Black Hawk College, met at the college with lead artist and BHC faculty member, Annie Oldenburg. The program teaches elements of graphic design and created a vinyl window art project. The project is intended to be installed on a building in Downtown RI later.  ​
Picture
Picture
From the Graphic Design Group for the above image: "For our cityscape, we included buildings that are significant to the quad cities area and make the skyline as distinctive as it is, as well as including fictional buildings to inspire the growth of our cites in the future." 
Notable buildings include: Wells Fargo building, the Figge, the botanical center, both the new and old Kone buildings, the skybridge, hotel Blackhawk, Peterson paper building, Quad Cities art building, as well as the John Deere home and Butterworth home. 
Picture
Picture
From the Graphic Design Group for the above image: A link to the significance of all the figures and displays: Ghosts of the Past.
Poetry was led by emcee, poet, author, and educator, Aubrey “Aubs.” Barnes. Barnes most recently published book titled “It is Good, It is Written.”  is available now. Apprentices learned how to write poetry and the many mechanisms used to do so, they also learned about poetry’s intersection with music and culture. Apprentices presented their work throughout the program at community sites including coffee shops and libraries.  ​
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Film was led by Jonathan Burnett an independent filmmaker and educator. Burnett is also the Creator, Director, and Lead Instructor of the Urban Exposure Independent Film Program through Azubuike African American Council for the Arts. This program taught students the basics of filmmaking culminating with the creation of a short film written and directed by the apprentices titled, Charlie.  ​
Picture
Picture
Picture
Since the summer of 2000, Metro Arts has provided area youth 15-21 years old with paid summer apprenticeships in various arts disciplines.  

For five weeks, area youth work together in groups to complete projects that enhance the community through the arts. Participants learn the artistic techniques and applications of their genre while developing personally and professionally. 
​

This program allows young adults to build career and artistic skills, as they work under the supervision and mentorship of professional artists. Their mentors are accomplished, local artists who are passionate about teaching and encouraging creativity.  

    Archives

    January 2023
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    April 2020

    Categories

    All
    7 WITH KEVIN LIVE!
    Annual Celebration
    Arts Dollars
    Call For Entry
    Festival Of Trees
    Festivals
    Lloyd Awards
    Metro Arts
    News
    Public Sculpture
    Resources
    Staff
    Visiting Artist Series

    RSS Feed

Let's Get Social

Be first to know about our digital programming, insider news, our latest projects projects, and much more!
Quad City Arts does not trade, share, or sell information that you provide to us. 

​Rock Island Gallery
​& Store Hours

Mon–Fri: 10a–5p
Sat: 11a–5p
Closed Sundays

CONTACT

Phone: 309.793.1213
Fax: 309.793.1265
info@quadcityarts.com
1715 2nd Ave, Rock Island, IL 61201

HOME
About
Programs

 • Visiting Artist Series
 • Public Sculpture Program 
 • Metro Arts Youth Apprenticeship 
 • Arts Dollars Grants
 • Visual Art Opportunities
 • Artworks Expo
 • High School Art Invitational

EVENTS

  • Chalk Art Fest
  • Riverssance Festival
  • Festival Of Trees
  • Annual Celebration
      & Lloyd Awards

  • Performing Arts Signature Series

GALLERIES

  • Rock Island Gallery
  • ​Airport Gallery

STORE
BLOG
SUPPORT & Donate

​SUPPORT 

Make a tax-deductible donation to Quad City Arts and support art in your community!
DONATE

ABOUT

Quad City Arts is dedicated to enriching the quality of life in the Quad City region through the arts. The organization’s dual role of presenting the arts and humanities, as well as serving as an arts resource, allows us to serve more than 350,000 people annually in the Arts Center in Rock Island and at over 200 rural and urban community sites.​

Looking for something?

VIDEO FOOTAGE PROVIDED BY DPHILMS AND MICKLE COMMUNICATIONS
© 2023 Quad City Arts is a 501(c)(3). Privacy Statement
  • About
  • Programs
    • Art Services
    • Visiting Artist Series & Educational Resources
    • Public Sculpture Program
    • Metro Arts Youth Apprenticeship Program
    • Arts Dollars Grant Program
    • 45th Annual High School Art Invitational
  • Events
    • All Events
    • Chalk Art Fest
    • Riverssance Festival
    • Performing Arts Signature Series (PASS)
    • Annual Celebration & Lloyd Awards
    • Festival of Trees
  • Galleries
    • Rock Island Gallery
    • Airport Gallery
    • Second Avenue Window
    • Past Exhibits
  • Opportunities
  • Blog
  • Support
  • Artist Index