History

Quad City Arts Council, founded in 1970 as an arts advocacy organization that operated a visual arts gallery and re-granting program for local artists, launched Visiting Artists, Inc. in 1974 as an educational residency program presenting multi-disciplinary performing arts through residencies in schools and at community sites. Due to high demand for the residencies, Festival of Trees debuted in 1986 as a fund raiser for the program.

The organization’s dual role of presenting the arts and humanities, as well as serving as an arts resource, allows us to serve more than 350,000 people annually in the Arts Center in Rock Island and at over 200 community rural and urban community sites.

Our Mission

“Quad City Arts is dedicated to enriching the quality of life in the Quad City region through the arts.”