2 weeks Ago By Mark Schwiebert
During this holiday season there are many events to remind us how our culture here in the Quad Cities is truly bright. Consider the wonderful Festival of Trees Gala hosted by Quad City Arts, which includes our own local version of Macy's celebrated Thanksgiving Day Parade, as well as over 100 splendidly decorated Christmas trees. Or the over 250,000 Christmas lights featured at the Winter Nights/Winter Lights display at the Quad City Botanical Center running throughout the holidays.
Or the Ballet Quad Cities performances of the Nutcracker at the Adler Theatre. We, Quad Citians, have much to enjoy and celebrate during this festive season. For those of us who live here, this comes as no surprise.
Our cultural base is remarkably broad and strong. From terrific museums like the Putnam and Figge; to great entertainment provided by Quad City Symphony, Common Chord, and Circa 21 Dinner Theater, we are blessed with a wide range of opportunities for many different tastes. A critical player in our cultural scene is the Quad Cities Cultural Trust on whose board I've enjoyed serving for the last couple years.
Formed in 2007 by farsighted leaders of the Deere and Bechtel Trusts, as well as Hubbell-Waterman Foundation, the Cultural Trust provides financial support for the operating costs of six of our major cultural institutions. These include: Common Chord (formerly River Music Experience), the Figge, the Putnam, Quad City Arts, Quad City Botanical Center, and Quad City Symphony. This support is critical because operating costs for each organization can be substantial, and many grant givers don't fund operations.
With the operating support the Cultural Trust provides, these six organizations can focus on developing ever more creative and enjoyable activities for Quad Citians and our visitors enjoy. The results can be seen in new programs, like the new Plant Bus, which the Botanical Center takes to area schools to educate students about the importance of plants to our living environment. Or the Figge’s educational outreach programs in local schools and other institutions.
Or the Putnam’s recent upgrade and expansion of its museum space. This holiday season the Cultural Trust, along with its six partners, has sponsored a “Culture Bright” Campaign. This showcases to both local residents and visitors alike the richness of our Quad Cities Culture.
During the coming year, these efforts will continue, seeking to build ever greater support for our cultural base. And to let the world around us - regionally and nationally - see what a great place the Quad cities are to visit, to live, and to do business. For it’s good to remember that our strong cultural base is not only important to our entertainment and education, but also represents a key economic development tool in attracting new businesses to our area.
As this campaign accelerates, we will be exploring new ways to raise the Quad-Cities profile as a cultural destination. This will include joint marketing and possibly hosting a major multi-day cultural festival to build up our identity as a cultural hub. In the meantime, may we Quad-Citians savor and support our terrific local organizations by making them part of our own holiday celebrations.
Happy holidays to all! Mark Schwiebert, a lawyer, is a former mayor of Rock Island. Get opinion pieces, letters and editorials sent directly to your inbox weekly!.
