Talking Art

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 6th 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 18th 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.

The Spotlight Theatre Company is midway through their second season, with Matilda:  The Musical opening on August 2, 2019.  Located in the iconic building that was previously the Scottish Rite Cathedral in Moline, just west of the I-74 bridge, productions are performed in a meticulously crafted auditorium built by the Masonic organization.

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.