Community Calendar

The Freeport Art Museum presents "Into the Mystic," works by James Mahu, Aug. 18-Oct. 14.

James Mahu has cemented himself as a master of modern myth-making with his WingMakers mythos, which has been translated into numerous languages and captivated audiences worldwide with its otherworldly vision. But Mahu's latest undertaking is his most ambitious yet: the Movement of Consciousness and Interconnectedness. This quest aims to explore the boundaries of human awareness and challenge our understanding of existence itself.

As a transmedia artist-philosopher, Mahu skillfully weaves together music, poetry, philosophy, and visual art to create a tapestry of thought-provoking ideas. At the core of his work is the enigmatic concept of the Sovereign Integral, a notion that has eluded both science and spirituality.

Into the Mystic, an exhibition of Mahu's latest works, will showcase his original paintings, music, and writings, all seamlessly integrated to create an immersive experience that will leave visitors pondering the mysteries within themselves.

The Rockford Art Museum presents the exhibit "Ken Hoffman: 10 More And Bigger" May 19- Oct. 15.

As an Illinois artist for more than 50 years, Hoffman is perhaps best known for his humorous and colorfully painted and collaged portraits of humanlike animals. But upon closer inspection, some of the animal figures begin to break away from whimsy and draw us into more psychological narratives ranging from socio-political topics to cultural and interpersonal relationships. In many instances, both in his small and large-scale animal figures and his expressive murals, Ken may also use words, collage and found objects that draw the viewer in for a closer look.

The tie that binds his many decades of production together, whether it be his animal figures or other subjects, is the power and energy created by his application of paint, line and color. With such a long history of an incredibly productive creative process, it is well deserved that Hoffman has been hailed as one of the Midwest’s premier expressionist painters.

The exhibition is sponsored by Amy Towne and Scott Snyder. Snyder, a former curator at RAM and former student of Ken Hoffman, is the guest curator of the exhibition.

The NIU Art Museum presents two exhibitions, "Dialogue" and "The Remaining, Mourn..." Aug. 29-Oct. 14:

"Dialogue"
South Gallery

The concept of dialogue allows for issue awareness and resolution through listening. Its goal is understanding. The artists whose work is displayed in this exhibition have worked on lens-based projects that have grown and developed organically over the years.

This exhibition will feature selections from "Lines of Authority" by Alan Cohen, "Black Box" by Michael Coppage and "The Folded Map Project" by Tonika Lewis Johnson.

These artists have taken on big complex tasks and concepts and attempted to deal with them simply. It is the hope that their art projects can reach beyond a single look or conversation into an ongoing dialogue from which empathy, understanding and enlightenment can grow. The concerns of these artists are the concerns of a people, a city, a nation, the world.

Curated by Jo Burke.

The Remaining, Mourn…
North and Rotunda Galleries

"The Remaining, Mourn…" is a group exhibition addressing the experience of grieving as seen through the lens of nine artists’ practices. Through tactile artworks, they address both individual and collective loss. Holding materials as one would onto someone lost, these artists use various techniques to freeze a moment, allowing themselves time to process what remains as well as what is gone. Their materials, and the memories and emotions they evoke, become the "language" the artist use to create their own rituals to navigate grief/mourning and work toward healing.

The artists featured in this exhibition include Selva Aparicio, Michael Chambers, April Dauscha, Salvador Jiménez-Flores, Millicent Kennedy, Allen Moore, Monika Plioplyte, Nirmal Raja and Anne Wilson.

Cumulatively, these works and the stories they tell remind us that we—from family to community to civilization—are united by our vulnerability.

Curated by Michael Chambers and Millicent Kennedy.

When a snowstorm causes all flights at a regional airport to be canceled, Reed and Elena are literally stuck - and left to ponder their past, present and future. What happens when this former couple has a random chance meeting? Will the changes these two very different people have undergone since their paths parted thirty years ago prevent them from reconnecting? With a touching and funny script by one of America's most popular playwrights, Shooting Star is a play about missed flights and second chances. A film version of the script, What Happens Later, will be released in theaters this fall starring Meg Ryan and David Duchovny.

About The Tickets

Steven Dietz’s Shooting Star

Directed by Thomas Neumann / Featuring Jamie Ewing & Lori Rohr

September 29 – October 15

Friday/Saturday: 8:00 PM, Sunday: 3:00 PM

General Admission: $22 | Senior (Age 65+) / Student / Military: $18 (plus handling fee)

Tickets available at eeshootingstar.eventbrite.com or at the door.

First United Methodist Church of Elgin
216 E. Highland Avenue
Elgin, IL 60120

This production runs approximately 90 minutes with no intermission. The performance space is wheelchair accessible.

A portion of the funding for this production was provided by the Elgin Cultural Arts Commission.

Every Thursday, September 14 to October 5

9:30 to 11:30 a.m.

Recently, there has been a growing international enthusiasm for the repatriation of cultural objects to their “rightful origin.” However, much of the current clamor is rooted in [objects to their ‘rightful place of origin’] ethical and patriotic concerns that may not be held in their country of origin. This right-headed, “Western concern has often led to wrong-headed, misguided initiatives. The processes involved in a “return” being surprisingly complicated. The lecturer was involved in an agonizing 20-year effort to right such a cultural wrong through the return of a rare, stolen, 11th century Burmese Buddha image. A variety of other examples will be discussed.

Convener: Richard Cooler was a professor in the School of Art (1970-2002) and the founding Director of the Center for Burmese Studies (1986-2002).

All sessions meet in HSC Illinois Room.

Every Wednesday, September 13 to October 4

9:30 to 11:30 a.m.

This course covers four main topics: the history of Islam, diverse cultures of Islam, and Islam and the Western World. There will be introductions to the life of the Prophet Muhammad, the development of Islamic law and theology, and the spread of Islam across the Arabian Peninsula. We will also explore the significance of the five pillars of Islam, the diversity of Muslim practices and beliefs, and the role of Islam in different regions of the world. Finally, examination of the historical and contemporary relationships between Islam and the Western world will include issues such as immigration, terrorism, and lslamophobia.

Convener: Mohammad Labadi was born in Jerusalem, Palestine, and moved to the U.S. when he was 19. He graduated from NIU with a bachelor’s degree and earned a master’s in business management from the Keller Graduate School of Business. Mohammad is deeply committed to positively impacting his community and is passionate about volunteering and helping others whenever he can.

All sessions meet in HSC Illinois Room.

Every Tuesday, September 12 to October 31

9:30 to 11:30 a.m.

This lecture series will pick up where the previous one left off, describing the contributions of · Michelangelo as a major figure of both the High and late Renaissance in Italy. It will then proceed to major developments in the art and literature of Rome, Venice and other Italian cities throughout the sixteenth century, including Giorgione, Titian, Cellini, Veronese, Ariosto, Stampa, Tasso, and the literary phenomenon of Petrarchism. The lectures conclude with certain developments of the early seventeenth century, especially the scientific revolution of Galileo whose view of the universe stands in marked contrast to the medieval notions of Dante, the subject of the first lecture series.

Convener: Christopher Nissen received his Ph. D. in Italian from the University of California at Berkeley, then taught Italian language and literature at NIU from 1988 to 2019. He is the author of numerous studies of Italian literature.

All sessions meet in HSC Illinois Room.

The Freeport Art Museum presents "Into the Mystic," works by James Mahu, Aug. 18-Oct. 14.

James Mahu has cemented himself as a master of modern myth-making with his WingMakers mythos, which has been translated into numerous languages and captivated audiences worldwide with its otherworldly vision. But Mahu's latest undertaking is his most ambitious yet: the Movement of Consciousness and Interconnectedness. This quest aims to explore the boundaries of human awareness and challenge our understanding of existence itself.

As a transmedia artist-philosopher, Mahu skillfully weaves together music, poetry, philosophy, and visual art to create a tapestry of thought-provoking ideas. At the core of his work is the enigmatic concept of the Sovereign Integral, a notion that has eluded both science and spirituality.

Into the Mystic, an exhibition of Mahu's latest works, will showcase his original paintings, music, and writings, all seamlessly integrated to create an immersive experience that will leave visitors pondering the mysteries within themselves.

The Rockford Art Museum presents the exhibition "Constant Pressure," a visual exploration of identity, activism, and collaboration with Fatherless and Friends, June 9-Nov. 12.

Fatherless Print Posse is a Rockford, Illinois based artistic collaboration between Javier Jimenez, Greg Lang, David Menard, Ben Rider (U.K.). Since 2010 Fatherless has been known for a variety of large-scale graphics that use appropriated and manipulated imagery to explore socially conscious ideas through printmaking, painting, collage and installation. Their work has been exhibited nationally and internationally and is held in many public and private collections.

Fatherless has consistently pushed forward with a counter-intuitive approach to not just screen printing, but artist collaboration as well. Members of Fatherless operate as a unit collaborating freely with each other’s ideas and imagery. This process does not reveal any individual artist or “father” but rather an amalgam of the whole. Each piece is a one off monoprint that will never be repeated. The collective power of the individuals allows for a wide range of ambitious projects that satirizes what they see as “our consumer driven, media saturated, disposable culture.”

The Rockford Art Museum presents the exhibit "Ken Hoffman: 10 More And Bigger" May 19- Oct. 15.

As an Illinois artist for more than 50 years, Hoffman is perhaps best known for his humorous and colorfully painted and collaged portraits of humanlike animals. But upon closer inspection, some of the animal figures begin to break away from whimsy and draw us into more psychological narratives ranging from socio-political topics to cultural and interpersonal relationships. In many instances, both in his small and large-scale animal figures and his expressive murals, Ken may also use words, collage and found objects that draw the viewer in for a closer look.

The tie that binds his many decades of production together, whether it be his animal figures or other subjects, is the power and energy created by his application of paint, line and color. With such a long history of an incredibly productive creative process, it is well deserved that Hoffman has been hailed as one of the Midwest’s premier expressionist painters.

The exhibition is sponsored by Amy Towne and Scott Snyder. Snyder, a former curator at RAM and former student of Ken Hoffman, is the guest curator of the exhibition.