A new business opens at Bucktown this month in suite 200, the Wild Poppy operated by Karen Klingborg. Originally from the Quad Cities, she relocated to California at age 20, where she lived for 40 years. There, she worked in mental health nursing. She says “I found myself drooling over what the art therapist was doing with the patients. That opened a door to creative possibilities.”
Klingborg did not have a background in art but when she needed a break from her job, she started in. She made dolls, upcycling old wedding dresses into angels. Soon jewelry was added to her repertoire. She lived in Long Beach but had access to many gem showrooms in Los Angeles. Long Beach boutiques began to show her work and she participated in Orange County art fairs. One of her proud art accomplishments was to be approached by a California corporate Hallmark manager to set up a pop-up exhibition for a month.
In 2012, Klingborg returned to the Quad Cities because her mother was terminally ill. She sensed there was an art community here and began to reach out and broaden her media to creations of purses, cards, stuffed animals and other clothing. Her works have been exhibited in the Bucktown Artists’ Market, where she added her skill of vintage jewelry repair. She is embarking on her vision of having a one-of-a-kind shop and concludes “My main goal is to bring a little happiness to people—a doll or making someone feel pretty, or even just a good conversation.” You’ll find a smile and a hearty laugh as well. Klingborg is planning to set up activities for PaperFest next weekend.
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With a grant, MidCoast has been able to hire Wastyn and Associates to assist with financial capacity building to better navigate a future. If you completed the associated survey, thank you. This project is supported by Quad City Arts Dollars, provided by the Illinois Arts Council Agency, Hubbell-Waterman Foundation, and John Deere.
Bucktown is bustling and we have a new PaperFest event coming up to coincide with Davenport’s
Alternating Currents. The afternoon will include art demos and family-friendly hands-on art activities, all with paper. Activities planned are paper book folding, foam core sculpture, origami, collage and paper making.
Among the artists involved are: Bucktown multi-media artist Linda Hardin, Carolyn Krueger who teaches ceramics, owns
The ARTery and directs MidCoast Gallery West in Rock Island, Rose Patton of
Seven Orchids Gallery in Bucktown, David Smith who owns
Smith Studio and Gallery in Geneseo, and DeSoto Studio (Rock Island) artist Amber Williams.
The event is free, however, some of the activities will request a fee for participation materials. The Bucktown event runs 12-4 p.m. on Saturday, August 24. Tony Seabolt has curated a second-floor casement exhibition of paper works to complement the activities.
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Thank you to those who joined us for BIN-(van)GO(gh) last month, and to Radicle Effect Brewerks for hosting us. It was fun!
Bucktown artists want to get out the word that the center is open again after months of flood closure. We have been given access to the large parking lot diagonally across from Bucktown on Second Street for the August 30 Final Friday, so parking will be easy.
Final Friday includes the eye-popping photographs taken by Dick Oberg of performers during the first decade of The MARK (now the TaxSlayer Center), from B.B. King to Beyoncé as a member of Destiny’s Child. The evening’s Wine Walk will feature hand-painted glasses that are miniature artworks, painted by artists of Bucktown and the Left Bank Art League. A few glasses have swimming fish for the theme of the evening: Thank you to all the artists who helped.
Come on in since Bucktown is re-opened after the flood—no waders needed!
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Riverssance Festival of Fine Art is around the corner, September 21-22, in the Village of East Davenport at Lindsay Park. Thanks to a grant from the Quad Cities Community Foundation, we're adding a new feature of artists demonstrating their creativity. And, while it continues that children age 12 and under with an adult are not charged an admission fee to the event, this year we can extend that free admission to the first 260 junior high, high school and college students who enter, thanks to funding from the Regional Development Authority.
We're pleased to announce receipt of a $5,000 grant from the Iowa Arts Council, a division of the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs. We have lots to do for the visual arts vitality of the Quad Cities!
~ Sherry Maurer
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I’m glad we have MidCoast and want it to stick around!
~ Rowen
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How do we do it without your support?
MidCoast receives funding from several sources including grants, sponsorships and donations. Our largest source of funding -- operating grants -- has dried up.
We provide exhibition opportunities for approximately 300 artists per year. In addition, MidCoast runs:
- Three exhibition galleries in Moline, Rock Island and Davenport with no admission charge! Only a $35 entry fee to the artists, with monthly receptions/programs/local music at Gallery West and Bucktown. Exhibits change every two months.
- ArtWorks Expo High School Pastel Mural competition for area students to feel that being a visual artist matters as they earn cash awards for their art departments.
- Riverssance Festival of Fine Art, a weekend with 90 quality visual artists, live local music, children’s activity tent and great food in beautiful Lindsay Park, Village of East Davenport.
- Support for every level of artist at Bucktown Center for the Arts, from mentored sales spaces run by a gallery manager to suites for studios/classes/sales.
It's up to
YOU to see MidCoast continue. Only a handful of you have responded to our requests asking for financial support. For that we thank you.
More still needs to be done. Without MidCoast, what would remain of visual arts opportunities in our community?
Support the Visual Arts. Support MidCoast because we can’t continue without your support—really!
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LAST CALL: Raffle of original 2019 Flood Watercolor
The raffle of Tom Hempel’s watercolor, $5 per ticket, continues at Bucktown’s Artists’ Market through the August 30 Final Friday, up to 8:30 p.m., when a winner’s name will be drawn. You need not be in attendance to win.
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Please help with a Census of Community Visual Artists
MidCoast is happy to announce receipt of Illinois Arts Council funding that gives the opportunity to undertake a long-needed project for our community – building a better picture of our community’s talents.
Our task is to determine the number of self-declared visual artists who are active in the area we serve (the QCA and a 90-mile radius around it). This information is crucial for grant applications, as many grants are awarded based on where artists reside.
Your participation will help our community receive better recognition from state and federal agencies. We’ll share the results with other agencies if requested. This program is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency.
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VOLUNTEERS NEEDED: Riverssance
September 21-22
Lindsay Park, Village of East Davenport
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Want the coveted Riverssance t-shirt? Volunteers must sign-up by September 3 to make the t-shirt order.
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.
This year's shirt reflects
The Countdown has Begun by Tammy Mutka.
All volunteers receive a free artist-designed t-shirt and entry. Daily shifts of two-hours start at 9:45 a.m. The last shift on Saturday afternoon is 3:45 to 5:15 and Sunday afternoon is 1:45 to 4.
If you can help, please send us the following information:
1. First and last name
2. Your phone number and best email contact
3. Preferred day (Saturday or Sunday) 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.
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Riverssance Festival of Fine Art
Lindsay Park, Village of East Davenport
Sat., Sep. 21, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Sun., Sep. 22, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
$4 for adults, $6 weekend pass
Kids and first 260 students with a school ID are free
MidCoast is a huge asset to the community, and Riverssance is one of the very best events of the year!
– Leslie
New this year, a series of artists will be demonstrating their work in or near the food tent. At time of print, the line-up is: (Saturday) collaborative sculpture by Steve Banks, Heidi Hernandez and Terry Rathje; ceramics with Carolyn Krueger; (Sunday) dinosaur drawing by Josh Malone; printing with Karen Blomme, hotwire Styrofoam sculpture by David Schaeffer.
Again this year with grant funds, we're providing tickets distributed in advance to area social agencies, and admission will be free to everyone as of 3 p.m. on Sunday. Organized and run by art enthusiasts, Riverssance continues to be recognized for its careful attention to artists’ success, community partnerships, beautiful location, and a fun weekend.
We thank our partners and supporters, as well as Dee Schricker for volunteering her talents to paint hundreds of wine glasses as a MidCoast fundraiser.
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MidCoast Honors Artist Terry Rathje with 2019 Harley Award
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MidCoast Fine Arts takes great pleasure in announcing that Terry Rathje is the recipient of the 2019 Harley Award, which honors those who've positively affected the visual arts and artists in the Quad Cities during their lifetime. An original member of the MidCoast Board of Directors, he contributed to many of its art programs and was involved in the development of Bucktown Center for the Arts as a unique nexus for artists’ galleries/classrooms/ studios. He designed the building’s exterior graphics.
As a sign of his esteem in the Quad Cities visual art community, Rathje was one of the first local artists to have a solo show at the Figge Art Museum (2013). He's known for having a collaborative spirit in working on creations with others, even in far-off locations such as Suriname.
Rathje notes he “grew up in a small town in Eastern Iowa and to fight off boredom, found promise in art making at an early age.” He proceeded to serious exploration of drawing, then painting, leathersmithing, darkroom and digital photography, printmaking, animation, sculpture and assemblage. Rathje attended high school in DeWitt, followed by the University of Iowa, Marycrest International University (for a BA), and returned to The University of Iowa (for an MA and an MFA).
He ran a graphic design and sign painting business for 15 years, and then shot and edited video, and designed graphics for video for another six years in the corporate world. He retired from Western Illinois University where he taught for 18 years, reaching the level of associate professor of graphic design. Now his time is spent living along the Wapsipinicon River and making wood sculpture.
The current work by Rathje falls into four categories: assemblage, sculpture, furniture, and nomadic architecture- structures that can be assembled in one location then disassembled and moved to another. His explorations include use of industrial, recycled, and sustainable materials, 3D modeling, and developing new techniques of construction using digital technology, while tying these methods to traditional ones. He has exhibited in this country and abroad in several countries- including Brazil, England, Portugal, Turkey and Suriname.
Rathje states “The eye is the place where the outside world meets the inside world. It is the interaction between the two, influenced by experience, genetic propensities, and imagination that generates work that hopefully ignites and unites those who are paying attention… and we all should be.”
The annual award was first presented in 1988 to John Bloom. The award ceremony will take place during Riverssance at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, September 21, in Lindsay Park, the Village of East Davenport. The award ceremony is free to the public.
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SPACE AVAILABLE at Bucktown
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First floor
Two wall spaces in the Artists' Market are available. Contact Tony at
tony@midcoast.org.
Second floor suites
Suite 203: 966 sq. ft. $725/month or $75/day
Suite 205: 815 sq. ft. $611/month
Suites 202-206: 2,030 sq. ft., $1,523/month
Leases will run through December 2019, with the option of month-to-month rental. Access 24/7, utilities included. Suites do not have individual sinks. There's access to second floor restrooms, as well as first-floor mail delivery. Visual artists are encouraged, other activity options, including office space, will be considered.
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Fundraising Event for MidCoast & DeSoto Community Artists
Group Exhibit at DeSoto Pottery Studio
2328 3rd Ave., Rock Island
September 13, 5-9 p.m.
September 14, 11 a.m. - 3 p.m.
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Starting last January, DeSoto Pottery Studio has been hosting visiting artists’ exhibits with the opportunity for openings and community based workshops. In order to renew their lease with the City of Rock Island, they were challenged to create more events that are open and accessible to the public. The goal for this event is to welcome back artists who have supported their efforts.
In addition, they'll give back a portion of sales to MidCoast, an organization that has always been supportive of artists at DeSoto.
For this sale, 20% will be donated to MidCoast, and 20% will be donated for continuation/expansion of DeSoto Community Artists exhibits.
For updates on participating artists and other DeSoto events, please follow us on
Facebook. We're still accepting artists for this exhibit; if you are interested please contact Amber at
Desoto.rockisland@gmail.com or 309-738-9142.
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MidCoast Gallery West / The ARTery
1629 2nd Avenue, Rock Island
Open: Wed. - Sat., 11:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.
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Photography of Annie Oldenburg and David Genac
through September
Annie Oldenburg, who joined the Black Hawk College art faculty last year, explores the artifice of predefined natural viewpoints, such as scenic overlooks or forest hiking trails.
She states, “I employ photographic processes to create imagined and altered landscapes that parse my concerns about a growing division between my humanity and the natural world. Existing in an environment that values fabrication, screen-based viewing, and immediate action has obstructed my view of scenic byways and natural overlooks where nature becomes a mediocre stage in a kitsch audience arena.” You look twice to realize what she has manipulated!
David Genac began photographing as a child when he received a Polaroid Instant Camera for his birthday while his family was traveling in Hong Kong and Macao. About three years ago, he discovered how to convert his camera to infrared, which resulted in many of the images on display.
Genac notes, “Much of my work since then has been focused (sorry) on creating photos using infrared light that is not visible to the eye. (At times, in fact, I am shooting blind, as one of my filters does not allow any visible light into my camera!)” Even in black and white, the infrared color/tonal qualities are unusual and alter viewing expectations.
Friday, September 13, 6-9 p.m.
Closing reception
Join us for the closing reception with live music, snacks and drinks.
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Photograph by Annie Oldenburg
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Photograph by David Genac
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Moline Centre Station
1200 River Drive, Moline
Open: Mon. - Fri., 6 a.m. - 7:30 p.m.;
Sat., 8 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.; Sun., 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
The art gallery that's open every day of the week!
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Peggy Gratton
through September
Noting that she is mostly self-taught, Peggy Gratton describes her artistic goal as:
I hope that my audience comes away from my work
with a connection to the subject
an emotional bond that makes them
want to experience the image
over and over again.
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Bucktown Center for the Arts
225 E. 2nd St., Davenport
Open: Wed. - Sat., 11 a.m. - 6 p.m.
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Final Friday Open House
August 30, 6—9 p.m.
Celebrate our Reopening: Wine Walk, Dick Oberg Exhibition Reception & Raffles
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The 2019 flood is over and We.Are.Open.
Bucktown celebrates re-opening with a Wine Walk featuring wine sampling in hand-painted glasses by Bucktown and the
Left Bank Art League artists. Stroll two floors of Bucktown with a $20 glass purchase that includes sampling six different types of wines, each in a different gallery, from
Dimitri Wine and Spirits Inc.
In the spirit of the evening, there will be a $3 ticket raffle basket courtesy of Bucktown artist Linda Hardin with a commemorative ceramic flood plaque she created, along with a year’s membership to the Figge Art Museum.
As well, the final sales of $5 tickets for the original watercolor by Tom Hempel will be available. Both raffle winners will be selected at 8:30 p.m. and you need not be present to win.
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MidCoast Gallery at Bucktown
Dick Oberg Photography
through September 27
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You can see them on stage, all gathered in one place—Tina Turner, Eddie Van Halen, Prince, David Bowie, Cher and Tom Petty, along with many more, including B.B. King, Beyoncé, Joe Cocker, Janet Jackson, Cyndi Lauper, Keith Urban, Kix Brooks, Michael Bolton, Phil Collins, Dave Matthews, Reba McEntire, Sammy Hagar, Steven Tyler, Sting, Ted Nugent, Britney Spears, Dixie Chicks, Don Henley and Joe Walsh.
As house photographer for The MARK of the Quad Cities from 1993-2005,
Dick Oberg immortalized them on film and will exhibit from his trove of images for the first time in years. Also exhibited is his photo of Dwyer and Michaels, because of their long association with classic rock music and 97X as the Quad Cities classic rock radio station. This is Oberg’s first solo show.
Only four of the exhibit images were shot on a digital camera, the rest made with film that had to be developed before the image could be reviewed. Photographers had restrictions on how long and from what distance they could photograph the performers. Oberg concludes: “In short, it was shoot as much as you can and hope like hell that you got the shot.”
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Aug 24, 12-4 p.m.
Paper Fest, as part of Alternating Currents
Bucktown
Aug 30
Re-opening Celebration and Wine Walk
Bucktown
Sep 13
Closing reception, David Genac and Annie Oldenburg, photography
Gallery West / The ARTery
Sep 21-22
Riverssance Festival of Fine Art
Lindsay Park, Village of East Davenport
Sep 27
Final Friday, Dick Oberg gallery talk at 7 p.m.
MidCoast Gallery at Bucktown
Oct 11
Opening reception, Carolyn Krueger and Susan Sharp, ceramics and mixed media
Gallery West / the ARTery
Oct 25
Final Friday Artoberfest with chili and beer samplings from Front Street Brewery;
opening reception for Corrine Smith and Shari Telman, mixed media and jewelry
Bucktown
Nov 9
Closing reception, Carolyn Krueger and Susan Sharp
Gallery West / the ARTery
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Copyright © 2019 MidCoast Fine Arts. All rights reserved.
MidCoast Fine Arts
PO Box 4142 Rock Island, IL 61204-4142
225 East 2nd Street Davenport, IA 52801
MidCoast Fine Arts programming is accessible to the community, regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, ancestry, sexual orientation including gender identity, disability, age, marital status, education, military status, unfavorable discharge from the military, or citizenship status.
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