 Quad City Arts Unveils 2025 Arts Dollars Grant Awardees, Empowering Artists and Organizations with nearly $150,000 in Funding Quad City Arts is pleased to announce 2025 Arts Dollars grant awards to 29 organizations and 9 individual artists. Since 1990, Quad City Arts has supported the local art community by awarding more than $1,600,000 in grants to local artists, non-profit organizations, and schools. Funding Sources Arts Dollars funds are generously provided by the Hubbell-Waterman Foundation, the Quad Cities Community Foundation - Isabel Bloom Art Education Endowment, and the Illinois Arts Council Agency, a state agency. In total, Quad City Arts granted almost $150,000 to local artists and organizations during this grant cycle, up from $115,000 in the 2024 cycle. Grant Recipients The 2025 Arts Dollars grants encompass a wide array of projects, each uniquely contributing to the cultural tapestry of our community. This complete list of recipients showcases the breadth of creativity and commitment to community enrichment among Quad Cities' artists and organizations Capacity Building Grants:
Education Grants:
Project Grants:
Quad City Arts is committed to advocating for the arts as a vital component of a vibrant community. We extend our deepest gratitude to our partners, supporters, and the talented grant recipients of 2025. Together, we continue to make the Quad Cities a place where art and culture flourish!
  Quad City Arts is pleased to announce 2022 Arts Dollars grant awards to 18 organizations and 15 individual artists, 10 of whom are part of the first ever Visual Artist Grant cohort. Since 1990, Quad City Arts has supported the local art community by awarding grants to local artists, non-profit organizations, and schools. Arts Dollars funds are generously provided by the Hubbell-Waterman Foundation and the Illinois Arts Council Agency, a state agency. This year, Quad City Arts received additional funding from a funder who wishes to remain anonymous to fund Visual Artist Grants. In total, Quad City Arts granted nearly $140,000 to local artists and organizations during this grant cycle. Arts Dollars has been granting funds to artists and nonprofits in the Quad Cities region since 1979 thanks to our generous funding partners who believe in the power of the arts to enrich our communities. The funds awarded in the Project and Education categories are an investment in the arts across the six-county region served by Quad City Arts, activating nonprofits and artists who are engaging their community through projects in visual arts, theatre, music, film and more. The vision that Quad City Arts has in facilitating these grants is that individual artists and nonprofits of all sizes would be able to accomplish projects in the Quad Cities and surrounding communities and that those communities would see a long-lasting benefit from the completed projects, paying artists for their work in the process. Each year, artists and nonprofits apply for grants in one of three categories: Projects, Education, and Capacity-Building. Keep an eye out for our 2023 grant round opening in December! Capacity-Building grants are highly competitive and specially designed for arts-centered nonprofit organizations who are seeking support to expand their reach and impact through the arts in their community. This category was added in 2016 as Quad City Arts saw a need for small organizations to have access to funds to increase their capacity. Arts Dollars has funded important organizational infrastructure support like strategic planning, database solutions, temporary staff, and more. This year, Quad City Arts received additional funding from a funder who wishes to remain anonymous to fund Visual Artist Grants. The purpose of these funds is to provide visual artists with the funding they need to focus on their craft. The artists in this cohort also have the unique opportunity to participate in masterclasses coordinated by Quad City Arts. Our 2022 grant awards were recommended by a panel of community members who sifted through the nearly $130,000* in requests from across the region and approved by Quad City Arts Board of Directors. Please join us in celebrating these individuals and organizations! We are excited about the impact each one will make on our community as they advance their mission and the mission of Quad City Arts: to enrich the quality of life in the Quad City region through the arts. *This amount does not include the Visual Artist Grant requests. 
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| Amber Williams Mural Artist David Zahn Sculpture Dena Border Acrylic on Cotton Gabriella Torres Acrylic on Canvas Heidi Sallows Mural Artist | Joseph Lappie Paper Art Lori Roderick Clay/Pottery Nathan Parr Large scale photography Tommy Riefe Sculpture Lee McClain Metalworking |
As we close out 2020, we continue to be impressed by the ingenuity and resilience of our community – pivoting and creating brand new ways of doing things in a year that required it. From going completely virtual to finding ways to make an impact in small groups to making the difficult decision to postpone – our 2020 grant award recipients made an impact on our community this year.
As we close out 2020, we continue to be impressed by the ingenuity and resilience of our community – pivoting and creating brand new ways of doing things in a year that required it. From going completely virtual to finding ways to make an impact in small groups to making the difficult decision to postpone – our 2020 grant award recipients made an impact on our community this year.
 In 2019, third grade students at McKinley Elementary used an Arts Dollars grant to help them build their new Butterfly Waystation (pictured behind students) |  Fourth Wall Films was awarded a grant in 2019 for their project film "Sons & Daughters of Thunder". The film has received a nomination for an Emmy. |
 In 2019, MetroLINK added an interactive mural to their Rock Island Station for the community to show their pride and ownership during a "Paint While You Wait" event, it is now a permanent mural. |  Quad Cities Woodturners Club were provided funding to purchase the equipment that connected their large group of master craftsmen to be able to share demonstrations of their work and keep expanding their skills in 2020. |
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 [email protected] or 309-793-1213 ext. 102.
Arts Dollars has been granting funds to artists and nonprofits in the Quad Cities region since 1979 thanks to our generous funding partners, who believe in the power of the arts to enrich our communities. Thanks to our 2020 Arts Dollars funding partners, The Illinois Arts Council Agency, a state agency and The Hubbell-Waterman Foundation. The vision that Quad City Arts has in facilitating these grants is that individual artists and nonprofits of all sizes would be able to accomplish projects in the Quad Cities and surrounding communities, that those communities would see a long-lasting benefit from the completed projects, and that artists would be paid for their work in the process. Each year, artists and nonprofits apply for grants in one of three categories: Projects, Education, and Capacity-Building. Keep an eye out for our 2021 grant round opening in December!
The funds awarded in the Project and Education categories are an investment in the arts across the six-county region served by Quad City Arts, activating nonprofits and artists who are engaging their community through projects in visual arts, theatre, music, film and more. Our records show that since 1990 alone, Arts Dollars has funded $1.3 million in projects in our region. What an amazing legacy!
Capacity-Building grants are highly competitive and specially designed for arts-centered nonprofit organizations that are seeking support to expand their reach and impact through the arts in their community. This category was added in 2016 as Quad City Arts saw a need for small organizations to have access to funds to increase their capacity. Arts Dollars has funded important organizational infrastructure support like strategic planning, database solutions, temporary staff, and more.
Our 2020 grant awards were recommended by a panel of community members who sifted through the nearly $160,000 in requests from across the region and approved by the Quad City Arts Board of Directors. Please join us in celebrating these individuals and organizations! We are excited about the impact each one will make on our community as they advance their mission and the mission of Quad City Arts: to enrich the quality of life in the Quad City region through the arts.
Capacity-Building
- Quad Cities Woodturners Association – Funds will cover fees to attend shows and fairs to increase membership
Education
- Hot Glass, Inc – HS field trips to hot glass to learn glassblowing
- McKinley Elementary School – Students will be researching life in Davenport in 1940 and creating a mural depicting the future of Davenport
- Muscatine Art Center – Summer Visiting Artist Workshops
- QC United (Pete the Purple Bull) – LIFT Program in schools, engaging students through hip-hop music, dance, and drama
- River Action – Arts Along the River, including a public play, painting watercolor, videos, writing, and participating in a drum circle led by the Native American Coalition of the Quad Cities
- Steam on Wheels – Bringing STEAM curriculum into schools
Project
- Azubuike African American Council for the Arts – Acting for film workshop
- Central DeWitt Performing Arts Center – Production of Cinderella, the musical
- Countryside Community Theatre – Paying professional pit musicians
- Galva Arts Council – Summer Concert Series
- Good News Singers Chorale – sheet music
- Hand in Hand – Inspiration Studio works with participants with disabilities
- Handicapped Development Center – 9 integrated arts classes
- Genesius Theatre Foundation – Summer performance series
- German American Heritage Center – Power Frauen history and art exhibit
- Martin Luther King Jr Center – Multicultural Dance Day
- Moline Community Development Corporation – 5 neighborhood beautification projects
- Moline Public Library – Universal Language project, working with young adult immigrants in piano music instruction and collaborative mural
- Opera Quad Cities – Production of Madame Butterfly
- WVIK – Rock Island Lines commemorative book
- Youth Hope QC – Creative Arts Enrichment Programs
Individual Artist
- 1V on the Track – Music Video production, working with at-risk youths
- Aubs. – Collaborative poetry project
Providing grant funding for local projects like this allows us to move our mission forward. Quad City Arts is a nonprofit local arts agency dedicated to enriching the quality of life in the Quad City region through the arts. The Art Dollars 2021 application opens December 15 and is open through January 31, 2021. For more information and guidelines, please reference our Art Dollars program page.
This program partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency, and a grant from the Hubbell-Waterman Foundation.
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