Thrilling pieces by Beethoven, Haydn, and other noted composers will be the focus of the Quad City Symphony Orchestra's fourth Masterworks concerts of the 2023-24 season, with The Stars Above & Sands Below, on February 3 and 4, treating guests at Davenport's Adler Theatre Rock Island's Augustana College to musical majesty courtesy of the gifted instrumentalists and longtime QCSO Maestro Mark Russell Smith.

Touring in support of their most recent release Flowers for June, Jay Ernest and the Minneapolis-based musicians of Church of Cash bring their Johnny Cash tribute to Burlington's Capitol Theater on February 9, performing from the legendary singer's expansive repertoire and the album's repertoire that boasts under-sung hits such as “A Thing Called Love,” “Dark as a Dungeon,” and “(Ghost) Riders in the Sky.”

One of only a handful of syndicated African-American cartoonists in the United States, award-winning author and illustrator Jerry Craft enjoys an evening at the latest guest in the virtual Illinois Libraries Presents series, his February 6 program hosted by the Rock Island and Silvis Public Libraries treating fans to A Conversation with Jerry Craft: From Mama’s Boyz to New Kid & Beyond.

A fascinating and inspiring documentary about the world’s first known “giraffologist," The Woman Who Loves Giraffes will enjoy a February 4 screening at Davenport's Figge Art Museum as the third presentation in River Action's 2024 QC Environmental Film Series, this beautiful nature exploration a Best Documentary and Audience Award recipient at the Sonoma International Film Festival, as well as the Best Feature Film winner at the Global Science Film Festival.

One of the bigger state budget-expansion fights we could see play out in Springfield this spring is the creation of a permanent $300 Child Income Tax Credit. The new proposal has been scaled back from last year’s $700 per child tax credit bill, which went nowhere in the House after it was introduced in February and ultimately had fifteen sponsors and co-sponsors. But proponents say even the downsized version would make a major difference.

It’s actually difficult to know where to begin. What started as a fairly straightforward tale about rescuing a crustacean from an upscale restaurant tank evolved into an existentialist crisis for almost every character as they collectively grappled with their current realities. While that sounds potentially deeper than you’re perhaps expecting, please note that Haus of Ruckus' Punk Rock Lobster is a comedy, and never takes itself too seriously.

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.

Screened as the second presentation in River Action's 2024 QC Environmental Film Series, the acclaimed documentary Last Paddle? will enjoy a January 28 showing in the John Deere Auditorium of Davenport's Figge Art Museum, this inspirational, visually stunning film chronicling the amazing journey of renowned river advocate Mark Angelo, who has paddled more than 1,000 rivers in well over 100 countries.

Highlighting the significant yet underrepresented role of African American women in the history of jazz music, Davenport's Figge Art History opens its celebration of Black History month with the February 1 presentation The Women that “Swung” the Band: Little-Known African American Women Musicians & Composers, a program hosted in collaboration with Azubuike African American Council for the Arts, and designed to increase cultural awareness and appreciation of contributions during the Jazz Age, from art and history to music.