Before September 11, 2001, the concept of the airport as town-hall meeting plaza was a great one. The Quad City International Airport was well on its way to realizing that ideal. There were plans for an office park to be located on or near the airport property, and people, not just travelers, would be lured to the facilities. Then the twin towers came down and the security screenings went up.

It is too bad because the current show featuring Megan and Kristin Quinn is quite good. Artwork in the airport venue has to be bold and powerful to transcend being encased in thick plate-glass cases, and this show overcomes that obstacle with ease.

One can almost imagine the sibling influences hurled back and forth between these sister artists. Kristin Quinn's paintings have black-silhouetted flowers, figures, and designs painted on them, almost like a ceramic stain applied over a glaze. Megan Quinn's ceramics echo these black figures and outlines over the glazes of her vases.

I can imagine Kristin's wild, unstructured painting style has influenced Megan to loosen up her pottery throwing and let the pots be less than symmetrical. For example, Hanging On is a pretty structured pot, but Crabbing has far less structure and is decorated with whimsical black figures.

Kristin's paintings are explosions of color with silhouette figures in the foreground. Sirocco Solano illustrates the backlit vines on the left of the composition with orange light streaming through the middle and a silhouetted tree sandwiched between layers of light. Kristin's works are complex layers and arrangements of imagery that explore the contrasts between organic matter with the shapes of scientific-like instruments that perhaps measure these elements. Megan's works show wide range, from husky and cheerful floor-standing jars to whimsical and elegant pedestal-size vessels. Together the works complement each other superbly, both in imagery and in execution. This exhibit is a wonderful exposition of two of this area's leading artists.

Even if you don't have to fly, visiting the airport gallery is relatively easy. There is short-term parking within walking distance of the gallery and a restaurant adjacent to the gallery.

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