Talking Art: Recent Episodes
Carolyn Martin
WVIK interviews artists from all different genres and all over the Quad Cities about their work.Sponsored by Quad City Bank & Trust
In this episode, host Ben Gougeon from Quad City Arts sits down with the dynamic Isaiah "Zay" Williams, an artist, filmmaker, and the recent Citizen of the Year award winner in Rock Island.
In this episode, we sit down with the talented Sabrina Tabby, a violinist of the dynamic string quartet ATLYS.
Tune in for an enriching discussion that dives deep into the heart of community art and the exciting future ahead for Kevin Maynard and the Quad Cities.
In this episode of Talking Art, Kevin Maynard sits down with Pono Fernandez and Shawn Pimentel, two dynamic members of the acclaimed Hawaiian music group Kulaiwi.
Ben Gougeon sits down with two exceptional artists, ceramicist Jim Cronk and jeweler Ann Hartley, as they prepare for their upcoming exhibition at the highly anticipated Riverssance Festival of Fine Art.
In this episode of Talking Art, hosts Dawn Wohlford-Metallo and Ben Gougeon from Quad City Arts, sit down with the talented mixed media artist and sculptor, Dean Kugler.
Join us for an inspiring episode featuring a discussion with Courtney Lyon, the Artistic Director of Ballet Quad Cities, as we delve into the exciting launch of their 28th season.
Join us for a conversation with Isaac Flynn and Alexander Ward, from the indie rock band Hembree.
Tune in to discover how the Bill Bell Jazz and Heritage Festival brings the Quad Cities community together through music, education, and a shared passion for preserving the region's vibrant cultural heritage.
In this engaging podcast episode, muralists Nicole Salgar and Atlanta Dawn take listeners on a journey through their creative process and artistic inspirations as they discuss their work on two large-scale murals in downtown Rock Island, Illinois.
Ben Gougeon talks with local muralist Sarah Robb about her work with the Quad City Arts Metro Arts program, the upcoming Chalk Art Fest at Schwiebert Park, and her life as an artist.
Quad City Arts Executive Director Kevin Maynard sits down with VP of Research at Americans for the Arts
In this episode of "Talking Art," Kevin Maynard from Quad City Arts sits down with Marc Zyla, principal horn of the Quad City Symphony Orchestra (QCSO).
Listen to the conversation here with artist Cory Christiansen and with Muscatine Art Center Director Melanie Alexander, about the legacy that Jon Fasanelli-Cawelti left behind, the deep personal friendships that developed between the local artists, and the transformative effect a creative mentor can have.
Listen to the conversation here with Quad City native Steve Banks about how humor can be used to effectively deliver a message about culture and identity; the creation of multi-panel pieces for this exhibition which he likens to a symphonic suite with different movements; and the studio space and artistic community that he has developed in Davenport, IA.
Listen to the conversation here with Brian Baxter, Executive Director of the Quad City Symphony Orchestra, about the tremendous versatility of the QCSO’s musicians, the important ways in which the orchestra is diversifying their community outreach and programming, and why the Riverfront Pops is widely considered to be the Quad Cities’ “party of the summer.”
Listen to the conversation here with Executive Director Kevin Maynard about how Quad City Arts has intentionally been building their role as an arts advocate, connector, and resource hub; about their commitment to creative placemaking; and how they beautify our community in ways less commonly known to the public, such as through their public sculpture program.
Listen to the conversation here with Brian Nikulski and Pat Beréskin about the thematic approach they used to create this collection, the importance of businesses investing in local artists, and the sense of well-being that beautiful art creates.
Owner and Director Andrzej Kozlowski is an accomplished Juilliard-trained classical pianist. Listen to the conversation here about his reverence for the Polish pianists and composers Fryderyk Chopin and Ignacy Paderewski, his passion for historic renovation and restoration, and his belief in providing financially feasible musical training.
Listen to the conversation here with Jaren Michelle (Callie) and McKenna Coskie (Sara) about how they have come to understand and connect with their individual characters, the joy of acting in a debut stage work production in the Quad Cities, and the essential role that community theatre plays within a vibrant society.
Listen to the conversation here with composer, arranger, producer, Yamaha artist, and piano virtuoso Laurence Hobgood about his initial emergence onto the jazz scene in Chicago years ago, the inspiration behind his album Honor Thy Fathers, and about his current work teaching at the New School in NYC.
Martha Redbone, a Native & African American vocalist, songwriter, composer, and educator, will be performing in numerous venues from May 8-13, 2023, as a Quad City Arts’ Visiting Artist.Combining elements of folk, soul, Appalachian, and Native tradition, her music is uniquely Influenced by her upbringing in both urban Brooklyn, NY as well as rural Harlan County, KY in a “brilliant collision of cultures” (The New Yorker).Listen to the conversation here with musician Martha Redbone about the importance of narration and storytelling in her work; the role that arts education can play in our lives; and about the inspiration she has discovered in the poetry of the 18th century writer and illustrator William Blake, in an ongoing bridge between past and present.
Listen to the conversation here with composer William Campbell about the catalyst behind this concept album of contemporary classical music, the art of composition, and his future plans as he transitions away from his long-time position as Professor of Music at St. Ambrose University to concentrate on composing film scores and concert music.
Courtney Lyon, the Artistic Director of Ballet Quad Cities, has reinterpreted these classic works with her own abstract choreography. Listen to our conversation here about the process she uses when choreographing a work; the various ways in which dance with its myriad, intricate steps can be preserved for future performances; and the important role that Ballet Quad Cities plays here in our community.
Listen to the conversation here with artist Heidi Draley McFall about the process behind her latest work; her experimentation with the visual effects afforded by the application of resin, a new interest which has surpassed her interest in realism; and the various individual interpretations that viewers have ascribed to her work.
The major exhibition Sporting Fashion: Outdoor Girls 1800-1960 is currently on display at the Figge Art Museum in Davenport. Featuring sixty-four fully accessorized ensembles accompanied by photographs, video, and text, the show examines the material history of women in sport as they lived their individual self-determined lives.A detailed and highly illustrated 344-page catalog is available in the Figge Museum store which contains a forward by tennis great Serena Williams. It is one of a select few authoritative publications on the evolution of women’s sporting attire.Listen to the conversation here with FIDM Museum Curator Kevin L. Jones about the inspiration behind the creation of this exhibition, the collaboration and extensive sourcing that it required, and the importance of fashion at its intersection of history, culture, and aesthetics.Sporting Fashion: Outdoor Girls 1800 to 1960 is organized by the American Federation of Arts in New York, and the FIDM Museum at the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising, Los Angeles. It was curated by Kevin L. Jones, FIDM Museum Curator, and Christina M. Johnson, FIDM Museum Associate Curator. Please attend their joint in-person curator talk from 5-8 PM on April 20, 2023.The Figge Museum is located at 225 W. 2nd St. in Davenport. You can view the full list of companion events and associated programming here. The exhibition is on display through May 7, 2023.
Listen to the conversation here with Dania Green about the creation of these two works of art, the intimacy inherent in self-portraiture, and the important role that mentoring has had in her life. You can follow Dania on Instagram.
Listen to the conversation here with Dr. Gale Bell about the legacy of her late husband, the support and nourishment he received while growing up in Watertown, and about his album “The Jazz Professor,” which he dedicated to his family members and on which his original compositions reflected in various styles the personalities of those he loved.
Listen to the conversation here with Jackie Dempsey, co-Artistic Director of Squonk, about the “community of the imagination” they hope to inspire, the joy she feels watching people experience their shows for their first time, and the thirty-year journey Squonk has taken from their origins in Pittsburgh to performing for audiences around the world.
Listen to the conversation here with Director Ray Terronez, Jr. and student performer Yanel Alaniz-Macias about how dance and costuming uniquely vary from one region to the next, the personal lessons learned from participating in a rigorous dance program such as this, and the importance of maintaining our traditional art forms.
The Pulitzer Prize-winning play A Raisin in the Sun will be performed July 15-17 and July 22-24, 2022, at the Playcrafters Barn Theatre in Moline, IL.Written by Lorraine Hansberry in 1959, this play follows the internal conflicts and divergent dreams within the Younger family as they navigate their lives during a time of racial tension in the south side of Chicago. The themes explored in this production continue to be mirrored in our current era, a poignant reminder of the ongoing struggle for justice and the universality of the human experience.Listen to the conversation here with Director Gaye Shannon-Burnett about her lifelong love of theatre, the impact this play has had as the first Broadway production written by a Black woman, and the ongoing resonance that the Harlem Renaissance continues to have in our culture today.The title of the play, A Raisin in the Sun, is a reference to the poem “Harlem,” written by Langston Hughes.Performances begin at 7:30PM on Fri/Sat and 3PM on Sundays. Tickets and additional information can be found here. The Playcrafters Barn Theatre has been producing community theatre in the Quad Cities since 1929, and is located at 4950 35th Avenue in Moline, IL.
Listen to the conversation here with Pat Beréskin about the excitement she feels about her future, the legacy she has created as a long-time champion of the arts, and the unique position that the Quad Cities finds itself in with these new creative partnerships.
Listen to the conversation here with Shelley Cooper, Director of The Threepenny Opera and Assistant Professor of Theatre Arts at Augustana College, about the underlying themes of this production, the playwright Bertolt Brecht’s conception of epic theatre, and the important lessons that students learn from immersing themselves in musical theatre.
Listen to the conversation here with Little Women Director and St. Ambrose Theatre Professor Dr. Corinne Johnson about the intentional choice of this production prior to her upcoming retirement this summer, the valuable lessons that students learn from a communal experience like theatre, and the many leaders working here in the Quad Cities – both inside and beyond arts organizations – that have emerged from the program and whom she has taught and mentored over the past three decades while working with undergraduates.
Listen to the conversation here with creative Aaron Dworkin about the integration of literary content with music which he has coined “musetry,” the complexity of the life of George Washington which he evokes in this work, and some unexpected parallels between his own personal life and that of the composer Samuel Coleridge-Taylor.
Listen to the conversation here with Guillermo Galindo about the sacred objects from the Border he has worked with and his belief in the spiritual essence of an object’s past; the unique structure of his soundtrack which was built around the numerical makeup of the Mesoamerican Venus calendar; and his joy in observing visitors – particular the younger generations – experience the show.
Listen to the conversation with Lily Arbisser and Thomas Sauer about the inspiration for this literary and musical event, the community collaboration that this represents, and the unique privilege they feel being citizen artists.
Listen to the conversation here with artist Philip Laber about his delight in discovering unexpected interconnectedness with ancient cultures and their art, the process by which he created this collection of paintings, and his decision to use acrylic as an artistic medium. Prior to his retirement in 2016, he was a Professor Emeritus of Art at Northwest Missouri State University, where his primary focus was with Printmaking and Photography. Philip Laber now resides in Long Grove, IA.
Listen to the conversation here with Barron Ryan about the feeling of awe he hopes people experience when listening to music, the new opportunities for personal growth that often arise following rejection, and the importance of daring to reach beyond our own perceived limitations.
Listen to the conversation here with Dr. Jacob Bancks, composer and Associate Professor of Music at Augustana College, about the numerous and deeply meaningful conversations he had with cancer survivors and their families that inspired him to create this work, the challenge inherent in writing a libretto in addition to the musical composition, and why opera is an accessible art form that everyone should enjoy.
Listen to the conversation here with co-directors Karen Roebuck and Joseph Obleton about the ongoing impact Black Nativity has had on their lives after initially seeing it decades ago, why this play continues to resonate in our current era, and the importance of oral storytelling traditions.
Listen to our conversation here about how his experience working in Guatemala as a Peace Corps volunteer affected his poetry and world view; his concern for the environment and the love of nature that his subsequent career as an agronomist instilled; and the writing community he has discovered in the Quad Cities within the Midwest Writing Center.
Listen to the conversation here with Bassel Almadani about the deeply meaningful contributions that immigrants make within their adoptive countries; how he creatively connects a difficult and often dark subject matter with music that is inherently light and upbeat; and the empathy and understanding that he hopes to inspire through his music.
Listen to the conversation here with Ariel Arbisser about the joys of songwriting, the unique training that a cappella groups provided her both collegiately and professionally, and her work as a performance coach in Ithaca, NY.
The pianist Byron (B.K.) Davis is the first Black Steinway International Artist from Iowa, and Polyrhythms’ Third Sunday Jazz series is welcoming him to the stage this Sunday, October 17, 2021 at the Redstone Room.
Listen to our conversation here about her introduction to gospel music through her church in the Quad Cities, the necessary musical skills she learned while subsequently living in New Orleans after hurricane Katrina with her family, and the sense of freedom and limitless expression she has experienced with the act of re-naming herself.
Listen to the conversation here with educator Dan Christian about some of the unique structural elements of the Divine Comedy, how Dante’s use of the vernacular language helped set the stage for higher levels of future literacy, and why it has remained relevant for readers throughout the centuries.
Listen to our conversation here about the duality between his professional and musical careers, the innate ability of music and dance to facilitate communication, and the evolution of Latin Jazz from both African and Cuban rhythms and percussion instruments.
Listen to the conversation here with Elizabeth Moen about her emergence within the musical scene while completing her undergraduate degree at the University of Iowa, the transition to writing her own songs and lyrics, and how intimate and locally owned music venues are essential to newly developing artists.
Listen to the conversation here with guitarist, composer, and educator Steve Grismore about his 50-year career in music, his role as an educator at the University of Iowa as well as numerous other academic institutions (including both Augustana College and Black Hawk College in the Quad Cities), and his hopes for the Iowa City Jazz Festival which he co-founded in the early 1990’s.
Listen to the conversation here with contemporary art collector Jordan D. Schnitzer about the importance of stewardship in the arts, the philosophy behind his extensive exhibition and lending program, and the impact he feels art has on the quality of people’s lives.
Listen to the conversation here with activist Moselle Singh about the impetus behind the formation of the Solidarity Collaboration, her belief that all people should be able to listen to music safely, and how as a community we can strive to make our entertainment spaces safer.
The dynamic show Tubbs & Moss: A Vintage Jazz Experience will be held on select Saturday evenings throughout the summer. Performing in the new Blueprint Bar & Lounge within the iconic Spotlight Event Center in Moline, pianist Mason Moss and vocalist Sara Tubbs highlight songs from the Great American Songbook in an endearing and high energy performance that is a joy to experience after a long pandemic year. Sara Tubbs is the co-owner of The Spotlight Theatre and will direct their production of The Sound of Music in December, as well their summer pop-up play, Pinocchio. Mason Moss is an accomplished music director and musician who was part of the national touring show of The Book of Mormon in 2019 and 2020. He will music direct the upcoming main stage performance of You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown in June at The Spotlight Theatre. Listen to our conversation here about their training in vocal performance and theatre, why this type of music resonates so deeply with them, and the
The Kinogarten film series is a collaboration between the German American Heritage Center (GAHC) in Davenport and Rozz-Tox in Rock Island. Free of charge, all six films will be shown on the first Friday of each month from April through September of 2021 in the intriguing outdoor garden space at Rozz-Tox. Did you know? The German word for cinema is kino while garten translates to garden. The remaining films are: May 7: The Tin Drum June 4: Free Fall July 2: Mephisto Aug 6: Transit Sept 3: Ali: Fear Eats the Soul Listen to the conversation here with Erika Holshoe, the Assistant Director of the German American Heritage Center , about why viewing foreign language films is important, the historical differences between American and German approaches to cinema, and the latest exhibition which recently opened at the GAHC. Rozz-Tox is located at 2108 3 rd Ave in Rock Island. The films begin at 8PM or at sundown. A walk-up window is available for your food and drink orders and Rozz-Tox sells a
The exhibition “Construct/Destruct” by artist Steve Banks is on display through April 30, 2021 at the Beréskin Gallery & Art Academy in Bettendorf. Featuring large-scale mixed media works or “painted constructions” as well as smaller ceramic sculptures, the artist weaves together architectural, industrial, and road trip images in an homage to our past – what once was, and what has been repurposed. Examining the leaning, tilting towers of his ceramic works or carefully inspecting the layered images on his paintings, the viewer is forced to examine the transient nature of our current existence and to acknowledge the physical spaces of the past which we continue to inhabit.
Marc Zyla, the Principal Horn and Director of Education & Community Engagement for the Quad City Symphony Orchestra, has a new podcast “ Because .” Twice a month, a new episode will be released during which Marc chats with artists and explores their stories of the people, places, and things that had to fall into place to make their careers happen.
Kit Polen, Associate Principal bassist for the Quad City Symphony Orchestra , has a unique perspective on the COVID-19 pandemic, as musicians and artists suffered a disproportionate loss this past year after performance venues and concert halls around the world were shuttered. His wisdom and insights are refreshing as we mark the one-year anniversary from when our lives changed so suddenly.
Figge Art Museum Assistant Curator Vanessa Sage will deliver a virtual lecture entitled Rebel Artists on Thursday, March 11, 2021 at 6:30 PM. This is a free event, although registration is required. A Zoom link will be emailed to all participants several hours before the talk begins, and a Q&A session will be held following the conclusion of the lecture.
The Quad City Symphony Orchestra will perform a tribute to the unique sound of American music with their Signature Series III concert on Saturday, February 27, 2021 at 7:30 PM, inspired by the Figge Art Museum’s exhibition For America . This intimate string trio performance will be available for a limited socially distanced audience at the Figge as well as via digital access/live streaming. Emily Nash, Associate Concertmaster and violinist; Bruno Silva, violist; and Kit Pollen, Associate Principal and double bassist for the Quad City Symphony Orchestra , will perform works by three American composers. The first portion of the program features Silent Moon by Augusta Read Thomas, three movements written for violin and viola which evoke the stillness of winter. After a brief pause, the tempo and style will change with six selections being played by the composers Edgar Meyer and Mark O’Connor - bluegrass/folk compositions hailing from their Appalachia Waltz album in 1996 and from
Recently retired Chief Curator Emerita Dr. Brandon Brame Fortune, of the National Portrait Gallery, will give a virtual talk entitled American Artists’ Self-Portraits Then and Now on February 25, 2021 from 5-6PM. This is a free event in conjunction with the Figge Art Museum’s exhibition For America: 200 Years of Painting from the National Academy of Design .
The exhibition For America: 200 Years of Painting from the National Academy of Design will be on display at the Figge Art Museum in Davenport, IA from Feb 20 - May 16, 2021. Consisting of nearly 100 paintings spanning the time from the early 19 th century through the beginning of the 21 st century, this exhibit presents an immersion course in American painting through which the visitor will understand the evolution of American art told by the very artists who created it – an “artist’s art history.”
The Midwest Writing Center is offering an opportunity to have a locally affiliated poet or writer hand craft a poem for someone in your life. Available through February 28, 2021, Bespoke Poems QC has a “pay what you want” policy, although the recommended minimum is $20 and tips are appreciated. Simply fill out an on-line information form with details about the person(s) that you are commissioning a poem for, and the tailor-made poem will be sent in either digital form or via traditional mail service back to you. For those wishing to have a poem created by Valentine’s Day, the deadline for information submission and payment is February 9, 2021. Listen to the conversation here with Ryan Collins, Executive Director of the Midwest Writing Center , about the poets involved in this project, the numerous additional literary-based projects that they offer, and the importance of writing for all of us. Located within the Rock Island Public Library, the Midwest Writing Center was founded in 1979
The Hamburg Historic District in Davenport, IA, affectionately known as the “Gold Coast,” contains some of the widest variety of architectural styles in the Quad Cities. Built primarily by German immigrants in the 19 th and early 20 th century, the district lies between 5 th and 9 th Streets (south to north) and between Ripley and Vine (east to west).
Situated on the second floor of the River Music Experience building in Davenport, IA, is The Underground Economy , a full-scale media and production house which bridges the gap between art and entrepreneurship. Containing a podcast studio, a recording studio, and a content editing station, the space is available to creatives via a variety of membership options, with the goal to become an incubator for the arts within the Quad Cities.
The national touring show Beatles vs. Stones - A Musical Showdown is coming to the Adler Theatre in Davenport on October 20, 2020. The tribute bands Satisfaction and Abbey Road , wearing period clothing and playing vintage instruments, will be accompanied onstage during six of their songs by a string quartet composed of local high school musicians. Pleasant Valley High School (PVHS) senior Madison Brady plays the cello, PVHS junior Lila Teitle and sophomore Thi Phan play violin, while North Scott High School junior Kaitlyn Wood performs on the viola. They will join the bands for the songs Eleanor Rigby, A Day in the Life, Hello Goodbye, Hey Jude, Gimme Shelter, and Ruby Tuesday. Listen to the conversation here with Madison Brady, Lila Teitle, and Kaitlyn Wood about the joy they feel being able to perform after months of artistic isolation due to the pandemic, the misperceptions other people may have about playing in a string quartet, and their experience in the Quad City Youth Symphony
Rock Island native John Shallman recently published his first novel, Return from Siberia.
The acclaimed artist Cecile Houel works in Ft. Madison, IA where she has been creating beautiful, realistic portraits of Nobel Peace Prize Laureates. Twenty of her large 4’ x 4’ works are currently on display in a variety of locations throughout the Quad Cities. Ten are at the Beréskin Gallery & Art Academy in Bettendorf as part of their “Peace Starts Within” exhibit; six are on display at Quad City Arts’ airport gallery as part of their “A Portrait of Remarkable Women” show; and two portraits are at both the German American Heritage Center and in the River Center/Adler display cases. The portraits will be up through the end of October.
The Quad City Music Academy is a new school for students pursuing their musical education in cello, violin, viola, or bass. Private lessons are offered with a variety of accomplished professional musicians, and specialized courses and workshops are also available. The Academy is the first of its kind in the Quad Cities. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the fall 2020 semester will be held online. One of the components of the newly formed Academy is El Sistema, which incorporates human values and social justice into music education. Instruction is also offered in the Alexander technique, which encourages freedom of movement and correction of negative postural habits so important for musicians. Listen to the conversation here with Hannah Holman , Executive & Artistic Director of the Quad City Music Academy, about the inspiration behind creating a specialized school for classical musicians in our community, the importance of having a transformative teacher in your life, and her hopes for
Racial inequity in the arts is well documented across all genres, from theatre, to film, literature, and the visual arts. The public outcry and protests that have occurred this year following the death of George Floyd and countless other people of color have resulted in a strong public reckoning regarding our own implicit biases regarding race. Those biases, in combination with existing economic disparities and entrenched institutional hierarchies affect what we see and view on screen, on stage, in museums, and read in books. Listen to the conversation here with Gaye Shannon Burnett, co-founder of the Azubuike African American Center for the Arts in Davenport, IA and with Jonathan Burnett, Executive Director of Azubuike and an independent filmmaker, about their thoughts and experiences regarding racial inequality in the arts, and how they are working to counter that by giving a voice to underrepresented youth through Azubuike’s Urban Exposure Independent Film Project . Want to learn
The innovative sculptor Beverly Pepper was a resident artist with the Visiting Artist program in the Quad Cities in 1981. Over a dozen works were created during her time here. Four of them remain in the Quad Cities, of which three are available for the general public to view. Her sculptures, many of them monumental in size, have been exhibited in major museums throughout the world including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Brooklyn Museum, the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, the Centre Pompidou in Paris, the Barcelona Museum of Contemporary Art, and in many locations throughout Italy where she resided for many decades.
Originally from the Quad Cities, Samantha Pauly is an actor best known for originating the role of Katherine Howard in SIX the Musical on Broadway, and for her portrayal of Eva Perón in Jamie Lloyd’s critically acclaimed London revival of Evita .
The freelance hairstylist, Amelia Bay, is originally from the Quad Cities and now works in television and on Broadway. She was in the midst of filming for the TV show Law & Order: Special Victims Unit when the entertainment industry was shuttered due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Local singer/songwriter Mo Carter will be conducting a musical tour of the Figge Art Museum on Thursday, March 12, 2020. Inspired by some of her favorite art works, she will perform on her guitar and sing in her bold, soulful voice, accompanied by violinist Melinda Leasman. The “musical musing” begins at 6:30 PM and will wind through multiple galleries.
The country artist Monica Austin has been busy lately, recently releasing her first EP and opening for Wynonna Judd and the Big Noise at the Rust Belt on Feb 21, 2020.
Jon Lovett, host of the irreverent podcast Lovett or Leave It , will be recording his show in front of a live audience at Hancher Auditorium in Iowa City on Thursday, January 30, 2020 at 8PM.
The inaugural Quad Cities’ Environmental Film Series begins on Sunday, Jan 19, 2020 with the showing of The Biggest Little Farm . In a partnership between The Joyce & Tony Singh Foundation , the Sierra Club Eagle View Group , River Action , and Nahant Marsh , six films will be brought to the Figge Art Museum auditorium through May 17, 2020 which address climate change and the destruction of our natural spaces.
The EVAC Project (Experiencing Veterans and Artists Collaboration) exhibit is on display through February 15, 2020 at the Rock Island Arsenal Museum . This compelling and thought-provoking show pairs veterans’ stories with prints created by artists, with the intended purpose to bridge the gap between military and civilian life and to increase our understanding and connection with each other. In total, fifteen stories are told by veterans from all five branches of the military, who served in conflicts ranging from WWII to present-day Iraq and Afghanistan.
An exhibit featuring photographs by Chris Rayburn, watercolors by Tim Schiffer, and glass works by John Miller will be displayed Dec 13, 2019 through Jan 24, 2020 at the Quad City Arts’ Rock Island Gallery.
The hilariously irreverent holiday play Santaland Diaries , based on the essay by David Sedaris and adapted for the stage by Joe Mantello, will be performed Dec 12-15, 2019 at the Brunner Theatre Center on the Augustana College campus. Starring Keenan Odenkirk, this Mississippi Bend Players ’ production is certain to entertain as he recounts his experience working at Macy’s in New York City during the busy holiday season dressed as Crumpet the elf.
The photographic artist Randy Richmond has two concurrent exhibits on display now in the Quad Cities: Verisimilitude in the Lewis Gallery at the Figge Art Museum in Davenport, and The Set Table: Forks on the Left, Metaphors on the Right at the Quad City Arts’ gallery in Rock Island.
The mixed media artist Sarah Rehmer ’s solo exhibition A Tenuous Space is currently on display at the ArtSpace Gallery on the Black Hawk College campus in Moline. Using vintage book paper, rusted paper, encaustic, oil paint, and eco-dyed fabric and paper, she explores the elusive aspects of memory, thought, and communication in ethereal works created over the past five years.
The widely acclaimed Harlem Quartet is in residence from October 21-25, 2019 as part of Quad City Arts’ Visiting Artist Series . Founded in 2006 by the Sphinx Organization , their mission is to build diversity in classical music, and to engage new and young audiences through the discovery of a varied musical repertoire that includes works by minority composers. This Grammy Award winning quartet performs jazz, Latin, and contemporary music in addition to their classical work.
The vintage 1946 film noir movie Deception will be played at the Figge Art Museum on Wednesday, October 2, 2019. Prior to the film, Hannah Holman, Principal Cellist for the Quad City Symphony Orchestra, will talk about Eleanor Aller Slatkin, the female cellist who played the Korngold Cello Concerto for the film. Erich Wolfgang Korngold composed his Concerto specifically for this movie. Eleanor Aller Slatkin was an accomplished musician who became the principal cellist for the Warner Bros. Studio Orchestra in 1939. She played the concert premiere of the Korngold Cello Concerto with the Los Angeles Philharmonic and had a long, illustrious career. In 1958 she won a Grammy Award as a member of the Hollywood String Quartet which she co-founded with her husband, Felix Slatkin. Due to clever filming, many viewers of the film Deception erroneously believe that the Concerto was performed by Paul Henreid, who played the character of the cellist Karel Novak in the movie. Hannah Holman will
The vintage 1946 film noir movie Deception will be played at the Figge Art Museum on Wednesday, October 2, 2019. Prior to the film, Hannah Holman, Principal Cellist for the Quad City Symphony Orchestra, will talk about Eleanor Aller Slatkin, the female cellist who played the Korngold Cello Concerto for the film. Erich Wolfgang Korngold composed his Concerto specifically for this movie.
Canadian artist Mia Feuer’s solo exhibition Totems of the Anthropocene will be shown Sept 21 through Dec 29, 2019 at the Figge Art Museum in Davenport, IA. Described as a “research driven interdisciplinary sculptor,” her work asks us to ponder the destruction of our natural world through our exploitation of petroleum and by climate change. Based on direct observations from diverse areas of the world including the Alberta tar sands in Canada, the Arctic Circle, and the bayous of Louisiana, Mia Feuer has created works including Rink. In this installation, viewers can take a solo indoor skate around a black petrol rink on checked out hockey skates beneath a suspended mass of upended trees and ravens, highlighting the consequences of mining for petroleum and global warming. The assemblage Totems of the Anthropocene – from which the exhibit title is based – consists of found objects including sleds and vessels formerly containing petroleum, intermingled with hand assembled geodes. A
The soprano Lily Arbisser and pianist Dr. Marian Lee will be performing a free benefit concert on Friday, August 30, 2019 at 7:30 PM at the Asbury United Methodist Church in Bettendorf. Donations made that evening will benefit local flood victims, following the catastrophic flooding experienced in the Quad Cities earlier this year.
A quality arts education is essential to a comprehensive academic experience for young people. When students immerse themselves in the arts, they secondarily learn a variety of other life skills including critical thinking, collaboration, and creative problem solving. The “Arts” encompasses a broad range of disciplines extending from visual arts to theatre, music (band, orchestra, and vocal performance), dance, and media arts. National Core Arts Standards were developed in 1994 and recognize the following four basic artistic processes: creating art, presenting/performing/producing art, responding to art, and connecting with art. Education in the arts is a process-oriented experience, and the national standards helped shape curriculum through adoption of individual state standards. Listen here to the conversation with Logan Hamilton and Nicole Walsh, educators in the Geneseo, IL public school system, about the importance of a well-rounded exposure to the arts, the collaboration between
The 6 th annual Bill Bell Jazz & Heritage Festival will be held Aug 16-18, 2019. This free, three-day event celebrates “the indigenous music and culture of people who helped build the Quad Cities with their blood, sweat and tears”, and features musical styles beyond jazz such as blues, R&B, folk, rock, rap, and Latin sounds.
If you love original art, vintage items, antiques, and “all things handcrafted” then The Skeleton Key Art & Antiques shop in Rock Island is the place for you. Located at 520 18 th St. in Rock Island, the shop is housed within the historic building that was previously a residence and the Wheelen-Pressly funeral home. The outside space is filled with original sculptural works by John Vandewalle, and inside you will find an eclectic mix of items curated by over 80 vendors.
Rock Island native Caroline Louise Walker recently published her debut novel Man of the Year , which explores the dark undercurrents in the life of Dr. Robert Hart as his life slowly spirals out of control, despite his intense desire to present himself as a model of perfection and competence.
Streamline Architects is a full-service architectural firm that has expanded recently into the art of fabrication, designing and hand-crafting custom furniture, casework, and lighting for both commercial and residential use.
Festival 56 is a professional theater organization in Princeton, Illinois, with a packed summer schedule. Founded in 2004 on the idea that a small community like Princeton—population 7,500—can support quality theater, it is presenting six full-scale productions, a new works reading, and a series of Cabaret shows—a wide breadth of performances offering something for everyone.
The comic operetta The Pirates of Penzance will be performed by Opera Quad Cities on Friday, June 14 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, June 16 at 3:00 p.m. at the Galvin Fine Arts Center on the St. Ambrose University campus.
The third annual Chalk Art Fest , hosted by Quad City Arts, will be held in downtown Bettendorf on Saturday, June 8 and Sunday, June 9. In partnership with the 2019 Be Downtown event, the Chalk Art Fest will transform the brand new pavement of the Ascentra Credit Union headquarters—located between State St. and Grant St., across from the Waterfront Convention Center—into a giant work of street art.
Galva, Illinois, will come alive this summer with music, as a free 10-week concert series is being held once again in Wiley Park. The recipient of a 2019 Levitt Foundation AMP grant , the music organizer John Taylor in partnership with the Galva Arts Council are intent on enhancing the lives of their residents and transforming their city into a community destination for others.
The Quad City Symphony Orchestra will perform a creative cross-over concert with the R&B/Pop vocalist Har Mar Superstar on Saturday, May 11, at the Rust Belt in East Moline. This performance is in collaboration with Moeller Nights.
An experimental and genre-defying concert will be performed on May 11, 2019 at the Rust Belt venue in East Moline. The Quad City Symphony Orchestra has joined forces with Moeller Nights to present the R&B/pop performer Har Mar Superstar (whose real name is Sean Tillmann) in concert with the QCSO.
The Little Prince is being performed by the QC Theatre Workshop for three weekends, from May 3 to May 19, 2019. Based on the beloved 1943 book by French author Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, this all-ages story has been adapted for the stage by Aaron Randolph III, Artistic Director of the QC Theatre Workshop.
Race: Are We So Different? is a thought-provoking exhibit currently on display at the Putnam Museum in Davenport. This interactive, travelling exhibit encourages the visitor to reconsider the idea of race through scientific, historical, and cultural lenses.
Race: Are We So Different? is a thought-provoking exhibit currently on display at the Putnam Museum in Davenport. This interactive, travelling exhibit encourages the visitor to reconsider the idea of race through scientific, historical, and cultural lenses.
The choreopoem For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/When the Rainbow is Enuf , written by the poet and playwright Ntozake Shange, will be performed on Friday, March 29 and Saturday, March 30, 2019 at the Playcrafters Barn Theatre in Moline. The term “choreopoem” was coined by Ntozake Shange in 1975 to describe her work, which combines poetry with dance and song.
The choreopoem For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/When the Rainbow is Enuf , written by the poet and playwright Ntozake Shange, will be performed on Friday, March 29 and Saturday, March 30, 2019 at the Playcrafters Barn Theatre in Moline. The term “choreopoem” was coined by Ntozake Shange in 1975 to describe her work, which combines poetry with dance and song.
Rolf Achilles, an independent art historian from Chicago, will give a lecture on Friday, March 22, 2019, at 7:00 p.m. at the Butterworth Center in Moline, entitled “Tiffany and Other Great Midwestern Panes”. The lecture is free and open to the public.
Rolf Achilles, an independent art historian from Chicago, will give a lecture on Friday, March 22, 2019, at 7:00 p.m. at the Butterworth Center in Moline, entitled “Tiffany and Other Great Midwestern Panes”. The lecture is free and open to the public.
The printmaker and artist Jon Fasanelli-Cawelti has a solo exhibit entitled “Atlas” on display at the Muscatine Art Center. Consisting of over 40 large-scale drawings and prints, the work in this show was created over the past five years despite — and perhaps because of — Jon’s diagnosis of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's disease.
The printmaker and artist Jon Fasanelli-Cawelti has a solo exhibit entitled “Atlas” on display at the Muscatine Art Center. Consisting of over 40 large-scale drawings and prints, the work in this show was created over the past five years despite — and perhaps because of — Jon’s diagnosis of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's disease.
The Lloyd M. Burstein Memorial Holocaust Film Series will be held on four Sundays beginning March 10, 2019 through May 12, 2019. All of the films have won numerous awards and will be shown at the Figge Art Museum at 4:00 PM.
The Lloyd M. Burstein Memorial Holocaust Film Series will be held on four Sundays beginning March 10, 2019 through May 12, 2019. All of the films have won numerous awards and will be shown at the Figge Art Museum at 4:00 PM.
Becoming American: Our Immigration Experience is a free six-part documentary film and discussion series to be held in the Quad Cities throughout March and April of 2019. Each Tuesday from March 5 through April 9, one-hour long films will be shown covering various facets of our immigrant past followed by moderated discussion sessions.
Becoming American: Our Immigration Experience is a free six-part documentary film and discussion series to be held in the Quad Cities throughout March and April of 2019. Each Tuesday from March 5 through April 9, one-hour long films will be shown covering various facets of our immigrant past followed by moderated discussion sessions.
The QC Theatre Workshop's 3rd annual Susan Glaspell Playwriting Festival will be held Feb. 1 and 2, 2019, at 7:30 p.m. in Davenport. Featuring original plays written by local and national playwrights, the works contain strong female lead characters and focus on gender issues, social justice, and current events.
The QC Theatre Workshop's 3rd annual Susan Glaspell Playwriting Festival will be held Feb. 1 and 2, 2019, at 7:30 p.m. in Davenport. Featuring original plays written by local and national playwrights, the works contain strong female lead characters and focus on gender issues, social justice, and current events.
Diego Lasansky is an accomplished printmaker and painter from Iowa City, who at the age of 21 held his first solo exhibition at the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art. Still in his 20's, his paintings and prints evoke the work of famous old master artists, but are executed with a thoroughly modern twist and in his own unique, preternatural style.
Diego Lasansky is an accomplished printmaker and painter from Iowa City, who at the age of 21 held his first solo exhibition at the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art. Still in his 20's, his paintings and prints evoke the work of famous old master artists, but are executed with a thoroughly modern twist and in his own unique, preternatural style.
Augustana College's Center for Creativity opened in the fall of 2018 in Rock Island. Students are encouraged to think creatively and collaboratively there in a comfortable lounge-like space filled with bean bag chairs and couches and illuminated by soft lamp lighting.
Augustana College's Center for Creativity opened in the fall of 2018 in Rock Island. Students are encouraged to think creatively and collaboratively there in a comfortable lounge-like space filled with bean bag chairs and couches and illuminated by soft lamp lighting.
Tierney Brosius is a biology professor at Augustana College who also happens to be an accomplished illustrator. She combines her passion for entomology—the study of insects—with beautifully detailed drawings.
Tierney Brosius is a biology professor at Augustana College who also happens to be an accomplished illustrator. She combines her passion for entomology—the study of insects—with beautifully detailed drawings.
Quad Cities music entrepreneur Sean Moeller is putting the finishing touches on his next music venue: The Rust Belt . Scheduled to open February 2019 in East Moline, the space will hold up to 4,000 concertgoers. Moeller plans to showcase a variety of high-profile bands, filling a void in the current Quad Cities music scene.
Quad Cities music entrepreneur Sean Moeller is putting the finishing touches on his next music venue: The Rust Belt . Scheduled to open February 2019 in East Moline, the space will hold up to 4,000 concertgoers. Moeller plans to showcase a variety of high-profile bands, filling a void in the current Quad Cities music scene.
Ballet Quad Cities will perform the quintessential holiday favorite The Nutcracker this weekend at the Adler Theatre in Davenport.
Ballet Quad Cities will perform the quintessential holiday favorite The Nutcracker this weekend at the Adler Theatre in Davenport.
Miguel Rosas is the owner of both New Style Barbershop and New Style Hair Academy in Moline. He has become well known for his hair portraits in which he shaves the incredible likeness of well-known personalities and cultural icons into the back of customers' heads.
Miguel Rosas is the owner of both New Style Barbershop and New Style Hair Academy in Moline. He has become well known for his hair portraits in which he shaves the incredible likeness of well-known personalities and cultural icons into the back of customers' heads.
Felix Vallejo purchased in 2017 a dilapidated building at 820 5th Avenue in Moline that had originally been a Skelly gas station. Built in 1932, it needed significant repair work and had become an eyesore in the Floreciente neighborhood. A collaboration between Felix and the Global Communities organization resulted in the historic renovation of the building’s exterior and the painting of a brightly colored mural on the retaining wall adjacent to it.
Felix Vallejo purchased in 2017 a dilapidated building at 820 5th Avenue in Moline that had originally been a Skelly gas station. Built in 1932, it needed significant repair work and had become an eyesore in the Floreciente neighborhood. A collaboration between Felix and the Global Communities organization resulted in the historic renovation of the building’s exterior and the painting of a brightly colored mural on the retaining wall adjacent to it.
William L. Hawkins was a self-taught artist who created an astonishing body of vibrant, colorful, and large-scale paintings late in life, executed in a highly personal style. Hawkins incorporated collage and assemblage of found objects to create work meant to both shock and delight viewers. His cityscapes often portrayed buildings in his beloved town of Columbus, Ohio. He also vividly portrayed historical events, religious subjects, and animals in his unique and joyous style.
William L. Hawkins was a self-taught artist who created an astonishing body of vibrant, colorful, and large-scale paintings late in life, executed in a highly personal style. Hawkins incorporated collage and assemblage of found objects to create work meant to both shock and delight viewers. His cityscapes often portrayed buildings in his beloved town of Columbus, Ohio. He also vividly portrayed historical events, religious subjects, and animals in his unique and joyous style.
The Beréskin Gallery & Art Academy moved to its expanded gallery and classroom space at 2967 State Street in Bettendorf, Iowa, in August of 2017. The top floor is a large light-filled space featuring the work of various local artists in all mediums, including painting, sculpture, photography, fiber, ceramics, and more.
The Beréskin Gallery & Art Academy moved to its expanded gallery and classroom space at 2967 State Street in Bettendorf, Iowa, in August of 2017. The top floor is a large light-filled space featuring the work of various local artists in all mediums, including painting, sculpture, photography, fiber, ceramics, and more.
The internationally bestselling author Ross King will deliver two lectures at the Figge Art Museum in conjunction with the current "French Moderns: Monet to Matisse, 1850-1950" exhibit .
The internationally bestselling author Ross King will deliver two lectures at the Figge Art Museum in conjunction with the current "French Moderns: Monet to Matisse, 1850-1950" exhibit .
"French Moderns: Monet to Matisse, 1850-1950" will be exhibited at the Figge Art Museum in Davenport from Oct. 9, 2018, to Jan. 6, 2019. Featuring 60 works curated by the Brooklyn Museum, the exhibit is a veritable art history course displayed through painting and sculpture, showcasing work by icons including Monet, Cézanne, Renoir, Matisse, Degas, and Rodin.
"French Moderns: Monet to Matisse, 1850-1950" will be exhibited at the Figge Art Museum in Davenport from Oct. 9, 2018, to Jan. 6, 2019. Featuring 60 works curated by the Brooklyn Museum, the exhibit is a veritable art history course displayed through painting and sculpture, showcasing work by icons including Monet, Cézanne, Renoir, Matisse, Degas, and Rodin.
The Iowa Oriental Rug Company and Renaissance Antiques , owned by Naim Bouchareb, is located in Davenport. The decorative arts are well represented here, where you will find a large selection of new and used exotic rugs in addition to high end antiques, including Tiffany glass, sterling, and porcelain.
The Iowa Oriental Rug Company and Renaissance Antiques , owned by Naim Bouchareb, is located in Davenport. The decorative arts are well represented here, where you will find a large selection of new and used exotic rugs in addition to high end antiques, including Tiffany glass, sterling, and porcelain.
Sally Gierke is a potter and muralist from Bettendorf who creates utilitarian earthenware, stoneware, and porcelain objects. Her large-scale murals have adorned local schools in Davenport, Bettendorf, and Moline, with the largest at Neil Armstrong Elementary School in Bettendorf.
Sally Gierke is a potter and muralist from Bettendorf who creates utilitarian earthenware, stoneware, and porcelain objects. Her large-scale murals have adorned local schools in Davenport, Bettendorf, and Moline, with the largest at Neil Armstrong Elementary School in Bettendorf.
The 2nd annual Alternating Currents festival will take place Aug. 23-26 in downtown Davenport. Featuring a dizzying array of film screenings, music performances, comedy acts, and art displays, over 100 events will be held in 16 venues within walking distance over the course of the four-day event.
The 2nd annual Alternating Currents festival will take place Aug. 23-26 in downtown Davenport. Featuring a dizzying array of film screenings, music performances, comedy acts, and art displays, over 100 events will be held in 16 venues within walking distance over the course of the four-day event.
Students Rebuild is a collaborative program of the Bezos Family Foundation, whose mission is to inspire young people worldwide to connect, learn, and take collective action on critical global issues. Each year, they identify a new challenge to help the world’s youth come together and feel empowered to make a difference. The challenges ask young people to create a symbolic object. The foundation matches the art with funding, which is provided to non-profit organizations who work directly with the crisis or identified problem at hand.
Students Rebuild is a collaborative program of the Bezos Family Foundation, whose mission is to inspire young people worldwide to connect, learn, and take collective action on critical global issues. Each year, they identify a new challenge to help the world’s youth come together and feel empowered to make a difference. The challenges ask young people to create a symbolic object. The foundation matches the art with funding, which is provided to non-profit organizations who work directly with the crisis or identified problem at hand.
Quad Cities Ballet Folklorico (QCBF) was founded in 1984 by Arnulfo Camarillo with the mission to express and promote Hispanic culture through dance and music. Located at 525 16th St. in Moline, the nonprofit organization teaches students ages 4-18 the intricacies of Mexican folk dancing. They also offer a mentorship program and an educational program to their students.
Quad Cities Ballet Folklorico (QCBF) was founded in 1984 by Arnulfo Camarillo with the mission to express and promote Hispanic culture through dance and music. Located at 525 16th St. in Moline, the nonprofit organization teaches students ages 4-18 the intricacies of Mexican folk dancing. They also offer a mentorship program and an educational program to their students.
Beginner’s Luck , a play written by Emmy Award-nominated Philip Jayson Lasker, will premiere Friday, Aug. 3, 2018, at the Brunner Theatre Center on the Augustana College campus.
Beginner’s Luck, a play written by Emmy Award-nominated Philip Jayson Lasker, will premiere Friday, Aug. 3, 2018, at the Brunner Theatre Center on the Augustana College campus.
There is a new mural outside the German American Heritage Center in Davenport to celebrate the opening of their latest exhibit, "Sound Mind Sound Body: Turnverein Traditions" . Created by Bruce Walters, Professor of Art at Western Illinois University, it is 30 feet by 10 feet and depicts a German gymnast suspending himself from rings in a feat of extreme upper-body strength.
There is a new mural outside the German American Heritage Center in Davenport to celebrate the opening of their latest exhibit, "Sound Mind Sound Body: Turnverein Traditions". Created by Bruce Walters, Professor of Art at Western Illinois University, it is 30 feet by 10 feet and depicts a German gymnast suspending himself from rings in a feat of extreme upper-body strength.
The 10th annual College Invitational art exhibition is on display at the Figge Art Museum in Davenport through Aug. 12, 2018. Students from eight different area colleges and universities have submitted their best artwork, from Augustana College, Black Hawk College, Western Illinois University, Knox College, and Monmouth College in Illinois, and from St. Ambrose University, Scott Community College, and Clinton Community College in Iowa.
The 10th annual College Invitational art exhibition is on display at the Figge Art Museum in Davenport through Aug. 12, 2018.
The Metro Arts Youth Apprenticeship program, run by Quad City Arts, is hard at work on three new murals this summer. They are going up at Douglas Park in Rock Island, the K&K Hardware store in Bettendorf, and inside the south parking ramp of Genesis East Medical Center in Davenport.
Codfish Hollow, located five miles east of Maquoketa, Iowa, on a rural farmstead, is a unique music venue where prominent regional and national indie musicians perform in a rustic barn. Paste magazine has called it a "true oasis." Opened in 2009, Codfish Hollow has attracted a surprising number of well-known bands who have heard about the venue and the legendary hospitality of owners Tiffany and Shawn Biehl.
The Mississippi Bend Players, Augustana College’s professional regional theatre, is beginning their second summer season with the opening of Big River on June 22. Based on the classic 1884 novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, the original Broadway musical won seven Tony awards, and is being performed June 22-24 and June 29-July 1 at the Brunner Theatre Center on the Augustana College Campus.
For the fourth year, Jonathan Burnett, Program Founder and Creative Director of the Urban Exposure Independent Film Project, and Gaye Shannon Burnett, President and Co-Founder of the Azubuike African American Council for the Arts, are holding a free 10-week program for aspiring young filmmakers in the Quad Cities.
Jazz pianist, composer, and arranger Lynne Arriale will perform with her trio at the Redstone Room at the River Music Experience (RME), on Sunday, May 20, from 6:00-8:00 p.m. Accompanying her will be Matt Ulery on bass and Jon Deitemyer on drums. The performance is part of Polyrhythms' Third Sunday Jazz Workshop & Matinee Series.
The film A Quiet Place debuted April 6, 2018, to critical acclaim and commercial success, earning over $50 million on its opening weekend alone, and scoring a 95% approval rating on the movie review website Rotten Tomatoes. The screenplay was co-written by three filmmakers, including two natives of Bettendorf, Iowa: Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, who also served as executive producers. The third screenwriter is John Krasinski, who also directed and stars in the movie.
The Quad City Symphony Orchestra (QCSO) will perform its joint Side-By-Side Concert with the Quad City Symphony Youth Ensembles (QCSYE) on Sunday, April 29, at 3:00 p.m. at the Adler Theatre in Davenport. Pleasant Valley senior Ethan Good, the grand prize winner of the 2018 QCSYE’s Concerto Competition, will play a solo, the Arutunian Trumpet Concerto, with the QCSO.
The 41st annual High School Art Invitational is currently on exhibit at the Quad City Arts gallery in Rock Island through May 3rd, 2018. High school art teachers from the six counties surrounding the Quad Cities on both the Illinois and Iowa side of our community nominate five of their promising artistic students to submit their work for the exhibition.
Figge Art Museum docent Carol Ehlers will give a lecture entitled "Making the Connection: French Moderns, Monet to Matisse 1850-1950" at the Butterworth Center in Moline at 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, April 15.
Katherine Pracht is a mezzo soprano opera singer with an extensive performance history who was born and raised in Davenport, Iowa. She has performed at numerous national and international venues.
The collaboration between Jason Platt, a local freelance illustrator, and Marc Zyla, Director of Education and Community Outreach for the Quad City Symphony Orchestra (QCSO) resulted in the production of an illustrated video telling the story behind Hector Berlioz’s Symphonie Fantastique. The video was released in a five-part series, corresponding to the five symphonic movements, just prior to the “Postcards from Paris” performance in October of 2017 by the QCSO.
The first TEDx conference in the Quad Cities was held recently at the Figge Art Museum on March 7, 2018. Organized by Andrea Olson, CEO and founder of prag'madik, it featured fourteen different speakers who delivered short but powerful talks on a variety of ideas ranging from empowerment through technology, to financial literacy, to deeply personal subjects such as the importance of forgiveness and overcoming personal obstacles.
The Penguin Project Quad Cities is performing Beauty and the Beast, Jr. at the Brunner Theatre on the Augustana College campus February 23-25 and March 2-4.
Charlotte Blake Alston is a master storyteller, narrator, and librettist, and is spending two weeks in our community as a Quad City Arts Visiting Artist. She tells stories in the tradition of an African griot, interspersing both traditional and contemporary tales in a celebration of both African and African-American oral history and traditions.
The second annual GAS Feed & Seed Festival will be held February 15-17 in Davenport, featuring 20 bands, playing in two locations over three fun-filled nights.
Mikey Loy is the guitarist and lead vocalist for the local indie/rock band The Penny Serfs.
Augustana College students will perform “In the Next Room, or the vibrator play” at the college’s Brunner Theatre in January and February of 2018.
Nate Lawrence is the executive director of Polyrhythms, a local non-profit organization dedicated to provide exposure to the arts.
The John Deere headquarters in Moline holds one of the best corporate art collections in the world, thanks in large part to the vision of former chairman Bill Hewitt.
The German American Heritage Center and the Creative Arts Academy of the Quad Cities have collaborated on their third annual giant advent calendar.
Quad City residents have consistently stated that aesthetics and having a unique landmark were the two factors that mattered most in the design of a replacement I-74 bridge.
Carolyn Martin talks with Michelle and Joe Stroehle, co-owners of River Bend Retro, about mid-century modern design.
Carolyn Martin talks with Laura Wriedt and Brian Allen about “The Big Picture” program created by the Figge Art Museum.
Carolyn Martin talks with Michael Kienzle, a painter whose exhibit “Outside the Lines” is currently showing at the Hudson River Gallery in Iowa City, and who also happens to be a University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics emeritus professor of Cardiology.
In this installment, Carolyn Martin talks with Dr. Claire Kovacs, Director of the Augustana Teaching Museum of Art, about the “yarn bombing” project unveiled to the public on October 29.
Carolyn Martin talks with Valerie Davis Bibbs, from Great Sounds Promotions, about the upcoming Smooth Jazz Fall Festival.
Carolyn Martin talks with playwright Sarah Ruhl about the importance of involvement in local theatre, and how exposing our children to art forms at a young age can have a lasting impact.
In this installment, Carolyn Martin talks with C.J. Monzyk about the Handpan – the history of this unusual instrument, how it creates such ethereal sounds, and how it has accompanied him on his spiritual journey.
Carolyn Martin talks to Benjamin Fawks, owner of Rozz Tox in Rock Island, about the All Senses Festival and Lowland Block Party.
Longtime WVIK listeners might remember the program Art Talks. It was hosted by the late Bruce Carter and featured interviews with local painters, musicians, and writers.