The holiday season in three of the main Quad Cities is literally more merry and bright, and a win-win-win situation for local artists, businesses and the downtowns.
The Downtown Davenport Partnership (DDP), Downtown Bettendorf Organization and Rock Island Downtown Alliance (all affiliates of the Quad Cities Chamber) have a new Holiday Display Challenge that paid QC artists to paint commercial window scenes.
The colorful holiday windows bring people out to vote for their favorite design, and in the process, discover new shops and restaurants, according to the Chamber.
It’s a win for the artists, who are compensated for a chance to show off their unique styles and bring their names out to the public. And it’s a win for residents throughout the QC, who can submit votes for their favorites, and become eligible for random drawings for gift cards and other goodies, like products from participating businesses.
The Holiday Display Challenge has 93 businesses participating. A total of 25 artists were matched to 64 of them (several artists painted windows at multiple locations). The rest of the businesses hired their own artists or decorated the windows themselves. The Challenge is one of several holiday promotions for Deck the Downtowns, presented by TBK Bank.
Alisha Espey, the DDP director of programs, said the art extravaganza helps make the downtowns seasonal destinations. “It gives people a reason to connect to their community,” she said. “The downtowns are always changing. Each time you come downtown, you are likely to see something new.”
Artists had a deadline of Small Business Saturday, Nov. 25, to complete the windows. Voting runs through New Year’s Day and can be accomplished by scanning a QR code available at participating businesses or filling out a ballot.
This is the first year that DDP expanded the competition regionally to include Bettendorf and Rock Island, Espey said, noting downtown Davenport has been doing some form of the display challenge since 2019.
“It’s been amazing to expand the scope and coordinate over 60 paid opportunities to local artists,” she said Friday.
They are gathering gift cards and goodies from downtown businesses to give to artists that receive the top votes. Espey said they haven’t determined exactly how many prizes will be given out.
The voting ends on January 1st and they’ve already received 800 votes.
Lots of business interest
“I was so excited to see so much interest from businesses,” Espey said. “I had a feeling it would take off because people would approach me every year just asking for artist recommendations. I knew if we could play the role of connector and get the ball rolling, that it would be a good outcome for everyone.
“It’s great that we have such a solid artist community that could fill all these opportunities,” she said. “Very proud of all the artists that participated – all winners in my book.”
They had an open call for artists and businesses to participate. Each of the downtown groups has a different budget, so Davenport and Rock Island businesses had a participation fee so they could share costs for the artists, Espey said, noting Downtown Bettendorf Organization fully funded their projects.
Shayla Ray Afflerbaugh painted three window scenes: Quad City Arts (Rock Island), Riverside Grille (Bettendorf), and 392Caffe (Davenport). On her Facebook page, she said this was her first year attempting window art, and she definitely learned a lot about painting larger scale.
“I’ve seen so many amazing window paintings scattered around the downtowns, what a wonderful way for the cities and businesses to support artists and spread holiday cheer,” Afflerbaugh said.
Some businesses requested specific themes for their windows; others let the artists choose. The designs are as varied as the number of businesses.
At K&K Hardware in Bettendorf, mischievous Minions are tangled up in holiday lights in a scene painted by Heidi Sallows of Mural Soup. Just down the road, Santa offers a plate of sushi in the window at Yoso Modern Japanese in a design painted by Ash Vandy of Purple Press Studio.
Another of Vandy’s designs shows a Grinchy-green hand dropping coins in a piggy bank at TBK Bank’s location.
At Circa ‘21 Dinner Playhouse in Rock Island, Vandy decorated the windows with key elements of the popular holiday show, “A Christmas Story,” in keeping with Circa’s current production. The window features Ralphie in his bunny pajamas, brother Randy bundled up head to toe, and the infamous Leg Lamp.
“They gave me full range,” Vandy said of Circa ’21 and The Speakeasy owners. Next door at The Speakeasy, jazzy snowmen musicians play bass and piano, in another design painted by the multimedia artist. The Moline native and Western Illinois University graduate is enthusiastic about the window display program.
Explore the downtowns
“It gives residents a great opportunity to explore the downtown areas, to see what’s new in businesses and restaurants. It’s a great enrichment of the downtowns. I love public art,” Vandy said. “Anytime people are exposed to more art, just walking around the downtowns, I’m fully in support of that.”
Artists and graphic designers Liz Masterson and Jake Reeder, whose projects included Daiquiri Factory (DaqFac) and The Current Iowa in Davenport, said the project has been fun as well as given them some exposure.
“It creates a real festive environment downtown,” said Masterson. And she noted that comments from pedestrians and drivers honking their horns and offering suggestions as they pass by have created some good fun.
Reeder said collaboration with the businesses was encouraged, and the couple has enjoyed getting their work out in the public. “It’s good to connect with business owners,” he said. “There’s some good networking going on.”
At DaqFac, where Masterson and Reeder painted festive holiday packages and snowflakes on the windows, Micki Conard, a manager, said the project has brought a lot of attention from passersby and customers, according to the Chamber.
“It is a great idea,” Conard said of the Holiday Display Challenge. “The more people participate, the more fun it will be.”
Espey praised well-known QC mural artist Atlanta Dawn, whose holiday window paintings began to show up in downtown Davenport in 2019.
“It kind of grew organically from there,” Espey said. “Seeing artists’ work being seen and embraced by the community is so cool to witness.”
Deck the Downtowns promotions began Nov. 18, 2023, to encourage Quad Citizens and visitors to get out and eat, drink, shop and be merry. You can vote for your favorite windows HERE.
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