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Report for America is a national service program that places journalists into local newsrooms to report on under-covered issues and communities.

After A Gloomy Year, Some Rockford Area Artists Will Have Something To Smile About

https://www.facebook.com/RKFDAreaArtsCouncil/?ref=page_internal

A northern Illinois arts organization is holding its annual award show to honor creatives whose art has enriched the community.

“Smile on the Arts” is the theme for this year’s Rockford Area Arts Council awards.   

Mary McNamara Bernsten is the executive director of the Rockford Area Arts Council. She said dental organizations sponsored this event.  

“It was an intentional ask of our regional dental practices. We received a generous sponsorship from Dr. Zak back in the fall for the city of Rockford Poet Laureate,” she said. “And when that Poet Laureate was installed, our fund development committee said to each other ‘what if we approached that group?’” 

McNamara said these dental organizations recognize and acknowledge the impact that the arts have on the community.  

“Smiling on the arts and the impact that some somebody like this group of dentists can make is something where the cultural health of your community is a direct reflection of the health of your arts community,” Bernsten said. “The economic health of your community is a direct reflection of the health of your arts community.” 

The event will be livestreamed Thursday, May 27 at 6 p.m. on the Council’s website. The event is free, but optional “no-show” tickets can be purchased. These donations will assist the Rockford Area Arts Council’s mission to support, promote and give everyone access to the arts.  

  • Yvonne Boose is a current corps member for Report for America, an initiative of the GroundTruth Project. It's a national service program that places talented journalists in local newsrooms like WNIJ. You can learn more about Report for America at wnij.org.
Yvonne covers artistic, cultural, and spiritual expressions in the COVID-19 era. This could include how members of community cultural groups are finding creative and innovative ways to enrich their personal lives through these expressions individually and within the context of their larger communities. Boose is a recent graduate of the Illinois Media School and returns to journalism after a career in the corporate world.