CelloLocal artists will help the Quad City Symphony Orchestra raise money for music education and celebrate its 100th season. One hundred actual but unfinished cellos have arrived for a fund-raiser called “100 Years, 100 Cellos.”

Organizer Mary Decker says her committee found 100 artists, including teachers and students, who will decorate the cellos in the coming weeks, put them on display, and then the cellos will be sold at an auction in May.

“They’ll be at some churches, there’ll be some at the Figge Art Museum,” Decker says. “Two of our artists are displaying there. We have some sponsorships and the sponsors will want to have them very visible to the public at their businesses.” A few cellos will be auctioned on May 14th, just before world-renowned cellist Yo Yo Ma performs with the symphony.

The rest will go up for bids at the anniversary event May 29th. Decker says this isn’t the first time volunteers have organized an event like this. Several years ago, artists decorated 14 violins for the residency by Midori and nine violins were used to celebrate the 90th anniversary season.