MOLINE, ILLINOIS (August 4, 2021) — On Thursday, August 5, 4PM, Renew Moline invites the public and media to attend the official ribbon-cutting for the new mural, “Retro Electric”. The ribbon-cutting will take place under the Moline Arsenal Viaduct along the bike path.
Renew Moline and Moline Centre both partnered with the Moline Foundation and Quad City Arts to commission the new mural through the Quad City Arts/Metro Arts Apprenticeship Program. The young artists with the Metro Arts Youth Apprenticeship Program spent five weeks on the project, which celebrates the region’s history with a pop of retro flare.
The design was chosen from three final proposals that were presented by the Metro Arts Youth Apprentices and includes iconic images such as Chief Blackhawk and the Rock Island Arsenal Clock Tower. Visit Quad Cities assisted Renew Moline and Moline Centre in choosing the final design.
“What impressed me most about the apprentices’ design process was how they were able to research a complex concept that could very easily become predictable, and then give their own youthful spin on the idea with colors, shapes, and patterns,” said Sarah Robb, Lead Artist for Metro Arts Youth Apprenticeship Program. “The mural design takes downtown Moline on a journey into the history of the area in a colorful and uplifting way. This is the impact that public art can have, a sense of community and unity.”
“Retro Electric” is just one of many works of public art that have been completed downtown Moline. More recent works of public art include sculptures along the bike path as well as the Spiegel Building Mural. It is part of a larger effort to develop a robust public art plan in downtown Moline.