QUAD CITIZEN TO KNOW
Atlanta Dawn Artist // ATLD Murals
A vital part of what makes the QC vibrant and inviting is artist Atlanta Dawn. A Moline High grad, she attended the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design and started her career decorating storefront windows in the surrounding areas with hand-painted whimsical illustrations, which she’s done for years now. That grew into small interior mural jobs and sign painting, which led to the creation of larger exterior public murals, including on 18th Street in Bettendorf, and The Palace Tavern and Hey Bryans in Downtown East Moline. Two of her recent and largest projects are murals on the rooftop of the new YWCA building and one of two at Arts
Alley in Downtown Rock Island. Dawn was honored by Quad City Arts as 2024 Visual Artist of the Year, in its Community Impact Awards. Dawn launched Art on the Bend in June 2024, a rotating gallery at The Rust Belt, in the event space between the concert venue and Midwest Ale Works. “I love the longevity that murals have in the community,” she says. “It leaves
QC Symphony Orchestra
The Sound Conservatory (a school and music store) renovated the 1903 Carnegie Library in Moline, and since summer 2024 has offered an eclectic mix of concerts in its intimate, elegant performance venue, featuring a huge chandelier hanging from a 24-foot-high ceiling. The swanky, sophisticated Last Picture House movie theater in Downtown Davenport (including a cocktail lounge and rooftop bar) opened in November 2023, founded by filmmakers and Bettendorf natives Scott Beck & Bryan Woods. It has two indoor screens (with incredible sound) and one on the second-story roof, showing a mix of first-run, indie, art-house and cult films. Common Chord , which has been in the 1892 Redstone Building in Downtown Davenport since 2004, is renowned for its second-floor Redstone Room (which includes a bar). It’s beloved as one of the best spots to hear live rock, jazz and folk, blending local and touring artists. The nearby Capitol Theatre on West 3rd Street is a crown jewel for the QC. Originally opened in 1903, and painstakingly restored after years of closure, it has a 1,500-person capacity and regularly features touring musical acts. East on the same block is the equally gorgeous, 2,400-seat Adler Theatre . A former RKO movie palace dating from 1931, it’s hosted a constellation of stars over the years, also serving as a main QCSO home and concerts with Yo-Yo Ma, Joshua Bell and Emanuel Ax.
an impression on people and gives them a vibe of the community. I just love that my children will get to brag about me when they’re older, like ‘My mom did that!’” Dawn also loves how murals can help define a place, reflect its history and spark conversations. “It gives a community character; it makes it more lively,” she explains. “Even makes it seem a more hip place for the younger generation to visit, live and stay, and raise a family.”
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