This article orginally appeared in Quad Cities Dispatch-Argus
From September 6 – 22, 2013, 397 events will take place at venues across the Quad Cities. Theatres, music clubs, concert halls, galleries, historic sites, parks, libraries, museums and attractions will be the site for arts, cultural and history-related festivals concerts, performances, tours, activities, presentations and workshops. To view a full event guide or to search the calendar of events visit www.eastwestriverfest.com.
East West Riverfest brings new and exciting exhibits to this years’ event. From Princess Diana to Buddha Relic, East West Riverfest offers exhibits that will fascinate all areas of interests.
Exhibits being held during East West Riverfest:
Merican-Tastic II: The Son of Tastic: A multi-media art exhibition featuring artists Steve Banks, Terry Rathje, and Heidi Hernandez.
Dates & Hours: September 6 – 7, 9 – 14, 16 – 21, Monday – Friday, 10 – 5 p.m.; Saturday, 11 – 5 p.m.
Opening reception: September 6, 7 – 9 p.m.
Location: Quad City Arts: 1715 2nd Avenue, Rock Island, IL
Admission: Free
More Info: 309-793-1213, www.quadcityarts.com
Loving Kindness Tour Buddha Relic Exhibit: Collection of sacred relics of the Buddha is touring the world featuring more than 1,000 items, including from the Dalai Lama’s personal collection.
Dates & Hours: Opening ceremony September 6, 6 – 8 p.m.
Displayed on September 7, 10 – 7 p.m. & Sunday, September 8, 10 – 5 p.m.
Location: Figge Art Museum: 225 West 2nd Street, Davenport, IA
Admission: Free
More Info: 563-326-7804, www.figgeartmuseum.org
Expressions of Cancer Journey Art Exhibit: NormaLeah Ovarian Cancer Foundation presents artwork from the 2010 – 2012 Lilly Oncology on Canvas Art Competition in observance of National Ovarian Cancer Awareness month.
Dates: September 6 – 22
Hours: Monday – Friday, 5 a.m. – 9 p.m.; Saturday – Sunday, 5 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Location: Unity Point Health-Trinity: 500 John Deere Road, Moline, IL
Admission: Free
More Info: 309-236-6625, www.normaleah.org
The New Heartland: Photographs by Andrew Borowiec: Andrew Borowiec, Distinguished Professor of Art at the University of Akron’s Myers School of Art, has been photographing America’s changing industrial and post-industrial landscape for over 25 years. “The New Heartland” is a photographic investigation of Ohio’s cultural landscape that explores how people shape their surroundings.
Dates: September 11 – 13, 16 – 20
Hours: Monday – Friday, 9 – 5 p.m.
Location: Galvin Fine Arts Center: 518 West Locust Street, Davenport, IA
Admission: Free
More Info: 563-333-6444, www.sau.edu/Catich
Marionettes & Blues: An art exhibition featuring artists Ryan Luke and Ana Moore.
Dates: September 13 – 14 & September 18 – 21
Hours: Wednesday – Saturday, 11:30 – 5:30 p.m.
Location: MidCoast Fine Arts Gallery West: 1629 2nd Avenue, Rock Island, IL 61201
Admission: Free
More Info: 309-781-7668, www.midcoast.org
Diana, A Celebration Exhibition: Diana, A Celebration presents the life and humanitarian work of one of the 20th century’s most remarkable women with objects ranging from Princess Diana’s royal wedding gown and 28 of her designer dresses to family heirlooms, and rare home movies and photos.
Dates: Opens September 14
Hours: Monday – Saturday, 10 – 5 p.m.; Sunday, 12 – 5 p.m.
Location: Putnam Museum: 1717 West 12th Street, Davenport, IA
Admission: $18 adults; senior and children discounts
More Info: 563-324-1933, www.putnam.org
Dinosaurs to Diamonds and Fluorescent Minerals to Fossils: Walk through one of the largest, ongoing fossil, rock, and mineral exhibits in the Midwest showcasing dinosaurs to diamonds and fluorescent minerals to fossils.
Dates: September 6-22
Hours: Monday – Friday, 8 – 4:30 p.m.; Saturday – Sunday, 1 – 4 p.m.
Location: Fryxell Geology Museum: 820 38th Street, Rock Island, IL
Admission: Free
More Info: 309-794-7318, www.augustana.edu/fryxellmuseum
Family Museum: The Family Museum is excited to celebrate East West Riverfest by displaying works of art by some of the Quad Cities most renowned artists. Stop in during East West Riverfest and visit the Museum’s gallery spaces, and of course, take part in the highly interactive exhibits for kids and families!
Dates: September 6-22
Hours: Monday – Thursday, 9 – 8 p.m.; Friday – Saturday, 9 – 5 p.m.; Sunday, 12 – 5 p.m.
Location: Family Museum: 2900 Learning Campus Drive, Bettendorf, IA
Admission: $7 adults; senior and children discounts
More Info: 563-344-4106, www.familymuseum.org
Neither Reason Nor Apology: Collaborative work by Rachel Livedalen and Jenny Harp on display in the Morrissery Gallery.
Dates: September 6, 9 – 13, 16 – 20
Hours: Monday – Friday 9 – 5 p.m.
Location: Galvin Fine Arts Center: 518 West Locust Street, Davenport, IA
Admission: Free
More Info: 563-333-6251, www.sau.edu/galvin
No Shoes, No Shirt, No Service: Chicago-based artist Juan Angel Chavez works with salvaged wood and other discarded materials to create dynamic, sculptural assemblages that celebrate the intrinsic value of ordinary objects. For the Figge, Chavez will construct a site-specific installation composed of material gathered in the Quad Cities. The installation takes the form of web-like structures.
Dates: September 6 – 8, 10 – 15, 17 – 22
Hours: Tuesday – Saturday, 10 – 5 p.m.; Sunday, Noon – 5 p.m.; Thursday, 10 – 9 p.m.; Closed Mondays.
Location: Figge Art Museum: 225 West 2nd Street, Davenport, IA
Admission: $7 adults, senior and children discounts
More Info: 563-326-7804, www.figgeartmuseum.org
Sponsors of East West Riverfest: Deere & Company, City of Davenport, City of Moline, The Sedona Group and Modern Woodmen. Funding for East West Riverfest was made possible through grants received from: the Riverboat Development Authority, Illinois Arts Council, Illinois Humanities Council, and support provided by the Iowa Arts Council, a division of the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs and the National Endowment for the Arts. Local Media Sponsors are: WQAD News Channel 8, Dispatch/Argus, KWQC-TV6, Quad City Times, WHBF CBS-4, Clear Channel Radio Group, OnMedia, Cumulus Radio Group.
EXPERIENCE QUAD CITIES
East West Riverfest was created through the formation of Experience Quad Cities. Under the guidance of the Quad Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau, Experience Quad Cities was formed in 2010. This grassroots, volunteer effort is managed by a volunteer advisory board coordinating the time, talent and offerings of more than 60 local arts, cultural and heritage organizations in order to collectively attract additional visitors, build audiences, and reinforce its mission with local supporters.
The Experience Quad Cities mission is to improve the quality of life in the Quad Cities region by recognizing the importance of arts, cultural and heritage organizations; providing joint resources and programs that individual organizations could not produce; promoting cooperation among groups to expand their reach beyond a local market; and building the Quad Cities economy with economic development strategies and resources featuring the area’s strong arts, cultural, and heritage base.
“The arts, culture and heritage communities agreed that working together was preferable to working separately,” said Joe Taylor, President/CEO, Quad Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau and Advisory Board Chair of Experience Quad Cities. “By jointly marketing a series of existing activities, we are able to increase tourism, to develop audiences and to build awareness of the arts for these organizations.”
As the largest metropolitan area on the Mississippi River between Minneapolis and St. Louis, the Quad Cities is within a day’s drive of several metropolitan areas such as Chicago, Peoria, St. Louis, Des Moines, Iowa City, Milwaukee, and Minneapolis, and easily accessible via I-80, I-74, I-88 and several major state highways.