Saturday, September 16, and Sunday, September 17
Lindsay Park, River Drive & Mound Street, Village of East Davenport IA
Original works from more than 80 juried regional and national artists, children's activities, a Tabor Wines tasting, gourmet food, live music with Whoozdads? and other area performers, and additional treats will be on hand at the September 15 and 16 Riverssance Festival of Fine Art, with MidCoast Fine Arts' 31st-annual Lindsay Park event finding Rachel Mullins Steiner this year's recipient of the esteemed Harley Award in recognition of her visionary leadership in creating an area arts culture.
Mullins’ service to the local arts community has spanned nearly 30 years, from the 1990s' grassroots Kanga Arts Cooperative to leadership roles in the development of the River Music Experience and Figge Art Museum. For MidCoast, she worked on creating Bucktown Center for the Arts and new program developments including the Art N’ Ally program, ArtWorks Expo, BASH!, ArtStroll, and more. She has also held roles at the state level in Iowa and Illinois, in local special events, and in advancing downtown development and cultural tourism across the Quad Cities community, this work including Mullins serving on the board of the Rock Island Arts and Entertainment District where she founded and led Gallery HOP!
In 2004, Mullins recruited the St. Louis-based Venus Envy to Davenport, resulting in an all-female arts celebration across all arts disciplines. In partnership with MidCoast and the Quad Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau, she also led the creation of promotional materials and arts packaging such as the “Art for Everyone” public-arts guide and the innovative Arts Mecca Cultural Tourism plan that laid a foundation for the Cultural Trust and other local economic development tools in the arts. Mullins holds a bachelor's degree in Business Administration & Fine Arts from St. Ambrose University and a master’s in Business Administration from the University of Iowa, and currently serves as the assistant to the superintendent for community relations and partnerships in the Davenport Community Schools.
Mullins will receive her Harley Award at a 5:30 p.m. public ceremony on September 15, and Riverssance admission for ages 13 and older is $4 per day or $6 for a two-day pass, with ages 12 and under free. Festival hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on September 15 and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on September 16, and more information on this year's Riverssance Festival of Fine Art is available by calling (563)424-1210 or visiting MidCoast.org/riverssance.
