​The 47th season of Visiting Artist Series continues online with content from 12 new artists presenting a broad selection of music, dance, and theatre genres. Collectively, these videos and residency materials are called the Visiting Artist Series Educational Resources Project.

We asked artists, including a North Carolina rapper and banjo player, a war refugee turned former NPR “Tiny Desk Concert” contestant, and an emerging Chicago dance studio, to provide materials. These resources that students would otherwise not have access to, such as videos on building mobiles, an introduction to Celtic music, and a string quartet program celebrating the life and legacy of Madam C. J. Walker, the first female African-American self-made millionaire in America.

The content is only accessible through our gateway and will be available until June 1, 2021.

Access to Educational Resources is FREE and open to teachers, parents, and other educators looking for supplementary arts materials and content.

​It just takes a few clicks to view and use the exclusive materials from these artists. First, sign up for access at https://www.quadcityarts.com/vas-educational-resources. Then log in to the Educational Resources site. Select an artist to view the posted videos and documents. Click the link to watch the video or download the written materials. It’s that easy!

The entire season of artists in residence is available when you sign up, from musicians to actors, dancers to storytellers. Teachers, students, and parents can access performing artists' resources on any device connected to the internet, anytime, anywhere. 
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If you are interested in additional, live performances, such as a Zoom concert or a live-streamed workshop for students, please reach out!  Margot is happy to coordinate experiences for students that will enrich their learning experience and expand access to the performing arts.

Ailie Robertson is a multi-award winning composer, performer and creative curator whose work crosses the boundaries of traditional and contemporary music. She is widely regarded as one of Scotland’s leading traditional musicians and Celtic harpists. She is a five-time National Mod Gold Medalist and a BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician of the Year finalist.

Folk musician Demeanor from Greensboro, North Carolina, merges hip hop and folk elements like banjo, bridging the gap between contemporary and traditional cultural music, celebrating folk music as an African American art form.

Ephraim Bugumba, a singer who spent his childhood as a war refugee from his homeland of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He was a contestant on NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert and “American Idol”. His second single, “Stormz,” has been viewed over 1.7 million times on Bugumba’s TikTok.

Invoke is a multi-instrumental band whose encompasses traditions from across America, including bluegrass, Appalachian fiddle tunes, jazz, and minimalism. Invoke has shared the stage with diverse and acclaimed ensembles ranging from the Ensō Quartet to the U.S. Army Field Band and has also appeared with musicians in greatly varying genres - from chamber rock powerhouse San Fermin to DC beatboxer/rapper/spoons virtuoso Christylez Bacon.

Jacob D’Eustachio, a juggler/storyteller who performed throughout the U.S. for two seasons with the Zoppe Family Circus. He spent three years at the prestigious Ecole de Cirque de Quebec, Canada and performed at the renowned Circus World Museum in Baraboo, Wisconsin.

Jaerv is a described by Jeffrey De Hart, a Billboard Sweden Correspondent, as “an innovative Swedish folk quintet with jazz and pop leanings who flawlessly blend original songs with stellar takes on captivating Scandinavian folk songs, some dating back 700 years. The combined talent, humor, and professionalism these impressive men exude is unparalleled. Musicians. Vocalists. Songwriters. See them. Feel them. Experience them.”

John Driskell Hopkins is most well-known as a founding member, vocalist, multi-instrumentalist, and songwriter of the Grammy Award-winning Zac Brown Band. John became a founding member of the Zac Brown Band (ZBB) in 2005 as a bass player and has enjoyed engineering and songwriting credits on hit songs including “Toes,” “It’s Not OK,” and “Sic Em On A Chicken,” from the triple-platinum selling record “The Foundation”, as well as “Nothing,” “I Play The Road,” and “Settle Me Down,” from the platinum selling record, “You Get What You Give”.

PUBLIQuartet is a string quartet that was described by The Washington Post as “a perfect encapsulation of today’s trends in chamber music.” The quartet has held residencies with American Composers Orchestra and Deer Valley Music Festival’s “Emerging Quartets and Composers” program. In 2019, the group received their first Grammy nomination for their sophomore album, “Freedom & Faith”. 

SchoolSculptures with Kevin Reese is a residency program where he works with school and civic communities to create large permanent moving sculptures inspired by the participants’ designs. Kevin was selected in 2013 as the Residence Teaching Artist at the National Gallery of Art. In the past 20 years, SchoolSculptures with Kevin Reese has created over 190 installations in 30 states throughout the country.

Skerryvore represent the best in contemporary Scottish traditional music with their mix of fiddle, accordions, pipes, and whistles, alongside guitar and vocals, underpinned by bass, drums and keys. Their six studio albums demonstrate their unique fusion of folk, traditional, rock, and Americana, even jazz. Skerryvore is two-time winners of Scotland's Traditional Music Awards coveted “Live Act of the Year” (2011 and 2016).

South Chicago Dance Theatre is a multicultural organization aiming to preserve the art of dance through quality performances and educational opportunities. The diverse repertoire of the company fuses classical and contemporary dance styles as well as preserves historic dance works.  
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Symbio is a Swedish duo is regarded as one of the most interesting new bands from the Swedish Folk & World music scene thanks to the interplay of hurdy-gurdy and accordion. They were awarded as the Best New Artist of the Year at the Swedish Folk & World Music Awards in 2016.

We will keep you informed on upcoming event details, as we look forward to ease in to more in-person events.

(DOD Photo by Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Carlos M. Vazquez II)

​Beyond the hope and promise of the inauguration of any new American president, we at Quad City Arts are still riding high from the celebratory events of Jan. 20 in Washington, D.C.

Amplifying the stirring call of President Joe Biden to national unity, and healing, we saw the timeless power of art, music, and poetry used anew to connect, bind, uplift, comfort, and inspire the nation -- and why arts and culture matter, now more than ever during this devastating, isolating pandemic.

“This inauguration truly highlighted the power of the arts through installations and performance of poetry and music -- all of which focused on the message of unity and hope,” said Kevin Maynard, executive director of Quad City Arts.

“Through the use of lighting at locations in Washington D.C., Boston, Las Vegas, and others, art was used to unify a nation while memorializing those lost to Covid-19. As people were unable to gather on the National Mall, flags were planted to represent the states and territories, this installation art furthered a message of unity.

“Poetry was used to solidify a message of hope, but not without challenge,” Maynard said. “Music was used to celebrate. It was encouraging to see the arts, especially the visual arts, so well represented on the national stage.

“The arts have the power to inspire and to heal. It was clear that was the intention at this celebration, and it worked,” he said.
 
Several art installations and performances in Washington and around the country have defined and expressed the boundless loss, grief, and hope we feel at this critical, unprecedented juncture in history, including:
 

• In October 2020, artist Suzanne Brennan Firstenberg planted a white flag for each life lost to Covid-19 on the grounds of the Washington Armory. At the time, the national death toll was at 212,000 (by late January, it’s exceeded 420,000). Firstenberg said she felt she had to step in and do something to mark the moment after she read how a government official had dismissed the death toll.
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(Photo by Victoria Pickering)

​Her temporary art installation (through November), as is the case with the many makeshift memorials that have emerged throughout the pandemic, sought to remind people not only of the immense scale of loss, but also emphasize the individual, according to PBS. People were able to personalize the flags by writing down the names. Others left messages.

In September, the COVID Memorial Project planted 20,000 U.S. flags on the National Mall. Each flag represented 10 lives then lost to the virus. Aside from national installations like that project and Firstenberg’s, there have also been flag memorials that reflect how Covid has hit different regions of the U.S.

·      An installation of 200,000 flags and 56 pillars of light—representing every U.S. state and territory—opened on the National Mall on Monday night ahead of the inauguration. The "Field of Flags" occupied the space normally filled by the public, who were unable to attend the event in person due to the coronavirus pandemic and the heightened security in Washington following the deadly attack by rioters at the Capitol on Jan. 6.
 

(DOD Photo by Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Carlos M. Vazquez II)

·      On Jan. 19, the Reflecting Pool in front of the Lincoln Memorial was lit as a memorial to the more than 400,000 lives lost from Covid-19. Communities across the country were invited to illuminate buildings and ring church bells in a national moment of unity and remembrance.
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(Video Source: PBS News Hour)

 
·      A project to create a massive crowd-sourced kolam tile installation, led by artist Shanthi Chandrasekar, honored Vice President Kamala Harris’s maternal heritage. The 2,500-square-foot work was originally planned to be installed in front of the Capitol, but following the violent insurrection at the site, it was postponed until after Inauguration Day.
 

·      Following a year when differences and divisions have dominated headlines, the Kennedy Center’s REACH campus is home to a free outdoor art installation, UNITY | PEACE | FORWARD, through Feb. 28. The exhibit is “a space for contemplation and a glimpse into the minds of performers, artists, writers, and cultural leaders about their hopes, fears, dreams, and aspirations in a time of uncertainty and isolation,” according to Washington’s Kennedy Center.
 
Developed by the Kennedy Center as a collaboration between International Programing and the office of Accessibility and VSA, UNITY | PEACE | FORWARD elevates the voices of artists with disabilities and also forwards the Center’s commitment to accessibility with a companion online component.
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(Video Source: The Kennedy Center)

The UNITY installation at the Reflecting Pool by the River Pavilion features art from five VSA emerging young artists. The PEACE flag displayed on the hillside of the REACH Gardens is a collage of 270 smaller flags of all the U.S. states and territories, as well as flags from all the world countries with which the U.S. maintains diplomatic relations.

·      In addition to the star-studded musical performances during the inauguration (such as Lady Gaga, Jennifer Lopez and Garth Brooks), and in a special “Celebrating America” concert that night, Jan. 20 made a superstar of 22-year-old poet Amanda Gorman. A Harvard grad from Los Angeles, she is a former National Youth Poet Laureate, and moved many with her electrifying “The Hill We Climb,” penned for the occasion.
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(DOD Photo by Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Carlos M. Vazquez II)

“Gorman echoed, in dynamic and propulsive verse, the same themes that Biden has returned to again and again and that he wove throughout his inaugural address: unity, healing, grief and hope, the painful history of American experience and the redemptive power of American ideals,” NPR wrote.

Where Biden said, “We must end this uncivil war,” Gorman declared, “We lay down our arms so we can reach out our arms to one another.” Gorman, like Biden, had a speech impediment as a child. (Biden had a stutter; Gorman had difficulty pronouncing certain sounds.) She told NPR's Steve Inskeep that her speech impediment was one reason she was drawn to poetry at a young age.

“Having an arena in which I could express my thoughts freely was just so liberating that I fell head over heels, you know, when I was barely a toddler,” she said.

Ryan Collins, a Q-C poet and executive director of the Midwest Writing Center, said that Gorman was an excellent choice to read at the inauguration.

“As someone who works with young writers, who are often made to feel like their work doesn't matter, I think it was incredibly important for young writers and artists to see someone like Gorman deliver so well on such a massive stage, and I think it's validating not just for the work -- that poetry matters, but also for all of those who do that work and have a poetry practice, especially young women, especially writers of color,” he said.

“I saw many poets around my age mention how they were reminded of their earliest encounters with poetry -- specifically Maya Angelou reading at the first Clinton inauguration in 1993 -- and how that stayed with them, helped put them on a path,” Collins said. “Seeing so many poets, my peers, who I respect and admire, share that sentiment was assuring that the same thing is happening right now.
 
“Kids all over the country are seeing a young woman being celebrated for her craft and her performance,” he said. “I am sure the effects of that will reverberate out into our culture in ways that will surely enrich our lives, just as Angelou's reading did nearly 30 years ago.”
 
Rene Gellerman, president/CEO of United Way Quad Cities (and board member for River Music Experience and Quad Cities Cultural Trust), was also thrilled with the inaugural emphasis on arts and soaring rhetoric.
 
“I was reminded of the power each of us have in upholding unity. Words matter. Tone matters. Intent matters,” she said. “Each of us are responsible for the kind of world we want to live in. The lessons and spirit of the inaugural ceremony can be applied in our own organizations and community. For example, when the world changed beyond what we would have ever guessed last year, our community responded. We accepted reality, pivoted and aimed to serve our region’s immediate needs.”
 
“By recognizing where the need is greatest and applying our resources, we can identify and build the interventions that give people the opportunity for economic mobility, quality education and health care -- regardless of ZIP code,” Gellerman said, adding that we must heed Gorman’s inspiring words, “see the light; be the light.” “Now is the time for the Quad-Cities to prove we’re all in this together,” she said.
 
“Music and art have a way of teaching us things we didn’t even know we were looking to,” Gellerman said of concisely expressing those ideals. “It inspires hope.”

“I was moved by how much I appreciate and take for granted positivity, the power that we each individually have in creating unity,” she said. “Think about Amanda Gorman and her poem, what she did to inspire people to come together. We all have that power. We don’t utilize it enough -- the music, the positive nature of those songs, how we can overcome challenges, see the resiliency of human nature.”
 

(Video source: Katy Perry - Firework (Live from Celebrating America Inauguration Special)

The “Celebrating America” concert – hosted by Tom Hanks at the Lincoln Memorial – featured many impassioned, uplifting performances, including by Bruce Springsteen, Foo Fighters, Demi Lovato, Justin Timberlake, John Legend, Jon Bon Jovi, Tim McGraw and Tyler Hubbard, and fittingly concluded by a spectacular, huge fireworks display, accompanying Katy Perry’s exuberant “Firework.”

Bookending his Lincoln Memorial performance of “The Rising” in January 2009 (complete with gospel choir then), Springsteen started the 2021 evening show solo with his “Land of Hope and Dreams.” Appropriately, it sings in part:

“Leave behind your sorrows
Let this day be the last
Tomorrow there'll be sunshine
And all this darkness past
Big wheels roll through fields
Where sunlight streams
Meet me in a land of hope and dreams.”

In a new country song “Undivided,” sung by Tim McGraw and Tyler Hubbard, current tensions also were addressed with an eye to selfless, Biden-esque solutions:
“I think it's time to come together
You and I can make a change
Maybe we can make a difference
Make the world a better place
Look around and love somebody
We've been hateful long enough
Let the Good Lord reunite us
'Til this country that we love's
Undivided.”

Hubbard (of Florida Georgia Line) co-wrote the upbeat, inspirational anthem with Chris Loocke while reflecting on his personal quarantine in his tour bus after testing positive for Covid.

“Music gives us hope and brings us together in a way nothing else can. This doesn’t mean we don’t have work to do. Quite the opposite,” McGraw told Billboard. “I loved the positivity of this song and that it called me to check myself and to remember that love is bigger.”

While Covid-19 has devastated arts organizations worldwide, and canceled so many events and opportunities patrons would normally have, many groups and institutions in the Q-C have adapted to find alternate ways of meeting their mission.

Supporting the arts in the Quad Cities impacts quality of life, civic pride, and economic development. After four years when the Trump Administration cast a cold eye toward the arts – consistently seeking to eliminate federal funding – Maynard is optimistic that the new administration will return to strong funding of the arts on a national level. 

“After all, it makes good business sense as the arts make up 4.5 percent of the GDP,” Maynard said.

"Seeing the arts celebrated on the national stage renews our sense of pride and celebrates America’s rich and diverse culture," he said.






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​As we look forward to next year, Quad City Arts is pleased to announce Arts Dollars grants for the 2021 cycle. Applications are welcome from individual artists, K-12 schools, and non-profit organizations partnering with artists. All art forms are eligible. Since 1990, Quad City Arts has supported the local art community by awarding more than $1,000,000 in grants to local artists, non-profit organizations, and schools.
 
This year, Quad City Arts will grant $85,500 to local artists and organizations. The application process is competitive, and applicants are encouraged to apply before the deadline. Quad City Arts staff are available to assist with the application process.
 
GRANT CATEGORIES:
 
Project Grants support arts projects or programming that primarily emphasize community engagement. Individual artists may apply for up to $1,500. Non-profit organizations and schools may apply for up to $5,000.
 
Education Grants support projects or programming that primarily provide opportunities in arts education for K-12 students. Individual artists may apply for up to $1,500. Non-profit organizations and schools may apply for up to $5,000.
 
Capacity-Building Grants fund activities that increase an organization’s overall capacity, organizational strength, and long-term community impact. Non-profit organizations may apply for up to $5,000.
 
Deadline for applications: January 31, 2021
Recipients will be notified no later than March 15, 2021.
 
Guidelines, category descriptions, and applications are available online:
https://www.quadcityarts.com/arts-dollars-grants
 
Funding for the 2021 Arts Dollars cycle is provided by the Hubbell-Waterman Foundation and the Illinois Arts Council Agency, a state agency. All Quad City Arts programs are funded in part by Festival of Trees, individual donations, and operating grants from the Illinois Arts Council Agency, a state agency.
For more information or assistance with Arts Dollars applications, contact Kaleigh Trammell at ktrammell@quadcityarts.com or 309-793-1213 ext. 102.

Festival of Trees 2020 was completely unexpected in every way. Instead of a parade, we hosted a televised holiday special. Instead of the main event, we hosted a smaller pop-up shop and window display at our gallery in Rock Island. Instead of purchasing admission and event tickets, the community supported Quad City Arts through a day of giving.
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​With every twist and turn, our incredible committee of volunteers and staff kept the pillars of Festival of Trees in the forefront: to provide a holiday event for the community and support Quad City Arts.

We are inspired by the resilience and creativity of our community – from designers going ahead with the designs they’d planned for this year to family gingerbread competitions to at-home SugarPlum Balls – you give Festival of Trees its spark.

Thank you to everyone who shopped, bid, gave, and volunteered to make this year a success. You are the heart and soul behind Festival of Trees.
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You make the Quad Cities a great place to live and you have shown up in support of the arts. Because of you, we are able to provide 7500 students with arts education experiences. Or, to think about it a different way, supported the Rock Island Gallery for TWO YEARS. Or, supported 75 Metro Arts Apprentices for the summer. However you frame it, we appreciate our community and we couldn't do this without you. It’s been a challenging year, but from the bottom of our hearts, thank you for showing your support and we can’t wait to see you all at Festival of Trees in person (hopefully) in 2021!
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You can read our most recent printed newsletter below! As you can see from the cover image, this year Quad City Arts celebrates 50 years of making the arts accessible in the Quad Cities. In this unique year, it seems fitting for us to celebrate! We worked hard to make meaningful adjustments to serve our mission and provide even more accessibility to the arts. Most of this year's focus was placed on shifting programs virtually as we remain committed to the health, safety, and vitality of our region. This year, we have a way to share all our news digitally through our blog, support artists by selling artwork online, and provide quality performance arts materials through a free platform for educators. 

During this difficult year, we continue to serve our mission, because we have witnessed the life-changing power of the arts. We've seen it through our digital Chalk Art Fest, by providing a creative platform for our community, by our Metro Arts Apprentices beautifying our community, and by our community educators embracing the Visiting Artist Series Educational Resources. We are also seeing a record number of people turning to arts and entertainment for comfort, to pass time, to try something new, etc. 

The arts may be more important now than ever. This year, we are unable to host our signature fundraiser, Festival of Trees, which makes it challenging to raise the needed dollars to support our mission and programs. Please consider giving to support our Festival of Trees Holiday Special and Day of Giving at www.qcfestivaloftrees.com/gift. Because of your support, Quad City Arts is able to bring artists into classrooms, inspire young people to pursue a career in the arts, pay artists for their work, and make the Quad Cities a more beautiful place to live.
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​For over 46 years, dancers, actors, singers, musicians, and authors have traveled from across the United States—and occasionally from across the world—for a week in residence with Quad City Arts through our longstanding Visiting Artist Series program. The resulting performances reach tens of thousands of students each season.

When coronavirus precautions made it impossible for artists to visit students in person, we decided to bring the artists, their talents, their performances to students through a multimedia collection: The Visiting Artist Series Educational Resources project. The website offers content from professional artists and ensembles, including brief demonstration videos, study guides, workshop-style videos, and more, all coordinated by Quad City Arts. Each video is subtitled in English and Spanish, allowing a broad audience to access our Educational Resources.​ This collection of resources stands in for the planned in-person educational residency activities for Fall 2020 and Spring 2021. 
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Since its beginning in 1974, the Visiting Artist Series has always been a unique cultural asset in the Quad Cities. The series has engaged Quad City residents of all ages in quality arts experiences with professional performing artists. Artists of various disciplines present demonstrations, workshops, and master classes at preK sites, elementary, intermediate, and high schools as well as college campuses and community organizations.
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Schoeneman led the concept for an interactive and educational park, with a series of design meetings facilitated by Quad City Arts. Nearly 50 area historic preservationists, businesspeople, recreation enthusiasts, and river activists came together over a two-year period to develop the community-built project along the parkway south of the Village of East Davenport.

Lori Roderick and John Gere were its primary designers, with Roderick serving as the project's lead artist. The architectural sculpture park was dedicated and presented to the City of Davenport on May 22, 1999.
We have formally facilitated leasing and installation of public sculpture in the area since 2002, starting with the city of Davenport – which now has nine outdoor sculptures on permanent display. The city of Rock Island has participated in the program every year since 2007 and Bettendorf, since 2008.
 
Davenport’s began 18 years ago, with plans to establish a cultural corridor along the Mississippi River on 2nd Street, as the city saw public art as a way to draw attention to the developing cultural scene. The year-long rental of sculptures by regional artists and facilitated by Quad City Arts, continued in Davenport through 2011. 

In 2007, The Downtown Rock Island Arts and Entertainment District embraced public sculpture by the renting three sculptures, funded by the City of Rock Island and placed in the downtown area. In addition to a growing number of murals, new shops, loft apartments and Riverview condos, the sculptures became a vital component of the city’s strategic plan objective to include the creation, performance, sale, and public display of art.
 
Moline Centre Partners joined program in 2007, by renting five sculptures for their downtown. With three of the Quad-Cities participating, a brochure was designed and marketed through the Convention and Visitors Bureau. Moline stayed in the program for two years, until the Moline Centre Partners dissolved; Renew Moline has since gotten involved.
 
The City of Bettendorf joined the program in 2008 and has continued to select and rent at least three sculptures per year ever since. Bettendorf has purchased five pieces for the city’s permanent collection.
 
The Davenport RiverCenter began leasing sculptures with the 2012-13 program year and then opted to use the “rent to own” clause to purchase two works.
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“While difficult to measure the impact, public art conveys that the people who live in a city that invests in art are invested in their community,” said Dawn Wohlford-Metallo, Quad City Arts’ visual arts director. “When people see art in a community, they know that the city leaders have a designed a vibrant place to live, where people want to spend time. Where there is art, there is likely to be other recreational amenities” she said.
 
“It also shows that the community does not have a transient population, but is one that is invested in the people, open to new ideas and willing to take risks. In addition, a city enriched with public art, and one that offers cultural amenities, is a city that attracts businesses. When Volkswagen chose Chattanooga, the arts environment was a deciding factor.”
 
Public art is a way to develop a downtown into a cultural destination, Wohlford-Metallo said. “People may come to see a sculpture, then stop and eat at a restaurant, shop or enjoy other cultural offerings.”
 
To date, 164 sculptures have been leased through the Public Sculpture Program.
 
This June, six sculptures in Bettendorf and four in Rock Island were replaced with new ones, featuring colorful, creative and whimsical work from artists throughout the Midwest. Each city chose to keep one sculpture from last year’s selection for another year.

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Renewing Moline with art

On Sept. 8, Nees’ proposed concept was endorsed by the Project Management Team (PMT), a public/private partnership between Renew Moline and the city to offer guidance and input on downtown projects. Ald. David Parker, a member of the PMT, said that he thought the street-art style proposal was “perfect” for the building and expressed his excitement to see the project complete.

“This proposal is unique,” said Kevin Maynard, Quad City Arts executive director and Public Art Steering Committee member. “There really isn’t another public art project like it in the Quad-Cities. We are excited to see how art can elevate this building aesthetically and economically.”

It is expected to be created in Nees’ home studio and installed on the building in mid-October 2020.

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New sculptures in Rock Island, Bettendorf

In 2020, Quad City Arts coordinated installation of 12 sculptures with the financial support of Rock Island and Bettendorf, Rock Island Parks & Recreation, Bettendorf Library Foundation and Ascentra Credit Union, showing their commitment to the cultural and artistic vitality of our community.
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Courtney Lyon of Ballet Quad Cities loves “Growing Up” – at the foot of the Centennial Bridge in Rock Island, created by Ben Pierce of Cape Girardeau. Mo. It was installed at the visitor’s center in Rock Island last year and will remain for another year.

“I see it every day when I drive into Rock Island for work,” said Lyon, artistic director of the ballet company. “Even though my mind is typically already busy with what will be happening during the day, I always notice the sculpture.  I instantly recognize that my car is crossing an area where civilization abruptly meets nature.  It snaps me out of my ‘work’ brain, and it makes me blink and look around and come into the present.

“The sculpture stands strong and tall, circles filled with bricks, triangles filled with blue. I think about the artist and their choice of putting the blue water in the angular container, and the red bricks in the smooth container,” she said. “ It seems so simple that by switching what seems natural, something that could have been normal and expected becomes unique and unforgettable.  Would I have thought to do that?
“I realize that I just crossed over the Mighty Mississippi. Even though we built a bridge to cross it, and flood walls to protect us, the river is far more powerful than we are,” Lyon said.

“Delightfully, the blue of the sculpture pops! Sometimes it is the brightest thing around as I come off the bridge if the skies are grey, the water flat, the trees bare.”

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Promoting local art for 19 years

Dawn Wohlford-Metallo has worked at Quad City Arts since 2001.
 
After studying art at Truman State University and Arizona State, she attended the University of Colorado and earned an MFA in sculpture in 1988.
 
Wohlford-Metallo moved back to her hometown in Iowa in 1998 and she became visual arts director at Quad City Arts, overseeing two art galleries and the public sculpture program.
 
Additionally, she serves on the Acquisitions Committee for the Figge Art Museum and teaches papermaking at Gilda’s Club. After caring for her home and family, Wohlford-Metallo creates art in the wee hours of the night. She consistently exhibits her work in regional exhibitions.
 
Quad City Arts typically reaches 350,000 art participants a year and 5,000 artists of all disciplines. We are dedicated to the growth and vitality of the Quad-City region through the presentation, development, and celebration of the arts.

The organization envisions a vibrant, dynamic region where artists, residents, and visitors are engaged in diverse opportunities in the arts and humanities.

While there are very few Q-C artists that do large sculptures, one is featured this year – Moline’s David Zahn, whose “Time Passes” is at Build to Suit on Bettendorf’s State Street, near the Waterfront Convention Center.

“The human form has always been a major element in my work,” he said. “Integrating images of people and blending them with abstract forms has been a long-lasting direction in my art. I strive to create a feeling of timelessness and a strong emotional element in each piece.”

Other Bettendorf pieces include:

• “Uncle Andy” on the hillside in Faye’s Field near the Bettendorf Public Library. Created by Paul Bobrowitz of Colgate, Wis., “Uncle Andy” is everyone’s favorite uncle taking the kids for a walk in the park to enjoy nature.
• At Martha’s Point on State Street and River Drive, notice “Windows” also by Bobrowitz. “ ‘Windows’ is my representation of three divergent points of view through that window,” the artist said. It is relevant at this time in the world when people have differing opinions about everything going on.
• At the entrance to Veteran’s Memorial Park on 23rd Street, you can see “Triumph,” also by Ben Pierce. “I take a minimalist approach to my designs; this sculpture is no exception. ‘Triumph’ was created as part of a series of work where I challenged myself to create by limiting my design elements to only use two straight lines and one circle. Unintentionally this sculpture began to look like a person with their arms stretched out above them in a victorious pose, which is where I derived the title.” (Pierce has a permanent sculpture at Faye’s Field.)
• At the Bettendorf Community Center will be “Seeking Shelter” by Andrew Arvanetes of Chicago. “My sculptures have always been object-oriented and narrative in nature. I attempt to achieve this connection with my audience by utilizing universal visual details.”
• On display for another year is “Just Visiting” by Donald Horstman, an 80-year-old artist from Fenton, Mo. It represents a flock of butterflies taking off in front of Ascentra Credit Union, on State Street.

 

Rock Island public art includes:

• Patrons to the Southwest branch library can enjoy “Awake” by Miki Lemieux of Chicago, which refers to the “understory” of organic matter and life.
• Near the Genesius Guild Classic Theater in Lincoln Park, picnickers will discover “Reaching to the Moon” by Tim Frye, of Shumway, Ill. “Our never-ending dreams consist of growing and always reaching upward. It is interesting that nature too moves in this way,” the artist said. “This sculpture was designed to have kinetic motion.  The upper section sways gently in the wind.”
• Horstman also created “Spring Fling” at Longview Park. “Spring is the time for seeds to be blown in the wind,” he said.
• Just outside Longview Park at the intersection known as “Five Points” will be “Moon Shadow” by Peter N. Gray of Chicago, installed by July 4. It was inspired by last year’s full eclipse of the moon.

 
Hampton Cranes of Bettendorf donated its time and services to install the public sculptures again, which can cost up to $30,000 each to purchase.

To view all the local sculptures along with driving directions, visit: Public Sculpture Program


Continuing to work as a facilitator and connector

Quad City Arts offers services to local organizations and businesses interested in large-scale mural projects or sculptures, by through its connections with artists all over the country.

When the CEO of Genesis Medical Center in Davenport had a vision for a sculptural fountain as part of the landscaping and grand entrance to the new East Campus hospital addition, their staff searched for the right sculptor for over a year before approaching Quad City Arts for help.
 
We have the resources and connections to sculptors across the nation; wrote a call for proposals and found the perfect sculptor in a matter of weeks.
 
The Genesis East renovation and expansion was finished in 2018 at a cost of $150 million. At the hospital’s main entrance (which includes waterfalls) is Tempest Ballet, a stainless-steel sculpture that spirals upward. Nearly 10 feet in height, the sculpture was created by Amie Jacobsen, a multi-faceted artist and designer who lives in Kansas City.

Jacobsen earned her MFA in illustration at the Savannah College of Art and Design, where she also taught in the foundations, illustration, and e-learning departments. Her work includes metal sculptures, artisan furniture, décor, and painting.

Jacobsen wrote that the sculpture’s title was “inspired by the form itself. I thought it reminded me of the wind swirling, like in a storm, which is where 'tempest' came from. But it's also graceful and coordinated, like a dance.”

To see what public sculptures in the area are currently on display, visit quadcityarts.com/public-sculpture.

This summer’s three-student improv comedy group met daily at Schwiebert Park in Rock Island and was led by Erin Mahr, a Rocky grad who did improv with Metro Arts in 2002.
 
“So it’s fun to be on the other side now,” she said. “At the time, I didn’t think I’d ever teach it. I had so much fun learning improv games at the time, and I thought it was a great opportunity to earn money while learning a fun skill like improv. I enjoyed ComedySportz, learning the different games and skills there.”

Mahr was in ComedySportz from 2010 until last year, when it disbanded, and is a performer with G.I.T. Improv.

This year, with students masked, “It’s been an interesting year,” she said. Mahr was co-lead artist last year with Patrick Adamson, at Rock Island’s former Establishment Theatre, now owned by the Center for Living Arts. They’re outside this year, partly to be safer health-wise.

“In improv, you have to work more with body language, being able to hear and understand each other,” Mahr said. “The apprentices have done a wonderful job of adapting and making the most of their experience, given the situation.”

Improv comedy translates to everyday life skills, she said. “It’s great for public speaking; it’s a great confidence builder, even just social skills.”

“What I enjoy most about the improv program is the fact that I get to do something I love every day, and I also get to make new friends that otherwise wouldn’t have existed,” said Teddi White, 18, a new Bettendorf High grad in her second year of Metro Arts. “It’s a little difficult working with masks for a few reasons. It gets very hot very quickly, it’s harder to enunciate, and it’s harder to tell other’s facial expressions.”
 
“I love improv because it’s really flexible and free,” she said, noting she first did improv about eight years ago in a class at Davenport Junior Theatre and has been to multiple ComedySportz shows.
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A virtual showcase

Covid also forced changes in how Metro Arts presented its annual showcase – virtually this year, which was on July 9 (on Facebook and the Quad City Arts YouTube channel).

“In a typical year, we’d have every apprentice in the same room, on stage, with their friends and family, talking about the projects they’ve completed and showing some pictures,” Maynard said. “That’s not an option this year, so we’re bringing 3-4 people from each group to talk about their project. We would bring on everybody, but we are limited in how many we can have in the program we use, at one time.”

There is an additional Metro Arts project planned this fall in downtown Davenport. ​​​

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Will it even be a real holiday season without the beloved Festival of Trees?

The Quad City Arts tradition and largest fundraiser of the year planned to celebrate its 35th year in November, with “Believe,” but the unbelievable year of 2020 and Covid-19 forced us to re-imagine the in-person festival, as many events have been canceled throughout the year.

In July, we made the difficult decision not to host the 35th-annual Kwik Star Festival of Trees in person due to uncertainty and concern for the safety of volunteers, staff, and community as a whole regarding the Covid-19 pandemic. The Holiday Parade and all other special events will also not be held this year.
 
This decision was led by Festival of Trees volunteer management team with the full support of the Quad City Arts’ staff and board of directors. “This truly was a difficult decision,” executive director Kevin Maynard posted on Facebook. “The team worked this from every angle, but in the end, we kept coming back to the health and safety of our community.

“It takes 3,000 volunteers to make the Festival of Trees happen,” he said. “Over 30,000 attend annually. Thousands crowd the streets of Davenport for the Holiday Parade. It will be missed this year but will come back stronger next year.”
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In lieu of an in-person event this year, we are partnering with KWQC to present a fun-filled one-hour Holiday Special to air on Saturday, Nov. 21st during the traditional parade hour, and are asking the community to partner for a Day of Giving on the same day.
 
The TV special event will consist of coverage from past parades, Center Stage acts, messages from staff, volunteers, and community members as well as a message of hope from Santa himself.
 
Our goal is to set up matching donors and sponsors who will help make donations go farther. We know VIP Baskets are a crowd favorite at Festival of Trees, so they will be returning this year, but with a new twist. We invite the community to join us for this special day of support and celebration that we hope will fill everyone’s hearts with holiday cheer.
 
In addition, there will be select designs and items available for sale at the Quad City Arts Rock Island Gallery (1715 2nd Ave.), along with other favorites like the Honor Tree and Isabel Bloom ornaments available for purchase. We know many will still want to commemorate this year in their collection and honor loved ones with a personalized ornament. Interested in being a designer? Visit qcfestivaloftrees.com.

Festival of Trees – the largest fundraiser of the year for the organization -- started in 1986 with a small group of volunteers that believed in the impact of the arts. They set out on a mission to support bringing high-quality artists right here to the Quad-Cities, inspiring a generation of students and families through access to the arts.
 
That first year, their purpose was twofold: First, be a community celebration of the holiday season. Second, raise funds for the Visiting Artist Series, which first began in 1974 as its own organization.
 
Over the years, Festival of Trees has not only continued to be a major supporter of the Visiting Artist Series and Quad City Arts, but it’s also become a staple in the Quad-Cities as the unofficial kickoff to the holiday season, bringing together hundreds of sponsors and tens of thousands of supporters to experience the magic of the festival at Davenport’s RiverCenter.
 
Festival has raised over $5 million in support of local arts and has been recognized as one of the Top 100 Events in North America. It typically takes 3,500 volunteers, 650 designers, 3,500 CenterStage entertainers and over 100 sponsors to make Festival of Trees happen each year. More than 100,000 people experience Festival of Trees annually, making it one of the largest community attractions in the Quad-Cities.
 

Longtime volunteer loves the Festival
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Jeff Martin, music teacher for the Rock Island Center for Math & Science, said: "Our students get to experience performances that many of them would otherwise never get to see."

In some cases, "they find out that they really like certain genres of music that they didn't think they would," he said. "It is extremely important to have these artists perform for, and interact with, our students. It shows our kids what hard work, determination and passion can produce in one's life.

"Most of the artists we have had at our school are very passionate and dedicated to their craft and this comes across to the kids as they listen to the performance and to the comments that are made by the performers," Martin said.

"Most of the artists make what they do look easy, but they talk with the kids about their education, when they started learning their skills, who influenced them, and how often they had to practice to get to where they are now," he said.

"Kids need to know that it takes hard work and drive to achieve as a performer. I think these visiting artist experiences give the kids a glimpse of this and, I hope, may inspire some of them to want to do the same as they grow up."

“There’s no other series like the Visiting Artist Series anywhere in the country,” said Susan Wahlmann, former Performing Arts & Arts-in-Education Director for Quad City Arts. “Other presenters sponsor short-term residencies a few times a season in conjunction with a main-stage concert, but no one else hosts the number of residencies or reaches as many sites as we do in a season.

“It wasn’t until I started directing the series in 2003 and attending nationwide booking conferences that I realized we're the only ones who have been doing this for so long.”

Quad City Arts has a vision of reaching every student in Scott and Rock Island counties through the Visiting Artist Series, with at least one arts or cultural experience a year. So far, we have reached 70 percent of this vision.

Among the many outstanding artists who have had Q-C appearances include:

• Clarinetist Richard Stoltzman (1979-80)
• Author E.L. Doctorow (1984-85)
• St. Paul Chamber Orchestra with Pinchas Zukerman (1984-85)
• Folk singer Burl Ives (1985-86)
• Broadway director Joshua Logan (1985-86)
• Cellist Janos Starker (1985-86)
• Jazz trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie (1986-87)
• Jazz trumpeter Wynton Marsalis (1987)
• Author Kurt Vonnegut (1988-89)
• Author W.P. Kinsella (1990-91)
• Vocal ensemble Sweet Honey in the Rock (1990-91)
• Author Tobias Wolff (1991-92)
• Violinist Mark O’Connor (1998-99)
• T.S. Monk Jazz Trio (1998-99)
• Jazz singer Kurt Elling (2002-03)
• Jazz trumpeter Terrence Blanchard (2006-07)
• Jazz trumpeter Jon Faddis (2011-12)
• Folk singer Jen Chapin (2013-14)
• Turtle Island String Quartet (2018-19)
• Playwright David Henry Hwang (2019-20)

Some of the biggest names to visit the Quad-Cities, through the series or Festival of Trees, have come about because of the fateful 1986 appearance by legendary actor Cary Grant – which put Davenport on the map worldwide.