Quad City Arts

What Quad City Arts does

Quad City Arts is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit arts organization founded in 1970 and headquartered at 1715 2nd Avenue in Rock Island, Illinois, serving the Quad Cities region across six counties (Clinton, Scott, and Muscatine in Iowa; Henry, Rock Island, and Mercer in Illinois). It operates with a small staff of 1–10 employees and a dual mission as both an arts presenter and an arts resource. Programs include the Visiting Artist Series (running since 1974), the High School Art Invitational (49th edition), Arts Dollars grant administration (over $1.6 million awarded since 1990), the Metro Arts Youth Apprenticeship (26 years), public sculpture and mural commissions, the Chalk Art Fest, the Riverssance Festival, and the Festival of Trees.

The organization's product surface combines physical retail (Rock Island Gallery, Airport Gallery, Second Avenue Window storefront) with an e-commerce platform (shopquadcityarts.com), free digital resources including the Artist Index directory and Artist Opportunities Board, and grant administration infrastructure. Distribution is delivered through 200+ rural and urban community sites and direct school partnerships. Technology stack is conventional web and e-commerce tooling with no disclosed AI/ML components.

Revenue is generated through four streams: gallery art sales commissions from 75+ represented artists, individual and institutional donations (tax-deductible), pass-through administration of Arts Dollars grants funded by the Hubbell-Waterman Foundation, Quad Cities Community Foundation, and Illinois Arts Council, and tiered performance ticketing ($10 subsidized to $60 Angel). Operating grants from the Illinois Arts Council, Iowa Arts Council, National Endowment for the Arts, Regional Development Authority, Scott County Regional Authority, and The Cultural Trust form the institutional funding backbone. The organization reaches 350,000+ people annually, including 35,000 K-12 students receiving free arts education.

Name

Quad City Arts

Legal name

Quad City Arts

Website

https://quadcityarts.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1970

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Quad City Arts is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1970 that presents and supports the arts across the Quad Cities region, serving 350,000+ people annually through galleries, school residencies, public art, youth apprenticeships, and grant administration.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Arts Programming

NAICS

Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (71), Performing Arts, Spectator Sports, and Related Industries (711), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Art, Arts Councils & Grantmaking Programs (BPAGAHAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Visual Arts Instruction (Drawing, Painting, Sculpture) (EDAMAAAA), Visual Arts & Media Arts Programs (Art Club, Photography, Film) (EDAJAJAF)

Keywords

• Arts education programs
• Community arts nonprofit
• Arts grant administration
• Gallery retail services
• Public art installations

Headquarters

HQ city

Rock Island

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Gallery Art Sales: Quad City Arts operates a Gallery Store selling original artwork from over 75 regional artists. The organization takes a commission on sales while artists retain majority of proceeds. Sales occur both in-person at Rock Island Gallery and online through their e-commerce platform.
2. Donations and Contributions: Tax-deductible donations from individuals, corporations, and foundations supporting the organization's mission to enrich quality of life through arts. The organization is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.
3. Arts Dollars Grant Administration: Quad City Arts administers the Arts Dollars grant program, distributing funds to local artists, nonprofits, and schools. They serve as administrators and moderators, with funds provided by Hubbell-Waterman Foundation, Quad Cities Community Foundation, and Illinois Arts Council Agency.
4. Performance Tickets: Revenue from ticket sales for public performances by visiting artists. Tiered pricing model includes Angel Tickets ($60), True Cost Tickets ($40), General Admission ($20), and Subsidized Tickets ($10) to ensure accessibility.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Quad City Arts is a regional nonprofit arts organization that presents and supports the arts across the Quad Cities region through gallery retail of original artwork by 75+ regional artists, performing artist residencies (Visiting Artist Series), youth arts apprenticeship programs, public art installations including murals and sculptures, grant administration (Arts Dollars), annual arts festivals, and free K-12 arts education reaching 35,000 students annually. Its combined online storefront, physical galleries, and community-based program delivery serve more than 350,000 people annually across eastern Iowa and western Illinois.

Product overview

Quad City Arts operates as a nonprofit arts organization offering a portfolio of interconnected programs and services centered on arts access and community engagement. The core offerings include the Gallery Store (physical and online retail for regional artists), multiple gallery spaces (Rock Island Gallery and Airport Gallery), the Visiting Artist Series (performing artist residencies since 1974), and the High School Art Invitational. Supporting programs include the Arts Dollars Grant Program, Metro Arts Youth Apprenticeship, Public Sculpture Program, and Murals. Events include Chalk Art Fest, Riverssance Festival, and Festival of Trees. Resources include the free Artist Index directory and Artist Opportunities Board. The organization reaches over 350,000 people annually across the Quad Cities region.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• 350,000+ people served annually
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Windborn GroupminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 June 2026Real estate development and community revitalization organization partnering with Quad City Arts on public mural project at 112 E. Main St., Aledo, honoring Gertrude Abercrombie and Doris Lee.
• Figge Art AcademyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSponsor of High School Art Invitational awards and Artist of Promise Certificates; collaborative partner for student recognition.
• Rock Island Art GuildminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSponsor providing Members' Selections at High School Art Invitational; collaborative arts organization.
• WQPT (Quad Cities PBS)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPublic broadcasting partner for Imagination Station programming and airings of Art Is Work documentary created by Metro Arts apprentices.
• Friends of MLKminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint partner with Downtown Davenport Partnership and Quad City Arts on MLK Park Mural project in Davenport, Iowa.
• Downtown Davenport PartnershipminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint partner with Friends of MLK and Quad City Arts on MLK Park Mural project honoring Black Davenport history.
• DPHILMSminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVideo footage provider and film award sponsor for High School Art Invitational excellence in film category.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• ArtsWave: ArtsWave is a Cincinnati-based community arts nonprofit that similarly combines arts presenting, grantmaking, and community-wide fundraising through workplace campaigns and donor-supported programs — a closely analogous regional arts council model.
• Silicon Valley Creates: Silicon Valley Creates is a regional arts support organization serving Santa Clara County with grantmaking, advocacy, and artist resource programs — directly comparable as a community arts council combining funding administration with artist services.
• Regional Arts & Culture Council: RACC serves the Portland, Oregon metro with grants, public art, and community arts programs through a comparable presenter-plus-resource model anchored in county and regional government funding.
• Vermont Arts Council: Vermont Arts Council is a state-level arts council providing grants, education programs, and artist services to a defined geographic region — directly comparable in mission and funding structure to Quad City Arts.
• Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council: Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council is a regional arts service organization providing grants, advocacy, and artist resources for a multi-county region — a strong structural analog in mission and operating model.

Broad incumbents

• Americans for the Arts: Americans for the Arts is the national arts service organization providing advocacy, research, and capacity-building for local arts councils like Quad City Arts — a broader umbrella counterpart in the same ecosystem.
• Mid-America Arts Alliance: Mid-America Arts Alliance is a regional arts organization providing grants and touring artist programs across six central states, comparable to Quad City Arts' Visiting Artist Series and grantmaking functions but at multi-state scale.
• ArtsMidwest: ArtsMidwest is a larger regional arts organization serving nine Midwestern states with grantmaking and programming — overlapping with Quad City Arts' grant administration role but at significantly broader geographic and budget scale.

Regional players

• Figge Art Museum: Figge Art Museum is the regional art museum in Davenport, Iowa serving the same Quad Cities geography and partnering with Quad City Arts on the High School Art Invitational — a complementary cultural institution in the same market.

Others

• Quad Cities Community Foundation: Quad Cities Community Foundation is a major local funder and partner of Quad City Arts (via the Isabel Bloom Art Education Endowment) — comparable as a community-focused grantmaker in the same geography.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC
• Facebookfacebook.com/quadcityarts
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/quad-city-arts
• Instagraminstagram.com/quadcityarts
• Xx.com/quadcityartsinc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Quad City Arts