“Schafer & Rocca,” April 24 through July 1

Wednesday, April 24, through Monday, July 1

Quad City Arts International Airport Gallery, 2200 69th Avenue, Moline IL

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.

John Paul Schafer is a painter working in non-objective expressionism, and his work is an exploration into his own philosophic interest in spirituality and his search for truth. At his SchaferFineArt.com Web site, he states, "My favorite commissions are the big ones. I like to work on a large scale. I like the challenge of designing for a specific wall or interior environment, whether its a corporate space or a private home or office. I think it gives the art greater purpose and practicality. Especially when it's for a public venue like a library, convention center or hospital — a community win." Since beginning his professional art work in 1990, Schafer has received three grant awards from the Iowa Arts Council, has had his work showcased in more than two dozen exhibitions, and currently markets his paintings at juried shows and art markets all around the Midwest in such cities as Chicago, Minneapolis, Omaha, Kansas City, and St. Louis.

Kimberlee Rocca is a contemporary artist whose wall sculptures are made of scrap wood and other discarded materials from her day job in home construction, which she then shapes and paints to create a dynamic, modern piece of art. Rocca notes at KimberleeRocca.com that through this reclamation of materials, “each work tell[s] a story of rescue and transformation into beauty.” Foil imaging is also a signature element of her work, adding depth and texture to each of her pieces. Born in New Jersey and raised in Iowa, Rocca studied design, printmaking, and fiber arts at the University of Iowa before earning her BFA in Metal Smithing in 1991. During her studies, Rocca was introduced to foil imaging, a unique process which combines traditional printmaking techniques with commercial foil printing processes. Her current body of work explores the life cycle of discarded substrates as they move from the job-site dumpster through the creative processes within her studio walls, transforming into mixed media wall sculptures and mobiles on wood panel and aluminum in two and three dimensions.

The Quad City Arts International Airport Gallery is located opposite the airport's gift shop and restaurant, there is a $1 fee for parking, and more information on the Schafer & Rocca exhibit on display from April 24 through July 1 is available by calling (309)793-1213 and visiting QuadCityArts.com.