This year, thus far, I’ve written three grant applications to three different institutions and all have emphasized need for inclusiveness. Do grant agencies and grant writing make us more aware and responsive to public need?

MidCoast is excited and pleased to announce that we were awarded (last week!) a $10,000 grant from the Regional Development Authority for the Riverssance Festival of Fine Art to encourage greater inclusiveness of low income audiences and expand impact of the Harley Award. I thank Linda Wastyn of Wastyn & Associates for pushing my thought process about inclusiveness.

MidCoast organizes Riverssance as a premier two-day fine arts outdoor event in the Village of East Davenport overlooking the Mississippi, held the third weekend of September. What makes Riverssance especially attractive is the beautiful park setting combined with high quality visual art in all different media and a background of regional music, while children are entertained with an art activity, and all can be topped with wine sipped out of an artist-decorated glass or with a dip of Lagomarcino’s ice cream. We create a multi-sensory artistic experience. The Harley Award recognizing outstanding visual arts support in our community is awarded during Riverssance.

The event has economic impact for the community. Artists visit from out of town and visitors have been drawn from as far away as last year’s bus tour group from Toronto, Canada. For 2017, we estimate Riverssance-associated economic revenues exceeded $200,000.

Each year, by mid-afternoon Sunday, visitors ask for free entry to the event. Yet we still have paying customers in line and MidCoast depends on the gate proceeds for operating costs. One specific goal for the new grant funds is to extend inclusiveness by eliminating admission fees on Sunday at 2:30 p.m. MidCoast also will distribute Riverssance entry tickets via social agencies that have partnered with us, as well as those associated with the Quad Cities Open Network. The alterations will test if admission fees are a financial challenge to those who would like to experience the event.

The other specific goal is to increase the impact of the Harley Award. In the past, the Harley Award has been presented at noon on Saturday with minimal coverage. The exhibiting artists and volunteers are busy with visitors, so the audience has been small. We’re re-scheduling the award presentation and reception to immediately after Saturday closing so artists and the Riverssance committee can attend. A public invitation will be announced in the August newsletter.

With the Regional Development Authority grant title sponsorship and changes to the format, we should be able to leverage more inclusiveness and support. In general, we seek to expand and improve the service of Riverssance to the community.

 

Speaking of inclusiveness, in June MidCoast hosts an exhibition by the Left Bank Art League as a fellow non-profit art organization at Moline Centre Station. Also note that there's a hip line-up of music and an art auction on June 2 in memory of local artist and musician William Martin, Jr. to raise funds for the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). The event is further described below. Art and music for the young and young at heart are included. Stop in for an easy way to make a difference.

~ Sherry Maurer

There's one new Bucktown casement available for rent on the first floor, at $45 per month.

If interested, please contact Sherry at 563-424-1210 or info@midcoast.org.

Nine high schools have registered to compete in the annual challenge for student teams to complete a pastel mural during one day.

Registration opens at 9:30 a.m. and lunch is provided. Teams compete for awards to fund and improve education in the participants’ art departments.

Peter Tong Xiao, art professor at Augustana College, will jury the awards.

Registered high schools are: Alleman, Assumption, Central, Mid City, North, North Scott, Rock Island, Rivermont Collegiate and West. Be sure to stop by and see amazing creativity in action.

The murals will be exhibited in the MidCoast Gallery in Bucktown Center for the Arts.

This project is supported by Quad City Arts Dollars, provided by the Illinois Arts Council Agency, Hubbell-Waterman Foundation, and John Deere.

Enjoy a new event, Rock the Arts, taking place in a focused trio of Rock Island venues: the Desoto Building, MidCoast Gallery West/ The ARTery and Quad City Arts.

Artists booths will showcase a variety of media, from photography to body painting. Registered artists include Jon Burns, Margery Franklin, Carolyn Krueger, Kimberly Kruse of Celestial by Design, Cynthia Legate of Twisted by Design, Glen Lowry, Lisa Mahar, Mary Talbert and Elizabeth Wakita, as well as private collector Jodean Meleski.

At Desoto the event will include Quad City Wood Turners demonstrating wood turning and Joel Knanishu demonstrating raku firing.

Would you be an art angel? Or perhaps help with information or tickets? We'd love to have you help us out at this year's Riverssance Festival of Fine Art. Riverssance is a premier outdoor art festival held in beautiful Lindsay Park, Davenport.  

All volunteers receive a free t-shirt and entry. Daily shifts of two-hours start at 9:45 a.m., 11:45 a.m., 1:45 p.m. and 3:45 p.m.

If you can help, please send us the following information by August 10: 

1. Your name

2. Your phone number and best email contact

3. Preferred day (Sat. or Sun.) and shift time

4. Your t-shirt size (S, M, L, XL, XXL, XXXL)

5. Any preference in type of work: art angel (help artists with breaks), information tent, wine tent or ticketing.  

To volunteer, please send the above information to info@midcoast.org. Questions? Please email or call us at 563-424-1210.

We are a non-profit community arts agency founded and run by artists. Our mission to stimulate our community's cultural and economic vitality through the support of regional visual arts and artists is accomplished by having amazing art-focused programming and events like Final Fridays, ArtWorks Expo and Riverssance Festival of Fine Art. 

Donations can be online or mailed to:

MidCoast Fine Arts

225 East 2nd Street

Davenport, IA 52801

MidCoast projects are supported by funds contributed in 2017 from the Hubbell-Waterman Foundation, the Regional Development Authority and the Scott County Regional Authority, and from Quad City Arts Dollars, provided by the Illinois Arts Council Agency, Hubbell-Waterman Foundation, and J ohn Deere.

Life is Beautiful Concert and Art Auction

Sun., June 2, 2 - 11 p.m.

Bierstube Bar and Grill,415 15th St., Moline

Remembering the life and talents of local artist and musician William Martin Jr., his family and friends have organized a fun day for a serious cause—NAMI education and support programs. Enjoy alternating stages with 12 regional bands. $5 cover, raffles, and silent art auction from The ARTery.

Band lineup includes: Jenny Lynn Stacy and the Dirty Roosters, Crater, Waking Robots, In the Mouth of Radness, Centaur Noir, Six to the Chest, Plunkett, Manhattan Blockade, Hot Brains, Sentinel Grove, Giallows, and DYNORIDE. Local artists include: Heidi Brandt, Jon Burns, Johnnie Cluney, Deb Doehler, Carolyn Krueger, Glen Lowry, Eric Olson, Cory Peak, Shari Telman, John VandeWalle, Laura Wiesch, and Maciej Zawieruchanda.

Life is Art Exhibition Opens at Gallery West on Friday, June 15, 6-9 p.m.

An exhibition dedicated to the memory of local artist and musician William Martin Jr., this group exhibition of various artists will have works for sale, with a portion of proceeds going to NAMI.

through May

Connie O’Brien Musing in Texture

June—July

Left Bank Art League

Left Bank Art League (LBAL) is Branching Out for their upcoming display at Moline Centre Station. The group used this venue to show their individual interpretations of trees and rivers. Over 25 artists are contributing art work in various media for display.

A unique feature of the show is a group project inspired by the work of M. C. Escher, consisting of a tree with leaves that tessellate or interlock without any gaps or overlaps. This five-foot tree will fill one of the larger showcases.

LBAL has existed for over 60 years. The group was formed to meet and enjoy working on art together. Monthly meetings are held every fourth Wednesday, 11:30 at Christ Anglican Church in Moline.

Open studio time is every Friday afternoon at the church. Members bring their personal artwork for

production time or a critique from other members. The group continues the tradition of awarding

monetary awards to college and high school students. Members are active in many area art displays, fairs and selling venues, as well as attending and teaching art classes. They are also active in community events including Village in Bloom, the Tree Bomb Event at Augustana College, and other charity opportunities.

Left Bank Art League continues to meet new challenges while continuing traditions of community service, advancing our personal goals in artistic development, as well continuing as a social group. We welcome new members.

The parking lot of Skeleton Key Art and Antiques will be filled with local art, hand-crafted items, and locally grown treats from 12- 4 p.m. on the second Sunday of each month, June through October.

Each month will feature live music and a different blend of vendors— no two months are alike! Roger Carlson will be playing tunes in June!

Interested in being a vendor? Stop into Skeleton Key for more details.