“48th High School Art Invitational" at the Quad City Arts Center -- March 28 through May 1 (pictured: display from 2024 exhibition).
Exhibit: Friday, March 28, through Thursday, May 1
Award Ceremony: Thursday, April 3, 6:30 p.m.
Quad City Arts Center, 1715 Second Avenue, Rock Island IL
Nearly 200 works by gifted student artists will be on display at Rock Island's Quad City Arts Center from March 28 through May 1 in the expansive 48th High School Art Invitational, a glorious celebration of local talent featuring the Quad Cities’ most promising artists expressing themselves through paintings, drawings, sculpture, paper, recycled materials, and film.
Each spring, Quad City Arts displays artwork from top high school artists and their art teachers. High school art instructors in the greater Quad City region are invited to choose works by their top five students in any category, plus additional works in the categories of film, paper sculpture, and recycled materials. The exhibit fills the walls of Quad City Arts’ downtown Rock Island gallery, the opening ceremony is attended by hundreds of Quad Citians supporting young artistic talent, and students receive thousands of dollars in awards from exhibition sponsors. Everyone is welcome to vote for their favorite high school artist in the People's Choice contest.
For many students, the 48th High School Art Invitational will be the first time they receive formal recognition for their creative talents. This can inspire them to pursue careers in the arts and find out how their talents can be applied. Creative people have the ability to problem-solve which is a trait sought after by numerous professions. In addition to the opportunity to show their work publicly, this exhibition is important to show students the process of competing for gallery shows. As professional artists know, getting into exhibitions can be discouraging, but there is value in seeing which pieces were selected. This exhibition is important for the public because it shows the incredible creativity of our young people and our future workforce. Creative people have the ability to problem-solve which is a trait sought after by numerous professions.
An awards ceremony for the 48th High School Art Invitational will take place on April 3, with more than two dozen prizes awarded for dozens of students from 6:30 to 8 p.m. The exhibit itself will be on display at the Rock Island gallery through from March 28 through May 1, regular gallery hours are Mondays through Fridays 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturdays 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and admission to both the exhibit and awards ceremony is free. For more information, call (309)793-1213 and visit QuadCityArts.com.
