The Performing Arts Signature Series, (PASS), is Quad City Arts’ premier subscription series featuring world-class performing artists from the Visiting Artist Series. 

Guests can enjoy an AMAZING performance with cocktails, hors d'oeuvres and back-stage conversation with the artists, all at unique venues for the discounted price of $37 per person when you subscribe to all six parties. Half-season and individual tickets are also available.

All proceeds benefit the Visiting Artist Series, a nationally recognized residency program that brings professional performing artists to the Quad Cities for outreach performances in area schools. This series has brought GRAMMY Award winning artist to the Quad Cities since 1974! You can view all previous artists in our Archives page. A typical season brings 8-10 artists ensembles, providing over 30,000 K-12 students access to live performances that might otherwise be out of reach.

At PASS, you’ll get to see these incredible artists in an intimate setting and hear about their experiences in the schools. Select from six parties, all held on weekday evenings from 6:30pm-8:00pm at unique venues throughout the Quad Cities, so no two events are alike. 

Our first party of the season takes place, Wednesday, October 6 at Davenport Country Club. Don't miss your chance, sign up and get your PASS today! 
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Today, we got to partner with the Quad Cities Chamber and shine a light on the arts in our community at "AMp Up Morning Networking: Arts Help Create a Vibrant Community". Kevin Maynard, the executive director for Quad City Arts, passionately spoke about the value of supporting the arts in our community and how Quad City Arts has helped facilitate placemaking in our area. To sum it up, Kevin Maynard quotes,  “Everyone wants to live in a cool place. Arts and culture is the ticket to get there!” 

This past year, was a challenging year for all. We were operating in the unknown with a global pandemic and looking at civil unrest centering on racial equity. Thankfully, the team at Quad City Arts stepped up to that challenge. We launched programs and content that could serve a purpose in a post-pandemic Quad Cities, my board of directors expanded our board aimed at creating a board that better represented our community, we made key changes to increase equitable access to our programs, and we continue to do so.  
We also started looking more at what we wanted Quad City Arts to be and what our role in placemaking was. It led to great things, some of which were seen in both Rock Island and Davenport for Alternating Currents.

• Silent Disco on the Skybridge where in its first year attracted over 250 people to rave reviews. Including many thinking it was “the best use of the skybridge.”  
• Squonk Hand 2 Hand, performances, bringing something that was larger than life and what I like to call delightfully weird.  ​
• And the unveiling of a mural in Rock Island, centered around the artwork of 16-year-old Rock Island native, Riley Jones. Not only is her artwork the centerpiece, Riley worked with two nationally recognized artists to make it happen. The piece that inspired this work is titled Black Pride and will be on display at the US Capital!   
  
  

​So, why does it matter that the Quad Cities has a vibrant arts and culture scene? It’s because, whether you realize it or not, the arts are touching every aspect of your life and our community. The arts will lead the economic recovery. 

Let’s start with education.  
It is worth noting that studies in education surrounding the arts centers around students with a low-socio-economic status.  

• Students who are engaged in the arts are five times less likely to drop out of school and are more than twice as likely to graduate college. They are also likely to pursue non-arts programs like Accounting and Medicine. 

• The arts also help create young adults that are civically engaged where 4 out of 5 are more likely to vote. 

• Students with four years of arts or music classes score on average 100 points higher on the SAT than those with 1 year or less.  

The arts are a powerful tool in and out of schools. Exposure to the arts, specifically the performing arts, has shown to increase empathy. It has also shown to increase understanding of other cultures and leads to acceptance of other cultures. It helps to better understand facial expressions and emotions. AND arts of all kinds continually shows to reduce stress.  

Studies center around schools in low-socio-economic status areas, because well-funded schools all HAVE arts programming, because they know it’s value.  Quad City Arts reaches area schools, and with the help or area educators we make a valuable impact on our community. 

But the arts reaches far beyond health and education. Let’s talk business.  

• In the US, the arts generate 4.2% of the US GDP generating roughly 736.6 billion dollars and employs 4.92 million people. That is a larger share than construction and farming. Granted, this number is pre-2020 and while it will take awhile for the sector to rebound, it will rebound.  
• Locally, non-profit arts and culture organizations have an economic impact of over $71 Million! This number outpaces sports in our region. This number is also six years old, but I am pleased to say we will be partnering with some local agencies to re-do this study in the near future.  
• Creativity is a top three desired skill, so it is not surprising that 90% of fortune 500 CEO’s participated in the arts while they were in school.  
  
  

It is also why businesses want to relocate to areas that have a vibrant arts community not only because they are seeking that creativity but because they want their employees to be happy and have entertainment options in the community they are living. Providing access to arts activities also helps fuel creative problem solving.  

One of our favorite statistics:  

• 68% of tourism in the U.S. is driven by art! Better yet, cultural tourists spend nearly twice as much money! 
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So, what is happening locally?  

Placemaking is taking a front and center position at the Chamber of Commerce and extensions of the chamber have already had success in placemaking.  

• Rock Island just entered a formalized partnership with Quad City Arts to manage their arts initiatives. They also formalized an agreement with the Chamber that hired a downtown manager, Jack Cullen, who also understands the power of the arts. So much so we partnered on that Riley Jones Mural and are already in discussion for future mural projects as well as incorporating the arts into infrastructure redesigns. That mural also helped to activate a alley and it lead to cleaning up that alley and is now a point of pride for those businesses moving in.  
• Bettendorf is always active in the arts with the public sculpture program numerous metro arts programs and is actively looking for artistic ways to draw people to the community including with what will happen when the new bridge is completed  
• The Dowtown Davenport Partnership created a public art committee that is focused on increasing the public art in Downtown Davenport. The DDPs Placemaking plan is also FILLED with art that is incorporated into infrastructure designs.  
• East Moline has made a solid investment in the arts with the creation and activation of venues like the Rust Belt and are actively looking at public art opportunities.  
• Moline has approved a public art and placemaking plan that includes significant investment into the arts that includes perpetual funding mechanisms that include a general budget allocation, 2% on major capital improvement projects, and 1% in private development project happening in the identified corridors. It is a bold plan that the Moline leadership should be commended for.  

 
This brings us to the final part. What can you do to support our creative community? 

• Donate! The Quad Cities has lots of great art entities that could use your support. So, you should find one that aligns with your passions and get involved!
• Go to culture and art events! Ticket sales help support organizations and artists. Your attendance at free events does the same.  
• Support local artists. Buy their art, purchase their album, tip the band that’s playing at your favorite bar, etc. Also, help end this idea of creating or doing something “for exposure,” let’s pay artists their worth. Remember, there is a reason you reached out to them to play your event, create your logo, etc. It is because they add value to your business. The more we all do that supports artists the more artists will want to be here in the Quad Cities.  
• Interact with your favorite artists and arts organizations on social media, this will help them increase the reach of their message.  So, like, comment, and share those posts like they are offering a giveaway!
• Talk to your representatives about public art and placemaking. Tell them you want more of it in your community.  
• Tell your friends and family about your favorite artist or arts organization. From experience, I can tell you some of our best connections into new schools or community sites came from people like you telling others about our programming.  
• Finally, don’t hesitate to talk to us! My team and I are passionate about the arts and we love creative ideas in all the programs that we do. I am not saying that we can always partner or make your dream come true, but we will when it makes sense. Plus, I can tell you that some of our best ideas come from people sharing their dreams.  

Thankfully, we live in a region that is doing more to prioritize public art and placemaking. Quad City Arts continues to partner with organizations throughout the area to make the Quad Cities become THE destination for culture and the ARTS. 
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While many restrictions have been lifted, the arts and culture sector in Illinois recognizes that continuing to get their audiences and communities vaccinated is important for safely getting back to in-person arts activities. Artists in 24 regions across Illinois have created over 72 pro-vaccination projects this summer as vaccines are now widely available. This Arts and Culture Vaccination Campaign was funded and spearheaded by Arts Alliance Illinois.
 
Quad City Arts played the role of “State Captain” for our region to help coordinate some projects by Illinois based Quad Cities artists. We were excited to once again partner with Arts Alliance Illinois to not only put artists to work, but to help encourage our community to get vaccinated. Vaccination is important to the arts, so that the industry can return to bringing communities together.
 
These projects were made possible by a collaboration between Arts Alliance Illinois and Quad City Arts.
 
Riley Ellis is a self-taught artist, most of her interest is in animation but they also enjoy other mediums like watercolor and digital art. Riley has been part of three Quad City Arts’ Metro Arts murals. They want people to connect with their art and find some resolve in it, whether it comforts them or just makes them feel some sort of emotion. When asked about her biggest achievement in art Riley stated, “I've grown since I ever started posting art, having over 11k on Twitter and Instagram, and over 88k subscribers on YouTube. Before I started posting my art online however I sold calendars and donated all the proceeds, which was over $10,000, to the local animal welfare center.”
 
“Burst your Bubble”

 
For more information on how to schedule your vaccination:
Rock Island County: https://richd.org/
Scott County: https://www.scottcountyiowa.gov/health
 
Participating regions include: Aurora, Bloomington, Carbondale, Centralia, Champaign-Urbana, Decatur, DuPage County, East St. Louis, Elgin, Evanston, Galena, Galesburg, Joliet, Lake County, Mattoon, McHenry County, Oak Park, Peoria, Quad Cities, Quincy, Rockford, South East Suburban Chicago (Dolton, Calumet City, Lansing), South Suburban Chicago and Springfield.
 
About Arts Alliance Illinois
Arts Alliance Illinois fights for arts resources and policies that benefit our members and all Illinois residents. With 25,000 active subscribers and hundreds of members, we connect the people and ideas that are shaping the future of the creative sector. As the only multidisciplinary organization concentrated on the strength of arts and culture across the state, the Alliance takes on challenges that no single organization or artist can fight alone. Our work in civic engagement, arts education, and cultural equity positively impacts every community across the state. Visit artsalliance.org to learn more.

For most of her young life, art has been a private refuge for Riley Jones – a hobby she kept to herself. But after the Rock Island teenager’s artwork took first place in the 2021 Congressional Art Competition and was chosen to be displayed in the U.S. Capitol, she was recruited to share her talents in a new mural program in Downtown Rock Island. 

The 16-year-old Riley, whose originally titled “Black Pride” piece was inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement, was asked to create a large-scale mural in Downtown Rock Island for the new program launched by Quad City Arts and the Quad Cities Chamber through its partnership with the City of Rock Island.
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Collaborating with professional muralists Dana Harrison (Limone) and Brandon Warner (ASPHATE), Riley transformed a blank brick wall into a beautiful and thought-provoking mural. The new mural will be unveiled at 3:45 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 19, during a ceremony that also kicks off the Alternating Currents festival, planned for Aug. 19-22 at more than 30 downtown venues in the Quad Cities. 

Painted on the southern wall of 313 20th St. – across the alley from Leo’s Shoe Repair, Riley’s mural is part of a larger revitalization project on the edge of the downtown core. Property owner Matt Stern and his team plan to renovate an adjacent vacant lot and multiple storefronts, two of which are for lease.

“This is a prime example of creative placemaking in Downtown Rock Island,” said Jack Cullen, the Chamber’s Downtown Rock Island Director. “In addition to generating positive buzz and foot traffic in the area, professional, well-thought-out murals can help brighten, clean up and encourage better investment in areas we want to see improved.”

How the mural began 
“I just wanted to draw something for the Black Lives Matter movement,” said Riley, whose own feelings about her work’s message have evolved. The original piece included the words “Black Pride” repeated in the background, which she omitted from the mural. She now sees the movement and the broader racial injustice issue as “something that has caused a lot of pain for black people.”

Riley was contacted about the new mural program by the Chamber and Quad City Arts after her “Black Pride” piece was competitively selected by U.S. Rep. Cheri Bustos as the first-place winner in the Illinois 17th Congressional District’s contest. Riley is no stranger to Quad City Arts, having participated in its Annual High School Art Invitational and displaying some of her work at its gallery. 
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​“Every year, I’m impressed by the incredible talent on display during the Congressional Art Competition and Riley’s submission was exceptional,” Congresswoman Bustos said. “I’m thrilled that Riley’s artwork will not only hang in the halls of the Capitol, but also on the walls of Downtown Rock Island for all residents and visitors to see. I can think of no better way to display such a talented hometown artist’s work, and I am so proud of Riley.”

Riley, a Rock Island High School junior, is the daughter of Jerry and Kathy Jones. As a winning prize, Riley received two free airline tickets to Washington, D.C. But thanks to an anonymous donor’s gift of two more tickets, she now can bring along her parents and older brother, Peyton.  
 
New inspiration 
“Her art is very personal to her,” said Kathy Jones. “She doesn’t allow a lot of viewing for her parents.” In fact, if not for the encouragement of Riley’s former junior high teacher, her mother said Riley might not have entered the art contest.

Riley’s hope is the new mural showcases how Black Lives Matter “comes from a place of pain and grief and the unjust murder of black people.” While it resembles her original piece, she said the new rendition “is more about the suffering being caused and people hurting.”

Riley first became aware of racial oppression when she was in 5th or 6th grade and learned about the brutal murder of Emmett Till, a 14-year-old African American, who was lynched in Mississippi in 1955. “It hurt so much to learn about that,” Riley said. 

“It was different than Dr. King being assassinated,” her father and Martin Luther King, Jr. Center Executive Director, Jerry Jones said. “Dr. King knew of the repercussions. Emmett Till was just being a young man living his life.”

Riley channeled her interest in civil rights and her feelings about racial injustice into her art. “It’s not just political. A lot of people see this as an issue of black people being mad at white people,” she said. “I wish they’d see it as a civil rights issue.”  

Message of peace 
Working with the muralists – both members of the nationally-recognized Scarce Elementz Crew, a graffiti paint crew, the trio completed the mural in about a week. Previously, Riley gained mural experience through Quad City Arts’ Metro Arts apprenticeship program. She was part of team of apprentices paid to paint an indoor mural at the new TBK Bank Building in downtown Bettendorf.

But her latest project was her first time using spray paint as a medium. As he watched her blend colors on the wall, muralist ASPHATE said “She’s killing it. To do that type of blending this early on is amazing.”
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​The muralists first met Riley weeks earlier, via Zoom, to plan the project. “In our first Zoom call, things got emotional,” ASPHATE said. “You could see the issue was a deep one. You could see it hit her hard. That spoke to me more than any conversation we could have had,” he said.  

ASPHATE, who teaches graffiti workshops to youth in the Des Moines area, helped to suggest that Riley add a hummingbird to her mural. “It’s a sign of freedom,” he said, adding it also symbolizes “the light at the end of the tunnel: peace.”  

Mural program 
The artwork marks the beginning of the Chamber and Quad City Arts’ new mural program. “This is a dream project for Quad City Arts as it not only adds great public art to our community, but it also provides an opportunity to mentor, encourage and celebrate a young artist,” said Kevin Maynard, Quad City Arts Executive Director.

The celebratory start to the mural program was funded by generous support from the Doris & Victor Day Foundation, City of Rock Island, Moline Foundation, Rock Island Art Guild, Rock Island Community Foundation, YWCA, Rausch Family Foundation, Holiday Inn Rock Island, MidAmerican Energy Company, Matt Stern, Theo’s Java Club and the Black business community in Downtown Rock Island, specifically Ms. BriMani’s Hair & Beauty Supply, Orr’s Mortuary, Roosters Sports Bar & Grill, Aja Styles Fashion & Accessories Boutique, By Design Fashion and Sumthin Different Barber & Beauty.

With Downtown Rock Island as the canvas, the addition of new creations will raise awareness of the art and cultural amenities it offers. Efforts are underway to identify more potential mural sites. 
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“This first mural supports the development of a talented young artist of color in our community and furthers the conversation around racial equity,” Downtown Rock Island Director Cullen said. “It’s a winning project for the entire Quad Cities region as we work to create a more creative, welcoming and vibrant destination.” 

“Last year, many families were apart and didn’t have the chance to celebrate the traditions that make the holiday season so special, so our goal for this year is to bring back the event bigger and better than ever before,” said Festival of Trees Administrator, Kaleigh Trammell. 

​The event promises to showcase all the familiar attractions and events that many have come to know and love with some new twists! Be on the look-out for designer selfie stations throughout the event and a NEW Mad-Hatter style Sunday brunch!  Other special events include the Premiere Party, Teddy Bear Tea, SugarPlum Ball and Celebrity Lunch. Special event tickets will go on sale October 8th.
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With a theme this year of “Oh What Fun!”, the steering committee is excited to bring everyone back for the fun and excitement of the in-person Festival experience.  To build on the excitement for the coming year, Quad City Arts is running a Christmas in July promotion, where anyone who signs up to be a designer before August 1 will be entered to win a $100 Visa Gift Card! 
 
For more information or to register as a designer visit: www.qcfestivaloftrees.com/design​
If you are interested in supporting the event through sponsorship, please contact Karie Gilson at 309.793.1213 x104 or kgilson@quadcityarts.com.
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Superman is hardly the only “Man of Steel.” That moniker could apply to Steven Maeck of Decorah, Iowa, a sculptor who works in welded and assembled steel.

The 64-year-old Vermont native is among 10 Midwest artists chosen this year to have their sculptures leased and placed throughout the Quad-Cities last month, in Quad City Arts’ public sculpture program. The pieces will be on display through June 5, 2022.

Maeck’s work, “Muso’s Thought,” is near the Channel Cat dock on the Mississippi River in downtown Moline near the Radisson hotel. Since 2002, he has designed and fabricated sculptural work either fully or partially composed of iron and steel.
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​“The focus of my recent work has been almost exclusively in the utilization of industrial detritus which I alter and/or recombine in such a manner as to create work that is not only resonant and original, but manifests the aura of having been created from base raw material,” he says, noting he has applied to Moline before to be part of the public art effort, but this is his first piece accepted.

“Public art is one of the true behaviors or actions of a civilized society,” Maeck says. “The increasing emphasis and popularity of public art nationwide is a very good sign in the face of all the horrendous stuff that has been occurring recently.
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“From my brief experience with this program, I can say that Quad City Arts is staffed by dedicated, competent, professional and friendly people,” he says. “That fact, and the fabulous site that ‘Muso's Thought’ is currently occupying by the river, are the best things I am enjoying about this program.”

The quirky title represents “whatever occurs in the consciousness of the person who encounters the work,” the artist notes. This is just the second year the city of Moline has participated in the longstanding program, and each city has its own selection committee that picks the art.

Moline added two more sculptures this year, for four total; Bettendorf added seven and the Geneseo Public Library leased a sculpture for the first time. Rock Island elected to re-lease four of the sculptures from last year’s group, and to buy the sculpture “Reaching to the Moon” by Tim Frye for its permanent collection.

The other Moline sculptures placed in June are:

• “Matrix” by David Zahn, Moline, at Bass Street Landing, off 17th Street and River Drive.
• “Emerging” by Hilde DeBruyne, Cumming, Iowa, at Mercado on Fifth, near 12th Street and 5thAvenue.
• “Social Fabric” by Matt Miller, Cape Girardeau, Mo., at Kone Centre, off 17th Street and the river.
  
  

Geoff Manis, manager for the Moline Centre Main Street program, says his group (working with Renew Moline) had nearly 60 sculptures to pick from, facilitated by Quad City Arts.

“We had two more than last year; Bass Street has a sculpture pad that’s never been used,” he says. “And Mercado is such a wonderful community event. My role at Moline Centre is to do anything to help complement what they have going on -- to their vibrancy. They have a really high traffic count, and it’s very much a front door to Moline, heading from the west into downtown Moline.”

Quad City Arts has led the leasing and installation of public sculpture in the Quad-Cities since 2002. The City of Rock Island has participated in the program yearly since 2007 and Bettendorf since 2008.
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Six sculptures have become part of Rock Island’s permanent collection, while Bettendorf has added seven. Davenport purchased nine sculptures while involved with the program. Sculptures are chosen by appointed committees and leased for one year. All sculptures are for sale and can be purchased by individuals, businesses, or a city for permanent installation after June of the following year.
 
“Each city has its own selection committee and that's because they're familiar with their city, they're familiar with the locations,” says Dawn Wohlford-Metallo, Quad City Arts visual arts director. “Certain spots need something big and bright and other spots need something smaller, and they're thinking about each location as far as what is going to show up best and be the best for that spot.”
 
One of the former sculptures in Bettendorf (from Ascentra Credit Union, 2019 Grant St.) – “Just Visiting” by Don Horstman, Easton, Mo. -- was selected by the Geneseo library this year.
 
“That was sort of unexpected. They just saw the program and they were like, well, we want one,” Wohlford-Metallo says. “They didn't even know that they could pick from all these new sculptures. So they just thought, well, these are leaving -- we want this one. We're always trying to expand to other cities.”
 
“There are programs similar to ours all over the Midwest and what artists do is to enter their available sculptures in multiple competitions,” Wohlford-Metallo says. “And then the ones that are about to be freed up from wherever they were last year are available to move somewhere else.
 
“So, some of the ones that were in our program in 2020 are going to go somewhere else, and some of them will go home with the artist,” she says. “Sometimes they repaint them or they freshen them up, and then they wait to be selected by another program or purchased. Many public sculptors have mini sculpture parks on their property.”
 
Bettendorf has been pretty aggressive in purchasing pieces. “Purchasing is part of the goal, I think, so they can have some permanent sculptures,” Wohlford-Metallo says. This year’s new ones in Bettendorf are:

• “Succulent Bloom” by Mike Sneller, Cedar Rapids (Veterans Memorial Park)
• “Rock N’ Roll” by Paul Bobrowitz, Colgate, Wis. (Faye’s Field)
• “Flame of Remembrance” by Peter Gray, Chicago (Ascentra Credit Union)
• “Glow from Within” by Tim Adams, Webster City, Iowa (Bettendorf Community Center)
• “Lupine” by Tim Adams (Martha’s Point)
• “River People” by Tim Adams (Waterfront Convention Center)
• “Figure” by V. Skip Willits, Camanche, Iowa (Build to Suit)
  
  

Jennifer Naeve, Ascentra senior vice president and chief marketing officer, says when they opened their new headquarters in 2019, then-CEO Dale Owen wanted the plaza to feature a public art piece, as Bettendorf already had many of these sculptures sprinkled throughout downtown and the community.
 
Last November, Ascentra lost their beloved president and CEO, to pancreatic cancer at 52. The credit union looked to replace its sculpture and found a bit of divine intervention.
 
“As I looked through the sculptures, one stood out,” Naeve says of “Flame of Remembrance.” The artist’s statement on designing the piece said: “Traditionally, we have annual remembrances for those long passed. However, in 2020 we were thrust into a reality where we have many to remember for their sacrifices NOW, not later. So please think of them as you look at this Flame of Remembrance.”
 
“Ascentra selected this sculpture for our plaza because it seemed fitting,” Naeve says. “Not only did we lose our dear friend and mentor, but it was a year of loss for many as our nation endured a pandemic and a social awakening. The sculpture is there for each employee, member and community member to see and reflect upon those who have made a difference in their life and those they’ve lost. May their flames forever burn inside each of us.”
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She encourages other organizations to participate in the public sculpture program “as it brings art and vitality to the community. The Quad City Arts makes it so easy to be a part of this program,” Naeve adds.
 
Wohlford-Metallo says the most exciting part of the process is “watching a Hampton Crane operator use their boom to lift a sculpture from an artist’s vehicle, hoist it high in the air and skillfully bring it down gently onto a concrete pad, as directed by the artist who created it.”
 
The artist will then drill holes into the concrete and secure the sculpture. Bettendorf-based Hampton Cranes generously donates their services each year to Quad City Arts.
 
Since the Covid pandemic inspired many people to seek stress relief and relaxation outdoors, the area’s public art may have been appreciated differently and more widely over the past 16 months.
 
“We had people contact us and say that, and ask about maps, which we are going to be putting on our website,” Wohlford-Metallo says. “So yes, we did have a lot of feedback from the public that they wanted to get out and go see them.”
 
All sculptures currently on exhibit, along with permanent sculptures, will be able to be viewed at www.quadcityarts.com/public-sculpture.html, as well as the websites of the cities that sponsor them.

Quad City Arts is nearing completion of another round of exciting new projects in the annual Metro Arts youth apprenticeship program.

Since the summer of 2000, Metro Arts has provided area youth 15-21 years old with paid summer apprenticeships in various arts disciplines. The program provides opportunities for youth and enhances the community through the arts.

For five weeks, area youth work together in groups to complete art projects under the supervision and mentorship of professional artists. Participants learn the artistic techniques and applications of their particular genre, while developing personally and professionally. 

Throughout 2020, Quad City Arts was constantly evaluating our mission and how we were serving our community. Accessibility became a focal point due to the pandemic, forcing arts organizations to reevaluate how we were delivering programs.
 
“In recent years, Metro Arts has had an increase in requests for murals, which is great, but the mural program can be inaccessible to many students,” says Quad City Arts executive director Kevin Maynard. “Some students do not have access to arts classes in their schools and not all of them can afford private lessons.
 
“In 2021, we wanted to focus on programs that were designed from the ground up to be more accessible programs,” he says. With that in mind, we created the following programs:
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Poetry (Lead Artist Aubrey Barnes). Apprentices are learning how to write and present poetry, as well as its connection to hip-hop and pop culture. The final project will be multiple “pop-up poetry” events (basically an open-mic for the apprentices). ​

Film (Lead Artist Jonathon Burnett), with Senior Apprentice Cooper Harrison. Apprentices are learning the concepts of writing a script, casting, filming, and editing. The final project will be a short film.

​Graphic Design (Lead Artist Annie Oldenburg), with Senior Apprentice Casey Rassmussen in partnership with Black Hawk College. Apprentices are learning the basic concepts of the Adobe Creative Cloud. The final project is a storefront vinyl project in Downtown Rock Island where apprentices are creating designs to go on windows of vacant storefronts. This will help draw attention to these great spaces. Black Hawk College provided the use of their facilities as well as the use of their equipment highlighting their support for the arts, education, and the community.

Public Mural (Lead Artist Sarah Robb), with Senior Apprentice Liam Haskill, sponsored by Moline Centre. This mural is located along the bike path in Moline, under the Arsenal bridge, between the Channel Cat and Kone Centre. This area was in need of a new mural and Moline Centre/Geoff Manis asked Quad City Arts to make that happen.

This year may not be the most apprentices hired in a single year, but it is a big year for Metro Arts! Creating more programs that are accessible from day one is an important step to creating more young creatives in our community. We are excited to see the final projects!
 
Lead artists are also learning and growing by helping local students.
 
“Metro Arts is a very important program for youth in the community,” says Oldenburg, an art and design instructor at Black Hawk College, in her first year with the program. “What a great opportunity to work with the younger generation and inspire art culture!”
 
Working with eight graphic-design apprentices in Adobe Illustrator, her project is to create large-format posters that will be printed and hung in windows of empty commercial spaces in downtown Rock Island. These posters are the apprentice's visions of what these spaces could be filled with.
 
“We brainstormed important concepts – like accessibility, diversity, etc. -- and places that would help build and support members of our community,” Oldenburg says. “Some examples of the spaces being created are a smoothie bar, bookstore, community center, and art studio. These are both literal and abstract representations.”
 
“I have a talented bunch of apprentices, each with their own unique style that is really showing through,” she says.
 
Jonathan Burnett, a Rock Island-based independent filmmaker and executive director of Azubuike African American Council for the Arts, also is in his first year leading Metro Arts.

Their finished product will be a five-to-eight-minute short film -- and each summer, he also leads the Urban Exposure Summer Independent Film Program, which has been supported by Quad City Arts.
 
“I felt that working with Quad City Arts to help develop their own was a natural collaboration,” Burnett said.

“Anytime I work with young filmmakers, I’m always excited about their growth. They come in knowing almost nothing but have great creative potential and are very aware of the world around them. But when they learn at least the basics of filmmaking, that gives them a new voice to express themselves through visual storytelling.” View the finished short film below titled "Ego".

Aubrey Barnes – a writer, poet, performer and founder of Roaring Rhetoric, a Q-C based open mic showcase – also is doing Metro Arts for the first time. He’s a teaching artist, and has been teaching poetry/spoken word for the last six years nationally and internationally.

“Quad City Arts decided to do this as a new program for the Metro Arts, and I thought it'd be a good program to do,” Barnes says, noting he’s most excited about giving “the students a platform to share their voice, and giving the community an opportunity to experience it.”

Sarah Robb of Davenport is leading a Metro Arts mural group for her 15th summer – this year with 10 apprentices total. They are painting a new mural under the Arsenal Bridge along the bike path in Moline. Its title is “Retro Electric,” which is a nod to the history of the Arsenal infused with ‘80s shapes and colors, she says.

“I am most excited about the location this year!” Robb says. “Lots of people frequent the bike path and we are surrounded by the beauty of the river.”
 
Maynard also is excited about a recently completed mural project she led as a unique spring Metro Arts.
Apprentices were asked to design and paint a mural on the 2nd and 3rd floor just off of the elevators of the new TBK Bank building in downtown Bettendorf, at 1521 Grant St. 

“Quad City Arts is thrilled to have the arts prominently represented at the new TBK Bank building and thankful to have a community partner like TBK Bank that understands the value of the arts and providing opportunities to our local youth,” Maynard says.

There were 14 local apprentices, chosen in the same way as the annual summer Metro Arts program. Robb was the lead artist and supervisor of the high-school students who created the TBK Bank murals in May, finishing June 2. The new bank (and TBK Midwest division headquarters) opened June 21.
 
View the Metro Arts Showcase for 2021 to learn more about the instructors and lead apprentices! To learn more about the Metro Arts program, visit www.quadcityarts.com/metro-arts.html.




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​The awards are as follows:
 
Senior Scholarship sponsored by Morency Family Foundation and Quad City Arts’ board members
Sophia Utsinger, Bettendorf High School
 
Senior Scholarship sponsored by Deere Employee Credit Union and Quad City Arts’ board members
Jaide Logsdon, Bereskin Gallery and Art Academy
 
Best of Show sponsored by Butterworth Center/Deere Wiman House
Laurel Hynes, Davenport Central/Creative Art Academy
 
Juror’s Choice Awards for Artistic Excellence
Kaden Green, Pleasant Valley High School
Lexi Redmond, Pleasant Valley High School
Derek Coulter, Mercer County High School
 
Quad City Arts' Staff Student Award:
Lola Johannsen, Pleasant Valley High School
 
Don Heggen Memorial Award for outstanding watercolor:
Dana Cabrera, Assumption High School
 
The Creativity Award sponsored by Joel & Diane Franken:
Sophia Utsinger, Bettendorf High School
 
Elaine & Larry Sneath Award for painting:
Mya Diabira, Bereskin Gallery and Art Academy

“The Most Whimsical Award” sponsored by Charles White:
Isabella Cuellar, Mercer County High School
 
Living Lands & Waters Award for use of recycled materials:
1st place: Simon Showalter, Mercer County High School
2nd place: Bethany Witt, Central DeWitt High School
The Cutting-Edge Award sponsored by Cutting Edge Productions:
Alexsys Scheeper, Central Dewitt High School
Cassie Higgs, United Township High School
Madelyn Janke, Davenport West High School
 
Excellence in Clay sponsored by Marilyn Davis:
Bailey Mattioli, Pleasant Valley High School
 
Deborah Doehler Studio Award for jewelry/metal working:
LaDella Gallagher, Davenport Central High School

Excellence in Photography Award sponsored by Jack Wilhoit:
Marissa Cope, Bettendorf High School

Works made of Paper Awards sponsored by Bereskin Gallery and Art Academy
1st place: Molly Schroeder, Davenport Central/Creative Art Academy
2nd place: Jason Weng, Davenport Central/Creative Art Academy
3rd place: Olivia Hucke, Mercer County High School
3rd Place: Avery Behnke, Pleasant Valley High School
 
The Natural World award sponsored by Ralph Iaccarino:
Avery Conger, Davenport West High School
 
The Life at Night Award for Beauty, sponsored by Life at Night Productions:
Damian Nickell, Moline West High School
 
Carlo Centore Award for Mastery of Technique
Ethan Hancock, Davenport West High School
Lilly Meder, Davenport Central High School/Creative Arts Academy
 
Zimmerman Honda Award for Excellence
Abigail Butcher, Kewanee High School
Olivia Koehler, Bettendorf High School
 
Hilltop Campus Village Award
Omina Jaugsah, Davenport Central High School
 
Award for excellence in film sponsored by Dphilms:
Riley Ellis, Rock Island High School

The Mississippi Valley Woodcarvers Award for woodworking:
Madison Carlson, Pleasant Valley High School
 
Left Bank Art League Awards:
Malia Shinbori, Bereskin Gallery and Art Academy
Madison Carlson, Pleasant Valley High School
Alondra Gomez, Bereskin Gallery and Art Academy
 
The Rock Island Art Guild Members’ Awards:
Malia Shinbori, Bereskin Gallery and Art Academy
Kennedy Maombi, Rock Island High School
Kristina Snowdon, Mercer County High School
Eric Eastland, Bettendorf High School
 
Teacher’s Awards:
1st place: Cassie Dunlavey, Central DeWitt High School
2nd place: Alexandria Medenciy, Pleasant Valley High School
3rd place: Dave Schaeffer, Davenport West High School
 
Quad City Arts' Staff Teacher Award:
Lisa Stisser, Kewanee High School
 
The exhibition can be seen in person at the Rock Island Gallery Monday-Friday 10-5 and Saturday 11-5, with extended hours on the final day: April 29, 10am-8pm.