Talking Art

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.