(ROCK ISLAND, IL - December 4, 2015) - The District, MidCoast Fine Arts, The ARTery & Quad City Arts present Gallery Hop! on Friday, December 11, 2015 from 6 to 10 p.m. Gallery Hop! is a fun, festive and free art open house unique to downtown Rock Island. Local and regional artists are showcased, and some provide demonstrations in venues throughout downtown Rock Island.
The "Hop Stops" stretch all the way from 16th Street to 25th Street and from 1st Avenue to 5th Avenue! Locations will include coffee shops, restaurants, retail shops, and entertainment venues. This unique group of Hop Stops allows guests to grab a quick bite to eat, have a drink, or shop for other items, all while being at Gallery Hop! Jewelry, photography, woodwork, glass, paintings, drawings, sculpture, live music, and more will be featured. Gallery Hop! is a great opportunity to check those art lovers off of your holiday shopping list. Brand new Hop Stops include : Gentry Boutique (218 18th Street), Colman Florist (1623 2nd Avenue), and Soi 2 (1825 2nd Avenue). Make sure to hop your way to the Hop Stops that are off the beaten path as to not miss anything! The Quad City Botanical Center located at 2525 4th Avenue will host three different Gallery Hop! artists, have complementary coffee and cocoa, and "Quilt Tales" will be on exhibit as well. "Quilt Tales" includes over 30 Mississippi Valley Quilters Guild members' quilts.
There will be maps and game cards at each "Hop Stop." The map will include a list of all of the stops and their exhibiting artist(s), and the game cards will include Gallery Hop! BINGO. To play Gallery Hop! BINGO just visit at least five locations, have the artist sign off, and make a straight line on your card. Completed cards can be turned in at MidCoast Fine Arts/The ARTery or Quad City Arts. The winner gets a prize basket full of fun gifts from The District including: a $50 gift certificate to Gentry Boutique, a drum from Teranga house of Africa, a Icon's Martini tasting party certificate, a $25 gift certificate to Colman Florist, a $10 gift certificate to The Original Huckleberry's Great Pizza and Calzones, and more! The winner will be randomly drawn and notified the week of 12/14/2015.
Visual arts, galleries & studios:
• Quad City Arts: Barbara Bianchi (mixed media), Zora Murff (photography), Joseph Madrigal (sculpture), and demonstrations by the Mississippi Valley Woodcarvers
• MidCoast Gallery West: Carolyn Krueger, Lisa Mahar, Laura Weinberg
• The ARTery: Karl Adlon (astro-photography), Michael Johns & Friends (pottery)
• DeSoto Arts Center: Quad Cities Wood Turners Club
Performing arts, theaters, film studio, & live music venues:
? Circa '21 Dinner Playhouse: "A Wonderful Life" Reservations required.
? The Establishment: ComedySportz- Live comedy improv show starting at 7 p.m. Rated "E" for everyone.
? Rock Island Brewing Co: Bongzilla, show at 9 p.m., $15 advance tickets
? The Speakeasy: Manny Lopez Big Band, Doors at 5 p.m. $16 cover at door
? The District Theatre: "A Christmas Carol" Reservations may be required.
Alternative venues - restaurants, shops, and entertainment establishments:
? The Shoppes on 2nd: Lisa Francescon (photography), Judy Heath & Teri Luke (watercolors), and Sally Gierke (ceramics with demonstrations), Spellbound will offer 10% off everything during Gallery Hop
? Skeleton Key Art & Antiques: John VandeWalle (metal sculpture), Bill Marsoun (paintings) & 60+ local artists, craftspeople & antique dealers.
? Blue Cat Brew Pub: Anthony Burton (paintings & wire wrapped pendants)
? Daiquiri Factory: Svetlana Pulliam (jewelry & clothing)
? Icons Martini: Ron Thomas (acrylic watercolor & pencil drawings), and Janelle Kerns with As You Wish Custom Designs (stained glass)
? Theo's Java Club: Ginger Herbst (Sister Hip Hats), Leslie Schenkel (lampwork beads, jewelry)
? NormaLeah Ovarian Cancer Foundation: Yoyo y Yo (acoustic music) & Bling 4 Cancer jewelry
? Teranga House of Africa: (incense, oils and gifts of diversity)
? Vivian's Vintage Varieties: Various artists (antiques & jewelry)
? Navarro Canoe Co: Bruce & Sue Peterson (Rock Island handcrafted works of art canoes), and David James Genac (photography)
? The Original Huckleberry's Great Pizza & Calzones- Connie (Corcoran) Wilson, author of Christmas Cats
? Roosters Sports Bar & Grill- Roberta Osmers (photography)
? Gentry Boutique: Sue Sambdman (Rock River Photography), Gentry Boutique will offer refreshments and hors d'oeuvres and 20% off all purchases
? Hickey Brother's Cigar Store and Hookah Lounge: Phil Force (metal sculpture), Lara Grossman (photography)
? Colman Florist: Steve Braudt (drawing, graphite & ink on mat board), Colman Florist will offer 25% off Christmas themed ornaments, containers, and silks (excludes FTD and Teleflora Holiday Containers)
? Steve's Old Time Tap: Pat Petersen (Conversation Pieces Jewelry)
? dphilms: Lori A. Granato (acrylic on canvas), Louis Granato III (photography), and Jay Stratton (refined & distinctive wood works)
? Soi 2: Jesse Mumm (ceramics)
? Quad City Botanical Center: Kimberly Miller (Celestial by Design body painting), Marjorie Franklin (photography), Jerri Crabtree-Frisk (paintings), and "Quilt Tales" exhibit Public art:
? MidCoast Fine Arts - Art 'N Alley installations, Quad City Arts' sculpture program, and several murals.
Gallery Hop! is presented by The District, MidCoast Fine Arts, Quad City Arts & The ARTery, and is sponsored by the Dispatch-Argus, WHBF, and River Cities' Reader.
The event is free. For more information and to print a map of participating locations, please visit www.ridistrict.com.
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.
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