“49th-Annual High School Art Invitational" at the Quad City Arts Center -- March 27 through April 30.
Exhibit: Friday, March 27, through Thursday, April 30
Opening Reception and Awards Ceremony: Thursday, April 2, 6:30 – 8:30 p.m.
Quad City Arts Center, 1715 Second Avenue, Rock Island IL
Nearly 200 works by gifted student artists will be on display at Rock Island's Quad City Arts Center from March 27 through April 30 in the expansive 49th-Annual High School Art Invitational, a glorious celebration of local talent featuring the Quad Cities’ most promising artists expressing themselves through paintings, drawings, sculpture, paper, recycled materials, and film.
Each spring, Quad City Arts displays artwork from top high school artists and their art teachers. High school art instructors in the greater Quad City region are invited to choose works by their top five students in any category, plus additional works in the categories of film, paper sculpture, and recycled materials. The exhibit fills the walls of Quad City Arts’ downtown Rock Island gallery, the opening ceremony is attended by hundreds of Quad Citizens supporting young artistic talent, and students receive thousands of dollars in awards from exhibition sponsors.
For many students, this will be the first time they receive formal recognition for their creative talents. This can inspire them to pursue careers in the arts and find out how their talents can be applied. In addition to the opportunity to show their work publicly, this exhibition is important to show students the process of competing for gallery shows. As professional artists know, getting into exhibitions can be discouraging, but there is value in seeing which pieces were selected. This exhibition is almost equally important for the public, because it shows the incredible creativity of our young people and our future workforce. Creative people have the ability to problem-solve, which is a trait sought after by numerous professions.
An opening reception and awards ceremony for the 49th-Annual High School Art Invitational will be held at Rock Island's Quad City Arts Center at 6:30 p.m. on April 2. The public is welcome to visit the gallery Mondays through Fridays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., beginning March 27, with the exhibit running through April 30. Everyone who attends is welcome to vote for their favorite high school artist in the People's Choice contest. For more information, call (309)793-1213 and visit QuadCityArts.com.
