Empowering artists and building a more vibrant Quad Cities

For more than 55 years, Quad City Arts has helped shape the cultural identity of the Quad Cities region through public art, education, and community partnerships. By partnering with funders like the Quad Cities Community Foundation through grantmaking and the creation of an endowed fund, Quad City Arts is making sure their mission continues for decades to come.

For Brian Allen, who took the helm as executive director earlier this year, the arts are essential to every community. “I’ve been drawing since I could move a crayon,” Allen said. “The arts have always been part of how I understand the world. They help us connect, reflect, and flourish. That’s what we’re working to nurture here.”

Quad City Arts reaches over 450,000 people annually through its galleries, events, and programming at more than 200 sites. Through programs like Metro Arts, Quad City Arts pairs local students with working artists for paid summer apprenticeships, showing young people that a viable, rewarding career in the arts is possible right here at home.

The arts bring joy and meaning. And, as Allen is quick to point out, they also bring measurable value. “The return on investment is real,” he said. “A recent Americans for the Arts study shows that cultural programming generates more than $29 million in economic activity locally. And the NEA estimates a 9-to-1 return on every dollar invested in the arts.” 

“Quad City Arts is a visionary organization with deep roots in our region,” said Kelly Thompson, the Community Foundation’s vice president of grantmaking and community initiatives. “From supporting artists to inspiring young people and enhancing public spaces, their work touches nearly every corner of life in the region. That’s why we’re proud to partner with them.” 

Like many cultural organizations, Quad City Arts faces shrinking grant support, including the loss of NEA funding that previously supported its long-running Visiting Artist Series. “It’s devastating,” Allen said. “These are the people and events making our community vibrant and livable. Programs like this are not easily replaceable.”

To weather those shifts, Quad City Arts has leaned on its community partnerships and the support of local donors and volunteers. An endowment through the Community Foundation helps fund programming year after year. That support from a passionate community gives Allen hope for the future.

“We’re fortunate to be part of a rich cultural and philanthropic network in the Quad Cities,” said Allen. “And we have incredible partners like the Community Foundation. It means the support is here. Our job is to keep showing up, making connections, and helping people see what’s possible. We have the passion and the community support to do just that.”