QC Visiting Artist Series marks 50 years

This school year, Quad City Arts will mark its 50^th season of the Visiting Artist Series – a keystone program that’s been nationally recognized for bringing professional performing artists to schools to do outreach performances that might otherwise be out of reach.

Featuring artists from many different artistic and cultural backgrounds, these performances inspire, uplift, educate and transform a student’s academic, social and emotional well-being, according to a Friday release from the regional nonprofit.

Since 1974, the Visiting Artist Series has brought in 476 residences, more than 830 artists, over 10,400 school visits, more than 450 concerts and just over 2.73 million people reached.

In the 2022-23 season alone, the series impacted 29,342 K-12 and college students.

The first artist this fall (Oct. 2-7) will be Adaawe, a West African fusion band. With Gospel harmonies and American funk, the women-led ensemble brews up a contemporary global mix, Quad City Arts says.

“Its dynamic members bring their diverse percussive and harmonic flavors to the stage, with an intoxicating energy that captivates audiences everywhere,” the website says.

Hailing from Kenya, Morocco, Israel, Panama and across the United States, the talented musicians of Adaawe embody intercultural understanding and a celebration of music from around the globe. Through their music, they also build community, promote women’s rights and social and environmental justice. ​

Among the 14-artist lineup for 2023-24 (which kicked off last month with Pakistani-American author Saadia Faruqi):

• December 2023: Native Pride Productions, founded by Larry Yazzie, will visit to share stories and teaches about traditional Native American as well as contemporary styles of dance blended with traditional Native American and mainstream music during his solo and troupe performances.

• February 2024: Internationally recognized hip-hop dancer, choreographer, and teacher, Amirah Sackett will be in residence. She explores and embodies her Muslim-American identity through combining hip-hop movement and Islamic themes. She reached viral video fame after being featured on POPSUGAR Celebrity, The Huffington Post, AJ+, and Upworthy.
• April 2024: Wanees Zarour is an award-winning Palestinian-American composer, arranger and multi-instrumentalist steeped in maqam and jazz music. Zarour directs the Middle East Music Ensemble at the University of Chicago, co-directs the Chicago Immigrant Orchestra, and leads East Loop, a septet that explores the intersections between the maqam and jazz traditions.
• May 2024: As a passionate origami artist and teacher, Kuniko Yamamoto enchants audiences of every age with dramatic storytelling using myths and fables from ancient and modern Japan, spiced with social revelations to educate and amuse. Her residency will include a Japanese tea ceremony at Quad City Arts.

Teachers and principals of all QC area schools are invited to schedule an arts engagement for their students from a professional performing artist during the upcoming school year through Quad City Arts’ Visiting Artist Series.

Residency host sites can sign up for visits ranging from all-school performances to hands-on workshops or performance opportunities with artists in residence hosted by Quad City Arts.  

School staff from public and private schools can schedule residency engagements for this fall and next spring by visiting the VAS website HERE. Schools are charged a subsidized fee of $250 for each performance.

Community sites will be able to schedule engagements for their patrons and clients in the coming weeks through the same website. More details will be posted HERE.

The series serves students and community members in Clinton, Scott, and Muscatine counties in Iowa, and Henry, Rock Island, and Mercer counties in Illinois. 

Since 1974, the Visiting Artist Series has engaged QC residents of all ages in quality arts experiences with professional performing artists. Artists of various disciplines present demonstrations, workshops, and master classes at pre-K sites, elementary, intermediate, and high schools as well as college campuses and community organizations.