April is Citizen Science Month, and the Library invites the community to take part in hands-on projects that contribute to 2.5 Million Acts of Science, a national America250 initiative celebrating civic participation and discovery. Citizen science empowers everyday people to support real scientific research by observing and sharing information about the world around them.

Featured projects include Stream Selfie, which helps document the health of local streams through shared photos; Globe at Night, an international effort to measure and raise awareness of light pollution; and iNaturalist, a global platform for recording plants and wildlife to help scientists monitor biodiversity. Information on how to participate in all three citizen-science projects is available at the Library. All projects are free and open to the public and are suitable for adults and families alike.

An exhibition of twenty-four original paintings created by the Plein Air Painters of Rockford depicts Rockford iconic scenes and surprises. Artworks include views of Klehm, Sinnissippi Gardens, Midway Village, Indian Hill Manor and many more. The exhibit is located in the Visitor Center at Klehm Arboretum.

The Black & White PLUS Photography Show is a juried exhibition celebrating the strength and versatility of monochrome photography. This show invites photographers to explore imagery created without full color (including traditional black-and-white, sepia-toned and cyanotype), focusing instead on composition, contrast, light, shadow, texture, and visual storytelling.

The gallery is open Wednesday-Saturday 10-4 or by appointment.

Princeton's Prairie Arts Council presents "Suite Dreams," [love, intimacy, & artistic practice as escape from the dystopian nightmare that is our reality], collaborative works by Harry William Sidebotham Il & Lyzz Lundberg Sidebotham, weekends through April 24 in its art gallery.

This body of work is exploring the freedom and limits of marital intimacy in a dystopian hellscape by married collaborators Harry William Sidebotham Il and Lyzz Lundberg Sidebotham. Their independent art practices align by their modes of making and love of paint and masking tape.

Can stress ignite passion? Does lust inherently decrease with time? Is escapism delegated to toxicity? Does escapism invalidate love and partnership? Can we relish in love and lust as a partnership while the world literally and figuratively burns around us? We are inclined to believe that love and intimacy offer a glimmer of hope in contemporary times. Expressed through art and acts, we strengthen our partnership despite the times.

Harry's work is focused on finding the moments of bliss in visual static and chaos. Sidebotham organizes geometric systems and attempts to make conflict in the eye through color.

A third generation painter, Harry William Sidebotham Il received his BFA in painting from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago and his MFA in painting from Illinois State University.

Notable solo exhibitions include Happy Gallery and NYCH Gallery in Chicago, The College of DuPage, and The Indianapolis Art Center. Sidebotham's work has been featured in New American Paintings and he was a Luminarts finalist and the regional winner of the Bombay Sapphire Artisan Series. Sidebotham lives and works in Peoria, Illinois.

Lyzz's work seeks to luxuriate in moments not occupied by the forces deemed "Thee Sacred Institutions" - a state which they call "Thee Precipice of Bliss." These moments are not governed by systemically oppressive forces and provide freedom through intimacy. This conundrum is communicated through hard edges and undulating color. Creating is a magickal ritual of resistance, surrender, struggle, and pleasure.

Lyzz is a native of Central Illinois and alum of Illinois State University's Wonsook Kim School of Art. Lyzz has been featured in publications Sixty Inches From Center and Voyage Chicago.

Their work has been featured locally as well as nationally and internationally -from Los Angeles to Peoria to Budapest.

The musical, Paint Your Wagon, opens this weekend, April 17-19, at the Allure of Pinecrest Grove Theatre in Mt. Morris, IL. Performed by the Mt. Morris Performing Arts Guild (PAG), Paint Your Wagon is a Broadway musical that blends the rugged spirit of the American frontier with humor, romance, and memorable music. Premiering in 1951, the musical was written by the celebrated songwriting team of Alan Jay Lerner (lyrics) and Frederick Loewe (music). The surprisingly different screen version of Paint Your Wagon premiered in 1969, featuring Lee Marvin and Clint Eastwood. A revival of the musical that remained truer to the original script occurred in 2015. The PAG production you will see this weekend is based on the revival of 2015.

Paint Your Wagon is directed by Mt. Morris native, Beth Nelson Chase, and features local actors from Mt. Morris, Oregon, Forreston and more. Reserved tickets are now available for purchase through the PAG website, www.performingartsguild.com or by calling 815-734-2103. Adult tickets are $20 each; student price is $18 each. Tickets may also be purchased at the door, which opens 30 minutes before each performance. The Friday and Saturday shows begin at 7:00 PM; the Sunday matinee starts at 2:00 PM.

Christian Dillingham -

Some artists you simply have to bring back. Grammy-winning bassist Christian Dillingham is one of them. A Rendezvous Arts favorite for years, Christian returns to close our sixth season with music from his acclaimed record Cascades alongside brand-new compositions currently in the works. His quartet features a powerhouse lineup: saxophonist Lenard Simpson, guitarist Dave Miller, and drummer Greg Artry. Together, they create music that is both rooted and forward-looking, rich with groove, lyricism, and discovery.

Jason Patrick Miller - Photographer

On the visual side, Jason Patrick Miller transforms Chicago through the eye of a pinhole camera. His images, printed on metal and altered through scratching, rust, and texture, reimagine the city as something both raw and timeless. Miller’s work captures the weight of steel and structure, while revealing the beauty of impermanence. The improvisatory spirit of his process mirrors the spontaneity of jazz, making his art a striking companion to Dillingham’s sound.

Photography etched in metal. Jazz alive with invention. It is the perfect pairing and a powerful finale to Season Six.