Why Culture Matters Here

Reflections on art, culture, and the future of the Quad Cities from Jen Lewis-Snyder, President & CEO of The Cultural Trust. Before there was a Culture Bright Summer Series, there was a decision.

A decision made almost twenty years ago by a group of community leaders who believed arts and culture were not luxuries. They were assets worth protecting. 

In the early 2000s, a wave of investment transformed the Quad Cities. New and expanded cultural destinations emerged across the region. The Figge Art Museum. The Putnam Museum and Science Center. The River Music Experience, now Common Chord. The Quad City Symphony Orchestra. Alongside Quad City Arts and the Quad City Botanical Center, these organizations became the heartbeat of our community. 

But beautiful buildings alone do not create a thriving cultural region. 

They require investment. They require audiences. They require people who believe culture deserves to exist for generations to come. 

That is why The Cultural Trust was created in 2007. 

Forward-thinking leaders seeded an endowment designed to sustain the organizations that define our region. 

Today, that vision has grown into a $45 million corpus. 

Over the last nineteen years, The Cultural Trust has invested more than $21 million in unrestricted operating support to strengthen the cultural ecosystem of the Quad Cities. 

And now, that investment is evolving into something bigger. 

This August 16 - 23, we launch the inaugural Culture Bright Summer Series. 

Strategically placed immediately following Alternating Currents, the Summer Series extends the energy of arts and culture across eleven days in August and moves us one step closer to an ambitious goal: becoming the most inclusive creative capital in the Midwest. 

The Culture Bright Summer Series is a festival for everyone. 

All neighborhoods. 

All ages. 

All interests. 

All backgrounds. 

All people. 

Throughout the week, you'll experience world-class music, inspiring stories, and unforgettable moments that remind us why Culture Matters Here. 

Hear Bluegrass on the Grass at the Quad City Botanical Center. 

Spend an evening with Lorrie Morgan and Suzy Bogguss at Art of the Brew. 

Pack a picnic and gather in LeClaire Park as the Quad City Symphony Orchestra performs the music of The Who. 

Hear Marlee Matlin share her story and explore the power of inclusion through film and conversation. 

Celebrate with neighbors you know and people you've never met. 

Because culture is bigger than a performance, an exhibit, or a single event. 

Culture is what happens when a child sees a symphony for the first time. 

When a family spends an afternoon in a museum. 

When a young musician steps onto a stage. 

When a volunteer gives their time because they believe this community deserves beautiful things. 

Those moments shape who we become. 

They preserve our history. 

They strengthen our sense of belonging. 

They remind us that thriving communities are built through shared experiences. 

That is what Culture Bright is building. 

One story. 

One experience. 

One connection at a time. 

Join us this August. 

Come see why Culture Matters Here. 

And why it always will. 

To learn more about the Culture Bright Summer Series go to CultureBright.org.