"Muscatine's Golden Key" is the title of a new painting which is making its public debut in the exhibition, "The Other Side of the Earth" by Chun Arthur Wang. The painting depicts Xi Jinping, soon to be announced or newly announced (press note: this depends on the timing of the story) President of the People's Republic of China. In the foreground is a portrait of then Vice President Xi during his 2012 visit to Muscatine while the background features Xi receiving the key to the City of Muscatine during his 1985 visit. Xi Jinping is believed to be the only person to hold the honor of receiving two keys to the City of Muscatine - one in 1985 and the other in 2012.

Artist Chun Arthur Wang states, "Most Chinese had never heard of 'Muscatine' until the Chinese and global press reported on Xi Jinping's return visit to this Iowa town in 2012. People were touched by the story that Mr. Xi did not forget the local family that hosted him for three days during his visit in 1985. The profound friendship between Mr. Xi and ordinary American people impressed many Chinese people, including me."

Wang was preparing for his exhibition at the Muscatine Art Center when his family and friends encouraged him to create a painting about Xi Jinping's connection to Muscatine. Xi is depicted twice in the painting - once as a younger man and once as the new leader of China today. Wang describes his depiction of then Vice President Xi: "Mr. Xi looks high-spirited and vigorous as the dignified and confident new leader. He holds the second key to the City of Muscatine in his left hand while using his right hand to wave to his old friends in Muscatine. From his mild eyes we find his joyfulness in reuniting with his old friends. And from his smile we seem to hear an emotional voice from his heart, 'Muscatine, I am back after twenty-seven years'."

The Mississippi River and the Muscatine Bridge are also featured in the painting. The friendship between America and China is symbolized by the Mississippi River both of which "will never be interrupted", as described by Wang. Behind the clouds, Wang has painted two traditional Chinese vermillion red gates which are open in the middle. These gates are intended to symbolize the opening of friendship between the two countries and also the blending of two different cultures.

The painting, "Muscatine's Golden Key," along with 18 other works of art by Chun Arthur Wang will be on view at the Muscatine Art Center through April 21, 2013. Wang will be in Muscatine from March 17th through 19th. An Artist Reception will be held on Sunday, March 17th from 1 to 5 p.m. Wang will speak at 1:30 p.m. The reception is open to the public, and admission is free. On March 18th and 19th, Wang will visit local classrooms and meet with community leaders.

The Muscatine Art Center is located at 1314 Mulberry Avenue in Muscatine, Iowa. Hours are Tuesday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Thursday evenings until 7:00 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. Admission is free. Donations are appreciated.

The Thirty-seventh Annual Rock Island Fine Arts Exhibition, an annual juried competition co-sponsored by the Rock Island Art Guild and Augustana College, will be displayed at the Augustana College Art Museum through April 21, 2013. The competition was open to visual artists working in any media except video, and residing within a 150-mile radius of the Quad Cities. There were 100 participating artists. Juror Pamela Blotner quipped "It may be snowy and cold outside, but the Augustana College Art Museum radiates with color and energy. Inside the galleries one finds a 'patchwork quilt' of the Quad City area, its cityscapes, rivers, forest and farmlands." Blotner selected 50 art works from 41 artists for the final exhibition More than $3,500 in awards will be presented at the reception on Friday, April 5, at 5:40 p.m

The awards include :

First Prize ($1000): Pam Echeverria (Cedar Falls, IA), Qutang Gorge, acrylics

Second Prize ($500): Teresa Mesich (Rock Island, IL), Bird Circus, acrylic on canvas

Founder's Award ($300) for 2013 in Honor of Mr. and Mrs. G. Pierson (Pete) and Ruth Brauch:

Tom Voss (Bettendorf, IA), East by West, wood?black walnut and American chestnut

Sally MacMillan Watercolor Award ($500): Rosalie Waranius Vass (Batavia, IL), Spinning, opaque watercolor

Two-dimensional Entry Award in Memory of Bernice and Stanley Harris ($500): Peter Xiao (Rock Island, IL), Six Heads to be Hatted, oil on canvas with wood

Three-dimensional Freestanding Entry Award in Memory of Zeivel Harris ($500): Dean Kugler (Davenport, IA), Blind Control, resin

4 Honorable Mentions, Each $100:

Peter Van Ael (Montgomery, IL), Swimmingly, reduction woodcut montage

Richard Ankeney (Galesburg, IL), Lobster Buoys, digital photograph

Jane L. Koski (Rock Island, IL), "Stillness" on a Cool Summer Morning, watercolor

George Olson (Woodhull, IL), Prairie Study: White Vervain, watercolor

During the exhibition visitors can vote on the People's Choice and Children's Choice awards of $50 each. Hours for this exhibition are noon to 4 p.m., Tuesdays through Saturdays, and Sundays in April excepting the Easter break of March 29-April 3.

The 2013 juror is San Francisco Bay Area artist and curator Pamela Blotner. Over the last 20 years, much of Blotner's work has been informed by her experiences as an Illustrator/Mission Specialist on missions for Human Rights Watch, Physicians for Human Rights, and the Human Rights Center at the University of California at Berkeley. Blotner is an adjunct professor at John F. Kennedy University and St. Mary's College, on the faculty of Pixar University at Pixar Animation Studios, a member of the Women Environmental Artists Directory, and an advisor to the board of Artist's Rescue Mission in Houston, Texas. She concludes "The artists in this exhibition draw upon their native surroundings, but they take us to worlds beyond our borders. And it is a wonderful journey."

A Reading Featuring the Work of Thax Douglas, Al Johnson's Final Flu, & Ryan Werner

[Dubuque, IA] DubuqueFest Fine Arts Festival will host a reading entitled "Hockey, Welding, & Ice Cream: A Love Story" on Saturday, March 30, 7-9 p.m. at Eronel Art +Music Venue, 285 Main Street. The evening features a reading of original work from writers Thax Douglas, Al Johnson, & Ryan Werner. This rock-n-roll inspired reading serves as a fundraiser for the 36th annual DubuqueFest Fine Arts Festival scheduled for May 17-19, 2013 in downtown Dubuque.

American rock poet Thax Douglas is famous for creating literary snapshots of popular bands' performances and as a long-time fixture on the Chicago, New York, and Austin music scenes, reading his original poems inspired by bands as introductions to their sets. His self-published work includes several collections of poetry inspired by music. Al Johnson pushed the boundaries and destroyed the rules of rock as founder and front man of the band U.S. Maple. Al Johnson's Final Flu is now pushing boundaries in the field of writing as a contributor to Vice Magazine as well as his writing website, AlJohnsonisDecent.com. Local fiction writer and rocker Ryan Werner's short story collection Shake Away These Constant Days was recently published by Jersey Devil Press. His work is quirky, world-wise, and as joyfully rambunctious as your favorite punk rock song.

The public is invited to meet the writers, enjoy the reading, and buy their books. DubuqueFest t-shirts and signed, limited edition silk-screened posters by artist Rich Rossignol will be available for purchase. A sliding scale donation of $5-$10 is suggested. All proceeds from the door support DubuqueFest Fine Arts Festival. More information or donate directly at dubuquefest.org

###