River Cities' Reader

museum exhibitions schedule May 26, 2026

“A Golden Age for Whom?”, June 6 through September 20

The Figge Art Museum in Davenport, Iowa, will present "A Golden Age for Whom?" from June 6 through September 20, a contemporary art exhibition that runs alongside the museum's concurrent show "The Golden Age: Featuring Northern European Works from the National Gallery of Art." The exhibition brings together works by artists including Beth Lipman, Oliver Okolo, Yasumasa Morimura, and Fabiola Jean-Louis, who respond to the themes and aesthetics of Renaissance and Baroque art. The two exhibitions are housed in adjoining galleries, allowing visitors to move directly between historic works and contemporary responses.

museum exhibitions schedule May 26, 2026

“Quiet Intersections,” June 5 through July 31

Four Chicago-based artists—Allie Kushnir, Shalen Stephenson, Thérèse Mulgrew, and Noel Mercado—will present concurrent solo exhibitions at Dubuque's Voices Studios from June 5 through July 31, under the collective title "Quiet Intersections." Each artist explores themes of memory, materiality, and contemporary life through distinct media: Kushnir's organic paintings, Stephenson's layered abstractions, Mulgrew's figurative works, and Mercado's found-object sculptures. An opening reception with an artist talk is scheduled for June 5.

article local schedule May 1, 2026

Rock Falls Tourism Announces Calls for Artists for 2026 Art in the Park Sculpture Walk/Outdoor Art Gallery

Rock Falls Tourism has announced two Calls for Artists for the 2026 Art in the Park Sculpture Walk and Outdoor Art Gallery, to be held on August 29, 2026, in the RB&W District in Rock Falls, Illinois. The Outdoor Art Gallery will feature a juried exhibition of original artwork from 10AM to 4PM, with a $250 Best of Show prize, while the Sculpture Walk seeks eight sculpture pieces for a year-long rotating public exhibit, offering selected artists a $1,250 stipend. Applications for the gallery are due June 2, 2026, and for the sculpture walk by June 1, 2026.

museum exhibitions schedule Apr 28, 2026

“Huang, Jackson, & Terry,” May 8 through June 19

A trio of Midwest photographers—Qingjun Huang, Natalie Jackson, and Matthew Terry—will showcase their latest works at the Quad City Arts Center in Rock Island, Illinois, from May 8 through June 19. The exhibition, titled "Huang, Jackson, & Terry," features Huang, a Peoria-based freelancer born in China with international exhibition credits including Christie’s London and the Benaki Museum; Jackson, a portrait and fine arts photographer from Peoria who serves on the board of the Contemporary Art Center of Peoria; and Terry, a Davenport-based contemporary photographer and Academy of Art University graduate whose work has been shown in galleries across the U.S. and Europe.

article local schedule Apr 28, 2026

Music & Maker's Night with “Get Surreal (A Surreal Lens)” Tour, May 14

The Figge Art Museum in Davenport, Iowa, is hosting a Music & Maker's Night on May 14, featuring a guided tour of the exhibition "Get Surreal (A Surreal Lens)" led by Co-Senior Curator Joshua Johnson. The event includes an art-making activity and live music in the museum's Quad City Bank & Trust Grand Lobby. The exhibition explores how photographers from the earliest days of the medium have used techniques like montage, double exposure, and digital manipulation to distort reality and create dreamlike imagery, featuring works by artists such as Alan Cohen, György Kepes, Olivia Parker, and Emmet Gowin.

article local schedule Apr 24, 2026

“2026 DART SeniorThesis Show,” through August 30

The 2026 DART Senior Thesis Show is on display at the University of Dubuque's Bisignano Art Gallery through August 30, featuring capstone projects from four graduating digital art and design majors. The exhibition includes Ty Eggers' children's book "A Monster Under My Bed!" about OCD, Elaina Marburger's series "Psyche of the Mortal Body," and Mason Sterken's sports-media-inspired video and poster project "UNO!" alongside other works in illustration, motion design, and digital painting.

article local schedule Apr 19, 2026

“Butcher, Hymes, & Murtha,” April 29 through June 29

The Quad City Arts International Airport Gallery is hosting a three-person exhibition featuring the work of Aaron Butcher, MaryKay Hymes, and Diane Murtha from April 29 through June 29. The showcase brings together Butcher’s whimsical illustrations on shaped wood with diverse fiber art pieces created by Hymes and Murtha, highlighting a range of techniques from collage to intricate quilting.

article local schedule Apr 14, 2026

Art History Talk: The Work of Félix Gonzalaz-Torres, April 30

The Figge Art Museum in Davenport, Iowa, is hosting a special Art History Talk on April 30 focused on the work of the late Cuban-American artist Félix González-Torres. The event is organized in conjunction with the museum's current presentation of the artist's iconic installation "Untitled" (L.A.). The lecture will explore González-Torres's unique approach to conceptual art, characterized by the use of commonplace materials, audience interaction, and the intentional instability of the art object.

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