On June 15, 2002, at 10 o'clock on a Saturday morning, a crowd gathered for “Black Heroes Carved in Stone,” a ceremony held at Chippiannock Cemetery. They had convened to honor nine black soldiers who had volunteered to fight in the Civil War. The men had lain forgotten in unmarked graves until the cemetery’s office manager discovered their story while creating digital records from handwritten ledgers.

With their artistic creations elevating “those who have come before” whether in their subject matter, their artform’s technique, or even the way in which they speak about their work, a trio of gifted talents join forces for the latest exhibition at Rock Island's Quad City Arts Center, the venue's Brown, Murtha, & Vogel exhibition, on display from May 3 through June 21, treating patrons to paintings by Julie Brown, quilts by Diane Murtha, and fiber art by Jeane Vogel.

On May 9, area art lovers are invited to celebrate the Figge Art Museum's popular 43rd Rock Island Art Guild Fine Arts Exhibition through a series of quickfire presentations from a selection of featured regional artists, the exhibit boasting 62 works - paintings, sculptures, installations, and more - by 42 artists living within a 200-mile radius of the Quad Cities.

A celebration of work completed by graduating seniors in the Department of Digital Art and Design, the DART Senior Thesis Art Show will be on display at the University of Dubuque's Bisignano Art Gallery through April 27, the exhibit boasting a variety of pieces in illustration, animation, digital painting, motion graphics, and digital artwork, and displaying the wide range of skills students cultivated during their time at UD.

New works by a pair of gifted Iowa artisans will be decorating the Quad City Arts International Airport Gallery from April 24 through July 1, with thoughtful and arresting pieces in the Schafer & Rocca exhibit showcasing the talents of oil painter John Paul Schafer of Cedar Rapids and wall-sculpture artist Kimberlee Rocca of Solon.

This spring, the Figge Art Museum's Katz Gallery will be transformed into an oasis within the museum with the Davenport venue's new Sculpture Garden, providing a space for contemplation, mindfulness, and relaxation from April 13 through June 23.

Man’s best friend, barnyard creatures, playful kittens, circus animals, and bucking broncos are among the creatures portrayed in the Muscatine Art Center's exhibition Animals in Art, with paintings, prints, drawings, and sculptures from the venue's permanent collection – alongside selections of art pottery on loan from Mark and Marie Latta – on display through June 16.

With his works a testament to the belief that there is no distinct beginning, middle, or end when exploring the boundless nature of creativity, a noted painter will be showcased in the Voices Studio exhibition beyond the boundaries: Paintings of John C. Badger – Abstract Expressionist, its housing at the Dubuque venue, through April 27, a retrospective celebration of life, art, and evolution of pieces that defy convention.

An eagerly awaited tradition featuring dozens of recent and debuting works in a variety of artistic mediums, the 43rd edition of the Rock Island Art Guild Fine Arts Exhibition will be on display at the Figge Art Museum through June 2, with the Davenport venue housing 62 works - paintings, sculptures, installations, and more - by 42 artists living within a 200-mile radius of the Quad Cities.

Always an eagerly awaited series at the Figge Art Museum, the latest incarnation of Young Artists at the Figge will be on display through May 12, with the Davenport venue again celebrating the accomplishments of budding creative talents of local elementary art students whose works will be showcased in a continuing series of individual exhibitions.

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