Carolyn Martin

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.

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 19th century through the beginning of the 21st 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.

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 19th and early 20th century, the district lies between 5th and 9th 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.