Have you been properly reacquainted with QCCT’s Legacy Partners lately? Did you know the Quad City Botanical Center recently doubled in size and is embarking on an exciting pollinator expansion? Have you checked out their Plant Bus? Did you know that over 10,000 visitors explored the Putnam Museum during the year-end period when QCCT sponsored free admission, the year before that visitor totals were around 3,000. This is just the beginning of what the Putnam has planned as part of its reimagining process—and they want your input!

Have you gotten your tickets for the Quad City Symphony Orchestra’s Omar’s Journey on February 1 or 2?

In a world of sweatpants and streaming subscriptions, it’s easy to stay home. But let me ask you: do you know what awaits you right here in your own community?

Reintroduce yourself to the vibrant arts and culture that make the Quad Cities strong and unique. Visit a gallery, attend a performance, stroll through a garden, or engage with a museum exhibit. These experiences enrich our lives and connect us to one another in meaningful ways.

Make 2025 the year you embrace art and culture in your life.

Because here in the Quad Cities, Culture Matters Here—and it always will.

Shea Doyle

Former Board Chair

“As my time comes to an end as Chair of the Quad City Cultural Trust I am even more convinced that that the Trust is vital to the cultural and economic health of our region. 

We at the Trust provided critical funding during and after the pandemic enabling us to set our sights on an ambitious Culture Bright campaign that we have since launched. 

It has been my great privilege to serve with outstanding community leaders and extremely talented staff who care, like I do, about the health and vitality of the Quad Cities. Linda Bowers is the incoming Chair, and I know she will take the Trust to new heights, new opportunities and serve even more audiences in the future.”

Linda Bowers

Incoming Board Chair

"Shea Doyle has been a masterful leader of our Quad Cities Cultural Trust even before he was elected Chair. Upon joining the board as a Trustee from Quad City Arts, he immediately saw the need for an upgraded, fully accountable assessment of each Legacy Partner in the areas of financial sustainability, quality programming, and innovation. He led the charge to the instrument we use today to validate our stewardship.  

In addition, he orchestrated the agreement between the Putnam Museum and the City of Davenport to protect artifacts belonging to the city and to reduce its debt on the building. His foresight paved the way for other such partnerships in progress.  

Shea is a true believer in collaboration, respect, and planning. He ushered the board through our latest strategic planning process and continues to ensure we "stick to our knitting." Shea will always be known as a gentle man with the unwavering sense of what's right. Thank you, Shea.  

As incoming chair, you can see I have big shoes to fill. In the next two years I dream of putting the Quad Cities on the cultural map, emulating and regionalizing various cultural festivals from around the world, all in the name of adding beauty, new challenging ideas, and inspiration to our lives. Brain studies show when we are involved in cultural activities, dormant areas of the brain light up, synapses spark, and adrenaline surges. I look forward to helping it happen!"

The jagged peaks of Montana rise spectacularly around us, a stunning backdrop for this new chapter of our lives. Yet even surrounded by such natural beauty, our hearts often wander back to the Quad Cities—a place that profoundly shaped us and continues to inspire our philanthropy today.

We arrived in the Quad Cities in 2003 when I became president of Augustana College, and over the years, my wife, Jane, and I immersed ourselves in the region’s rich arts and culture scene. From the brilliance of the Quad City Symphony Orchestra to the transformative exhibits at the Figge Art Museum, these experiences gave us a deep appreciation for the creativity and innovation thriving in the Quad Cities because culture matters here, and it always will.