Bettendorf Seeking Muralist for Welcome Mural

The Downtown Bettendorf Organization and Quad City Arts are seeking the design and installation of an artwork design for a public mural to be created on an exterior wall in Bettendorf, Iowa. The mural will be on the west-facing brick wall of 312 17th St.  It will be highly visible and serve as a welcome to downtown Bettendorf as it faces U.S. Hwy 67 — a heavy-use local corridor and exit from Interstate 74. Muralist should be based within a 250-mile radius of the Quad Cities area (most of Iowa, Illinois, and  parts of Wisconsin and Missouri). 

This addition to the collection of public art will not only welcome visitors to downtown Bettendorf, but will also enhance local quality of life, community pride, beautification and creative placemaking, and increase the public’s awareness of visual arts. 

Interested and qualified artists are encouraged to complete the Request for Qualifications by 5 p.m. Friday, March 7. Finalists will be selected based on qualifications and will be invited to submit designs. The Downtown Bettendorf Organization (DBO) and Quad City Arts will work with the building owner to review proposals and seek public input during the process. 

Quad City Arts is contracted by DBO to facilitate this transformative public art project. As a longstanding advocate for the arts in the Quad Cities, Quad City Arts will coordinate the selection process, work closely with the chosen artist or artist team, and ensure the project aligns with the overall goals of the initiative. 

“The Downtown Bettendorf Organization is excited to work with Quad City Arts to bring a new mural to our downtown,” said Ryan Jantzi, Executive Director of DBO. “This new mural will be a major step in adding to the vibrancy of downtown and encouraging visitors and Quad Citizens to stop and spend some time in our urban core. The DBO will continue to invest in art to enhance livability and to contribute to the well-being of our visitors and citizens.” 

“Arts and culture are one of the most important aspects of creating vibrant communities where people want to live, work and make their lives,” said Ben Gougeon, Quad City Arts’ Program Coordinator. “By collaborating with our local stakeholders to fund more public art, we’re able to drive tourism, support artists and make the Quad Cities a place that not only draws people to visit, but enhances civic pride,” he said. 

DBO was founded in 2019 to provide a unified voice for the business owners and stakeholders of downtown Bettendorf. A division of the Quad Cities Chamber, DBO collaborates with city leaders, elected officials and businesses to make downtown Bettendorf a place that showcases city pride and the many amenities that make this unique riverfront destination a desirable place for Quad Citizens to live, shop, and play.  

Learn more about the Downtown Bettendorf Organization.  

Quad City Arts is a nonprofit local arts agency dedicated to enriching the quality of life in the Quad City region through the arts. They’ve helped facilitate large-scale murals in Arts Alley in downtown Rock Island, on Analog Pizza & Arcade in downtown Moline, as well as countless public sculpture projects, Metro Arts murals, and many other public art and placemaking initiatives. To learn more, visit www.quadcityarts.com  
 
For more information about the open call, and to apply visit https://www.quadcityarts.com/bettendorf-mural-rfq.