(ROCK ISLAND, IL - May 11, 2015) - The Downtown Rock Island Arts and Entertainment District and The ARTery is proud to present "Dirty Art" for the second year on May 23rd from noon to 6 p.m. Dirty Art is an interactive art event in downtown Rock Island. This interactive art event will allow attendees the opportunity to be part of the creation of art and get their hands "dirty" in the process. Dirty Art will feature interactive activities, live music, demonstrating artists, and more!
This year will unveil new and exciting activities at Dirty Art, and bring back a few fan favorites. Interactive art projects will line the sidewalks along 2nd Avenue from The ARTery (1629 2nd Ave) to 18th Street. Stop by The ARTery to create your own masterpiece on a mini canvas, after the event the mini canvases will be glued together to make a collage that will be on display in the lobby of The ARTery. Also at The ARTery will be a banner painting activity that will be on display during our summer festivals; Gumbo Ya Ya and Ya Maka My Weekend. Arts Alley will be full of a variety of children's art activities. It can get messy here; rest assured that all of the paint used in the children's area is washable tempera paint.
A very exciting feature of Dirty Art this year is that The Shoppes on 2nd (1700 2nd Avenue) will be the site of two instructed painting classes; the first class, "Bridge", will be held from noon-2 p.m., and the second, "Blooms", will be held from 3:30-5:30 p.m. Both canvases measure 9" X 12" in size. Reservations are being accepted, and are recommended. To reserve your seat call The District at 309-788-6311. Twenty seats are available at each class, so call today! The cost for the painting class is $5 in advance, and $10 at the door.
The Peepshow, a sculpture competition inspired by the iconic marshmallow confection, will also be held at The Shoppes on 2nd. Entries for The Peepshow are being accepted until May 20th. The Peepshow is open to artists, families, businesses, and anyone with a sense of humor. "This is a great competition for those artists who like to work with unique mediums, or for non-artists, like me, who just want to have a little fun making something original while you get rid of those extra Peeps you have in the cabinets!" said Micaela Booth, District Marketing & Events Specialist. Entry cost is $10, which will include 10 voting tokens. The public will be able to purchase voting tokens to vote for their favorite entry. Two winners will be selected, one in the youth category (15 years and younger), and one in the adult category (16 years and older). The winner for the youth category will win a $25 gift card, and the adult category will win a $50 gift card. Entry forms and a full list of details and rules can be found at www.ridistrict.com.
Many more activities and fun await you at Dirty Art! Join in on this family friendly event that is free to the public! For more information, please visit www.ridistrict.com.
Dirty Art is supported with Quad City Arts Dollar$ funds, provided by Hubbell-Waterman Foundation, the Illinois Arts Council Agency, John Deere, and the Doris and Victor Day Foundation. Dirty Art is sponsored by The Dispatch-Argus, and WHBF.
The Downtown Rock Island Arts & Entertainment District (The District) is a 501(c)6 not-for-profit organization established in 1992 by local downtown merchants. The District's mission is to establish and manage downtown Rock Island as a creative and innovative experience by focusing on the development of the arts and quality special event management. It features retail shops, excellent restaurants, live entertainment, dinner theater, art galleries and several entertainment venues. Rock Island is located on the Mississippi River, three hours west of Chicago in an area known as the Quad-Cities which straddles the river and the Illinois/Iowa border. It is at the intersection of Interstate highways 74, 88 and 80 and is served by Quad City International Airport in Moline, IL.
