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What is Quad City Arts?
History
Quad City Arts Council was founded in 1970 in
Illinois as
an arts advocacy organization that operated a
visual arts
gallery and re-
granting program featuring local
performing
artists. Visiting Artists, Inc., born from the
Council's residency program, was chartered
in
Iowa in 1974 and presented
multi-disciplinary performing arts residencies
in schools, factories, and community centers. In
1985
Festival of Trees
was created as a fundraiser
for Visiting
Artists, Inc. In 1988, these entities along with
the Bix Arts Festival recognized
their common interests and merged to form Quad
City Arts.
The four groups are still represented in the
agency's four-sided logo and
their roles remain
evident today.
Acting on
an urban renewal opportunity in 1990, Quad City
Arts
began the renovation of a department store for
its offices and
gallery
space that became the cornerstone
project in the
revitalization of Rock Island's downtown, The
Arts &
Entertainment District.
Quad
City
Arts currently operates out of
this location and is local non-profit arts
organization serving the residents of
Rock Island, Henry, and
Mercer
counties in
Illinois
and Scott,
Clinton, and
Muscatine
counties in
Iowa. The organization's dual
role of presenting the arts and
humanities, as
well as serving as an arts resource, allows them
to serve more than 350,000 people annually in
the Arts Center in R
Rock Island and at over 300
community
rural and urban community sites.
All Quad City Arts
programs are funded in part by our largest fundraiser, Festival of
Trees,
Quad City Arts Partners (memberships), and
operating grants
from the Illinois Arts
Council, a state agency, and the Iowa Arts Council, a division of
the Department of
Cultural
Affairs.
Mission Statement & Goals
Quad
City
Arts is dedicated
to the growth and
vitality of the
Quad
City
region through the
presentation, development, and celebration
of
the arts. We envision
a vibrant, dynamic
Quad
City
region where
artists, residents,
and visitors are engaged in diverse
opportunities
in the arts and humanities.
Goals:
Engage the community in the arts and
humanities through
the highest quality,
comprehensive programs and services; Provide opportunities for artists as
contributors to the
social, cultural, and economic well-being of our community; Serve as an advocate for the arts by
building an
appreciation and recognition of the role of arts and artists; Create wide-
spread accessibility of the
arts through
increased efforts in building
diversity of people, programs, and
venues;
Provide support systems that will ensure
the
development,
maintenance, and longevity
of the arts and
humanities.
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