Artistic Side of the Quad Cities
The Quad Cities has a long appreciation for the arts that continues today. You’ll find the Quad Cities is inventive and imaginative—the creative heart of the heartland. The QC can brag about several important milestones in its history relating to the arts.
- The Figge Art Museum (then Davenport Museum of Art) is one of the oldest art institutions in the country and the first municipal art gallery (first started as Davenport Municipal Art Gallery).
- The first picture of the area was painted by John Caspar Wild in 1844 so luckily we know what it looked like before a lot of development.
- Quad City Arts celebrated its 50-year anniversary in 2020 and continuing its mission of enriching the quality of life in the Quad Cities region through the arts.
Did you know local QC non-profit arts and culture organizations have an economic impact of over $71 Million? (Find more awesome arts facts here.) So what does that mean for the Quad Cities now?
Kevin Maynard, Executive Director at Quad City Arts, says that he feels our community is on the cusp of some great innovation in the public art space. Rather than just finding a place for public art (which isn’t a bad thing because yay! for more art), art is being incorporated right at the beginning of the planning stages for important projects like the I-74 bridge, downtown Moline redevelopment, downtown Rock Island’s new direction, downtown Bettendorf redevelopment, downtown Davenport’s new placemaking plan, and East Moline’s opportunities. Infrastructure and art go together. This kind of thinking can lead to even larger projects.
(“Lloy'd's Trek” - Schweibert Riverfront Park, Rock Island)
Public art shows others the community finds art and creativity important. It also is on display because community members thought that the artwork and installation was important. They can also show what our community is about and what it values. In the Quad Cities, you can’t miss public art when you’re driving around or biking on the bike paths. (Check out our blog about mural searching.)
Quad City Arts has an interactive map of where the newest public art installations can be found.
The QC art scene is always changing.
Maynard says, “The QC's art scene is the best kept secret in the Midwest. The way it’s always growing and changing is exciting. There are always new artists and new styles to see. Quad Citizens should be proud of what we have here.”
Some new QC artists to watch what they’re creating: Brandon Nees, Isaiah Williams, Aubrey Barnes, and Riley Jones.
(Hot Glass, Davenport)
Quad City Arts operates a gallery in downtown Rock Island and another at the Quad Cities International Airport. They have rotating exhibits of Midwest artists from a 250-mile radius of the QC in a wide variety of mediums. With a 35-year history of the gallery, artists are coming to them and strong relationships with regional artists are key. Dawn Wohlford-Metallo is the Visual Arts Director and she said their recent exhibit on tattoo art has been one of her favorites. “Art can be found anywhere,” she says. “It doesn’t just have to be what people think of as ‘traditional’ art.”
“Another thing that people might find intimidating about going to a gallery is the thought that all the art is all really expensive, or you’ll be pressured to buy something,” says Dawn. “That’s just not the case.” A gallery is a space for displaying art and you can just come and look. Also the Quad City Arts gift shop has items starting at $5.00. Buying a piece of art you like doesn’t have to break your budget.
Where to experience art in the QC: