Talking Art

Ben Gougeon talks with local muralist Sarah Robb about her work with the Quad City Arts Metro Arts program, the upcoming Chalk Art Fest at Schwiebert Park, and her life as an artist.

Quad City Arts Executive Director Kevin Maynard sits down with VP of Research at Americans for the Arts

In this episode of "Talking Art," Kevin Maynard from Quad City Arts sits down with Marc Zyla, principal horn of the Quad City Symphony Orchestra (QCSO).

Listen to the conversation here with artist Cory Christiansen and with Muscatine Art Center Director Melanie Alexander, about the legacy that Jon Fasanelli-Cawelti left behind, the deep personal friendships that developed between the local artists, and the transformative effect a creative mentor can have.

Listen to the conversation here with Quad City native Steve Banks about how humor can be used to effectively deliver a message about culture and identity; the creation of multi-panel pieces for this exhibition which he likens to a symphonic suite with different movements; and the studio space and artistic community that he has developed in Davenport, IA.

Listen to the conversation here with Brian Baxter, Executive Director of the Quad City Symphony Orchestra, about the tremendous versatility of the QCSO’s musicians, the important ways in which the orchestra is diversifying their community outreach and programming, and why the Riverfront Pops is widely considered to be the Quad Cities’ “party of the summer.”

Listen to the conversation here with Executive Director Kevin Maynard about how Quad City Arts has intentionally been building their role as an arts advocate, connector, and resource hub; about their commitment to creative placemaking; and how they beautify our community in ways less commonly known to the public, such as through their public sculpture program.

Listen to the conversation here with Brian Nikulski and Pat Beréskin about the thematic approach they used to create this collection, the importance of businesses investing in local artists, and the sense of well-being that beautiful art creates.

Owner and Director Andrzej Kozlowski is an accomplished Juilliard-trained classical pianist. Listen to the conversation here about his reverence for the Polish pianists and composers Fryderyk Chopin and Ignacy Paderewski, his passion for historic renovation and restoration, and his belief in providing financially feasible musical training.

Listen to the conversation here with Jaren Michelle (Callie) and McKenna Coskie (Sara) about how they have come to understand and connect with their individual characters, the joy of acting in a debut stage work production in the Quad Cities, and the essential role that community theatre plays within a vibrant society.

Listen to the conversation here with composer, arranger, producer, Yamaha artist, and piano virtuoso Laurence Hobgood about his initial emergence onto the jazz scene in Chicago years ago, the inspiration behind his album Honor Thy Fathers, and about his current work teaching at the New School in NYC.

Martha Redbone, a Native & African American vocalist, songwriter, composer, and educator, will be performing in numerous venues from May 8-13, 2023, as a Quad City Arts’ Visiting Artist. Combining elements of folk, soul, Appalachian, and Native tradition, her music is uniquely Influenced by her upbringing in both urban Brooklyn, NY as well as rural Harlan County, KY in a “brilliant collision of cu...

Listen to the conversation here with composer William Campbell about the catalyst behind this concept album of contemporary classical music, the art of composition, and his future plans as he transitions away from his long-time position as Professor of Music at St. Ambrose University to concentrate on composing film scores and concert music.

Courtney Lyon, the Artistic Director of Ballet Quad Cities, has reinterpreted these classic works with her own abstract choreography. Listen to our conversation here about the process she uses when choreographing a work; the various ways in which dance with its myriad, intricate steps can be preserved for future performances; and the important role that Ballet Quad Cities plays here in our communi...

Listen to the conversation here with artist Heidi Draley McFall about the process behind her latest work; her experimentation with the visual effects afforded by the application of resin, a new interest which has surpassed her interest in realism; and the various individual interpretations that viewers have ascribed to her work.

The major exhibition Sporting Fashion: Outdoor Girls 1800-1960 is currently on display at the Figge Art Museum in Davenport. Featuring sixty-four fully accessorized ensembles accompanied by photographs, video, and text, the show examines the material history of women in sport as they lived their individual self-determined lives. A detailed and highly illustrated 344-page catalog is available in th...

Listen to the conversation here with Dania Green about the creation of these two works of art, the intimacy inherent in self-portraiture, and the important role that mentoring has had in her life. You can follow Dania on Instagram.

Listen to the conversation here with Dr. Gale Bell about the legacy of her late husband, the support and nourishment he received while growing up in Watertown, and about his album “The Jazz Professor,” which he dedicated to his family members and on which his original compositions reflected in various styles the personalities of those he loved.

Listen to the conversation here with Jackie Dempsey, co-Artistic Director of Squonk, about the “community of the imagination” they hope to inspire, the joy she feels watching people experience their shows for their first time, and the thirty-year journey Squonk has taken from their origins in Pittsburgh to performing for audiences around the world.

Listen to the conversation here with Director Ray Terronez, Jr. and student performer Yanel Alaniz-Macias about how dance and costuming uniquely vary from one region to the next, the personal lessons learned from participating in a rigorous dance program such as this, and the importance of maintaining our traditional art forms.

Listen to the conversation here with Director Gaye Shannon-Burnett about her lifelong love of theatre, the impact this play has had as the first Broadway production written by a Black woman, and the ongoing resonance that the Harlem Renaissance continues to have in our culture today.

Listen to the conversation here with Pat Beréskin about the excitement she feels about her future, the legacy she has created as a long-time champion of the arts, and the unique position that the Quad Cities finds itself in with these new creative partnerships.

Listen to the conversation here with artist and educator Latoya M. Hobbs about her belief that Black women are preservers of their families and communities, the importance of accurate representation in art, and her prestigious mixed-media practice which includes printmaking and woodcutting.

Listen to the conversation here with Shelley Cooper, Director of The Threepenny Opera and Assistant Professor of Theatre Arts at Augustana College, about the underlying themes of this production, the playwright Bertolt Brecht’s conception of epic theatre, and the important lessons that students learn from immersing themselves in musical theatre.

Listen to the conversation here with Little Women Director and St. Ambrose Theatre Professor Dr. Corinne Johnson about the intentional choice of this production prior to her upcoming retirement this summer, the valuable lessons that students learn from a communal experience like theatre, and the many leaders working here in the Quad Cities – both inside and beyond arts organizations – that have em...