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QC, that’s where we display our region’s culture and history, quirky originality and creativity within a gallery of sidewalks, alleys and parks. QC, that’s where public art reflects our values, illustrated within vibrant murals and wood and metal sculptures that draw visitors and residents to explore areas once dormant, now fully alive. It is where partnerships and regional artists elevate placemaking, QC identity and pride. And it is where we are striving to incorporate so much more.
This summer, through the Quad City Arts’ Public Sculpture Program and Metro Arts Youth Apprenticeship Program, our region celebrated 16 new installations across our family of communities, and four of those are in downtown Davenport. And they are in addition to the collection of sculptures and numerous murals already on public display.
For more than 20 years, Quad City Arts has facilitated the selection and display of public sculpture for our cities, business and organizations; facilitating murals and street paintings by its Metro Arts student apprentices; and providing art programming and events that allow us to express and share the QC’s creative current with the world.
“Public art is one of the most important aspects in a community and often gets overlooked. Studies clearly show It drives tourism, increases civic pride and showcases our community’s values,” said Kevin Maynard, Executive Director, Quad City Arts.
Downtown Davenport Partnership (DDP) recognizes and values the impact the arts have on our region and in the work we do.
DDP has a long history of leading public art projects and collaborating with its partners to bring more creative energy to downtown. It began in the early 2000s with the introduction of rotating sculptures, of those, nine of the pieces remain on permanent display today. Building on the city’s strong arts and entertainment backbone was identified as a key growth strategy in the Downtown Davenport Master Plan, which was finalized in 2021. “Arts and culture are a huge part of our identity and we are investing in activating our public spaces through the arts,” said Alisha Espey, DDP Director, Programs.
Last winter, DDP infused professional art into holiday shopping and merriment, which activated the downtown in a simple but unique way. The Deck the Downtowns promotion and painted holiday window displays drew crowds to Davenport where they moved from block-to-block to see the professional pop up art while shopping and eating local.
This summer DDP worked with Quad City Arts on the installation of four new sculptures on 2nd Street and two new murals at 4th and Pershing streets that highlight our region’s Indigenous history and wealth of diversity. “We have many more projects and ideas up our sleeve. In the next year we hope to add one large scale mural and will be making infrastructure improvements to key alleyways in preparation to activate the spaces in the future with art displays and programming,” Espey said.
“It’s easy to make the case that cities gain cultural, social, and economic value through public art investment. For us, it’s about improving the quality of life and using art to create a better sense of place. We’re excited for this next chapter in DDP’s history and to showcase the artistic talent in our community,” she added.
QC, that’s where we are proud of the fact that for a region our size, we are way ahead of the curve.
“I encourage everyone to take some time to walk around and look closer at our community,” Maynard said. “Our region is very lucky to have a wealth of art and art amenities. From murals to public sculptures, art programming and cultural events, there are so many things in the QC that you’d be hard pressed to find in other communities of our size, or even larger.”
Here is where you'll find the new sculptures: