Art on the River - Dubuque

10/14/2026

📣 Stay connected with Art on the River!

To keep our updates in one place, we’ll no longer be sharing posts on this page. Moving forward, all Art on the River updates will be shared on the City of Dubuque Office of Arts and Cultural Affairs page.

Follow along for Art on the River news and more arts and culture happenings in Dubuque!

👉 facebook.com/ArtsandCultureDBQ

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The official page of the City of Dubuque Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs

04/16/2026

Eleven new sculptures are coming to Dubuque’s riverfront for the 20th annual Art on the River exhibit!

• “Action Reaction” by Chris Wubbena (Jackson, MO)
• “Air Garden II” by Steve Buduo (Providence, RI)
• “Avenue Dream Catcher” by Mark Hall (Casota, MN)
• “Cohesive Narrative” by Kristin Garnant (Camanche, IA)
• “Extruded Life” by Jarod Charzewski (Charleston, SC)
• “Lumenfly” by Kirk Seese (Lutherville Timonium, MD)
• “Solitude” by Mark & Hannah Ricke (Oconomowoc, WI)
• “Spiritcycle” by Nathan Pierce (Cape Girardeau, MO)
• “The Key to Dubuque” by Thealey Hozer & Danielle Jelinek (Hempstead HS, Dubuque, IA)
• “Topography of Stillness” by Lucas Delaney (Dubuque, IA)
• “Unci Maka” by Timothy Sprengelmeyer (Dubuque, IA)

The 2026–2027 theme, “Stillness in the Driftless,” invites visitors to explore the quiet strength and reflective beauty of the Driftless landscape.

👉 On display: August 2026 – July 2027
📍 Location: Mississippi Riverwalk, Port of Dubuque

Mark your calendar for a free, family-friendly opening reception:
📅 Friday, August 7 | 5–7 p.m.
📍 Grand River Center (patio)
🎶 Live music, light bites, and cash bar

Learn more at www.cityofdubuque.org/AOTR.

01/12/2026

Reminder: The deadline to submit a proposal for the 2026-2027 edition of Art on the River is FRIDAY!!!

Now Accepting Artist Proposals for the 20th Annual Art on the River Exhibit!

The City of Dubuque invites artists to submit sculpture proposals for the 2026–2027 Art on the River public art exhibit, held along the Mississippi Riverwalk in the Port of Dubuque.

Theme: “Stillness in the Driftless”
The 2026-2027 theme invites visitors to pause within the quiet beauty of the Mississippi River and the bluffs that cradle Dubuque. This theme reflects on the ways stillness allows us to listen to the landscape, to memory, and to one another. Featured works will explore presence, reflection, and connection, evoking the balance between movement and rest, solitude and community, nature and self.

Rooted in the distinctive terrain of the Driftless Region, the exhibit calls upon artists to capture moments of calm, contemplation, and belonging. Through form, texture, and light, selected works will encourage viewers to slow down, notice more deeply, and find renewal in the spaces between rolling river and rockface, sound and silence, past and possibility.

📅 Exhibit Dates: August 2026 – July 2027
💰 Artist Stipend: $1,800 per selected work
🏆 Additional Awards:
• $1,000 Best in Show
• $200 People’s Choice
🛍️ Artworks are encouraged to be for sale; the City facilitates transactions and retains a 25% commission.

✅ Up to 11 sculptures will be selected
✅ Artists may submit up to 3 works (separate application required for each)
✅ No application fee
✅ Existing or proposed works accepted

📌 Deadline to apply: Friday, January 16, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. CST
🔗 Apply online: www.cityofdubuque.org/AOTRapply

Since its inception, Art on the River has featured 187 sculptures by 126 artists and welcomes over 200,000 visitors annually to the Port of Dubuque—a vibrant cultural destination featuring the National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium, Grand River Center, and more.

Questions? Contact Bonnie Spurling, Arts & Cultural Affairs Manager:
[email protected] or 563-690-6059

12/08/2025

Now Accepting Artist Proposals for the 20th Annual Art on the River Exhibit!

The City of Dubuque invites artists to submit sculpture proposals for the 2026–2027 Art on the River public art exhibit, held along the Mississippi Riverwalk in the Port of Dubuque.

Theme: “Stillness in the Driftless”
The 2026-2027 theme invites visitors to pause within the quiet beauty of the Mississippi River and the bluffs that cradle Dubuque. This theme reflects on the ways stillness allows us to listen to the landscape, to memory, and to one another. Featured works will explore presence, reflection, and connection, evoking the balance between movement and rest, solitude and community, nature and self.

Rooted in the distinctive terrain of the Driftless Region, the exhibit calls upon artists to capture moments of calm, contemplation, and belonging. Through form, texture, and light, selected works will encourage viewers to slow down, notice more deeply, and find renewal in the spaces between rolling river and rockface, sound and silence, past and possibility.

📅 Exhibit Dates: August 2026 – July 2027
💰 Artist Stipend: $1,800 per selected work
🏆 Additional Awards:
• $1,000 Best in Show
• $200 People’s Choice
🛍️ Artworks are encouraged to be for sale; the City facilitates transactions and retains a 25% commission.

✅ Up to 11 sculptures will be selected
✅ Artists may submit up to 3 works (separate application required for each)
✅ No application fee
✅ Existing or proposed works accepted

📌 Deadline to apply: Friday, January 16, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. CST
🔗 Apply online: www.cityofdubuque.org/AOTRapply

Since its inception, Art on the River has featured 187 sculptures by 126 artists and welcomes over 200,000 visitors annually to the Port of Dubuque—a vibrant cultural destination featuring the National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium, Grand River Center, and more.

Questions? Contact Bonnie Spurling, Arts & Cultural Affairs Manager:
[email protected] or 563-690-6059

Application details submitting a proposal for the 2022-23 Art on the River exhibit.

11/03/2025

Now Accepting Artist Proposals for the 20th Annual Art on the River Exhibit!

The City of Dubuque invites artists to submit sculpture proposals for the 2026–2027 Art on the River public art exhibit, held along the Mississippi Riverwalk in the Port of Dubuque.

Theme: “Stillness in the Driftless”
The 2026-2027 theme invites visitors to pause within the quiet beauty of the Mississippi River and the bluffs that cradle Dubuque. This theme reflects on the ways stillness allows us to listen to the landscape, to memory, and to one another. Featured works will explore presence, reflection, and connection, evoking the balance between movement and rest, solitude and community, nature and self.

Rooted in the distinctive terrain of the Driftless Region, the exhibit calls upon artists to capture moments of calm, contemplation, and belonging. Through form, texture, and light, selected works will encourage viewers to slow down, notice more deeply, and find renewal in the spaces between rolling river and rockface, sound and silence, past and possibility.

📅 Exhibit Dates: August 2026 – July 2027
💰 Artist Stipend: $1,800 per selected work
🏆 Additional Awards:
• $1,000 Best in Show
• $200 People’s Choice
🛍️ Artworks are encouraged to be for sale; the City facilitates transactions and retains a 25% commission.

✅ Up to 11 sculptures will be selected
✅ Artists may submit up to 3 works (separate application required for each)
✅ No application fee
✅ Existing or proposed works accepted

📌 Deadline to apply: Friday, January 16, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. CST
🔗 Apply online: www.cityofdubuque.org/AOTRapply

Since its inception, Art on the River has featured 187 sculptures by 126 artists and welcomes over 200,000 visitors annually to the Port of Dubuque—a vibrant cultural destination featuring the National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium, Grand River Center, and more.

Questions? Contact Bonnie Spurling, Arts & Cultural Affairs Manager:
[email protected] or 563-690-6059

08/30/2025

✨ Looking for something inspiring to do this Labor Day weekend? Head down to the Mississippi Riverwalk in the Port of Dubuque and experience Art on the River, a free outdoor public art exhibit featuring 11 new sculptures!

This year’s theme, Flow of Wellness, invites you to explore how art connects us to health, healing, and community well-being. 🌊 Stroll the Riverwalk, enjoy stunning views of the Mississippi, and discover how creativity and wellness flow together!

👉 Learn more about Art on the River at www.cityofdubuque.org/AOTR.

07/31/2025

🎉 Over the past week, artists have traveled to Dubuque to install their incredible works along the Mississippi Riverwalk—and tomorrow night, we celebrate!

Join us 5 - 7 p.m. tomorrow night, Friday, Aug. 1, at the Grand River Center Patio for the official opening of the 2025–2026 Art on the River exhibit! This year’s theme, “Flow of Wellness,” invites you to explore the connection between art, healing, and well-being through 11 inspiring new sculptures. 🌊✨

🎨 Meet the artists
🎶 Enjoy live music and a short program
🍴 Light hors d’oeuvres + cash bar
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Free, family-friendly, and open to all

Start your weekend with art, inspiration, and community—right on the river!

07/14/2025

Join us for the Taste of Summer on August 7 from 5 PM to 9 PM in the Boatyard! Bring your appetite, your friends and family, and your lawn chairs or blankets (limited picnic tables available) for an evening filled with delicious eats and live music. Big Time Events will also be on-site with the dunk tank from 5 PM – 7 PM for your chance to dunk River Museum staff!

Food Trucks & Booths:

Frank O'Dowds Irish Pub
Moski’s BBQ
Versus
Bad Ash BBQ
Dinger’s D’Lites
Elle & Beck's Coffee & Gelato Trailer
Caroline's Restaurant
Dimensional Brewing Company
O So Good Winery

Live Music Schedule:

4:30 PM – Tapestry
5:30 PM – Tessa and the Cosmic Cowboys
7:30 PM – Radio Fighter Pilots
Enjoy a selection of beverages for purchase. Taste of Summer is free to attend, with no membership or general admission required. A suggested $5 donation supports the River Museum’s conservation efforts.

Stay tuned for more updates!

This event is supported by Eide Bailly, KCRG-TV9 Telegraph Herald, and Townsquare Media Dubuque

07/07/2025

The 2025-26 Art on the River sculptures and their makers will be celebrated on Friday, August 1st with family - friendly festivities the Grand River Center! 🍦 🎨 🍓

The theme for the 2025-26 exhibit is “Flow of Wellness”, encouraging submissions that speak to 3D public art works that reflect how art nurtures the body, mind and spirit, celebrates natures restorative forces, the healing power of movement, and the soothing effects of light, sound and color.

Sculptures will be installed late July and will span the entire length of the Mississippi Riverwalk in the Port of Dubuque. This new exhibit will be displayed AND available for purchase through late July 2026. 🗳️

This opening reception will featured sculptors, City staff and local officials and welcoming the public at 5:00 p.m. from the Grand River Center’s north patio.

Light hors d'oeuvres will be served 🥖 🧀 With a cash bar available throughout the even event.🍷

The reception is free to attend, family-friendly, and open to the public. In case of inclement weather, reception activities may be scaled back and held indoors at the Grand River Center.

More information is available at www.cityofdubuque.org/artontheriver

or by contacting Dubuque’s Arts & Culture Manager, Bonnie Spurling at

[email protected] or 563.690.6059