Community Calendar

March 1 – April 30: Lowden Gallery Artist Lucinda Winterfield

My love of nature, the North Woods, and wildlife is evident in my paintings. When not “up north” in mind or body, I spend much of my time painting “en plein air” around Northern Illinois and organizing painting sites for our weekly group, the Eagle’s Nest Plein Air Painters. I also help organize the annual RRVPG plein air contest and workshops sponsored by the Rock River Valley Painters Guild.

A talented 4th grade classmate inspired me to begin painting and take a children’s workshop at Burpee Art Museum in Rockford. I then continued on to study fine arts at Northern Illinois University. Since retiring as a graphics specialist, I have become an avid plein air painter and participate in classes and local workshops when available.

My oil, acrylic, and watercolor paintings have won several awards at Dixon’s Phidian Art Show and TNPS. You may spot me out painting with my artist friends at local parks, farms, gardens, historic sites, nurseries, and local events. Stop and say "hi" if you see our group. We love visitors and are always looking for new sites to paint.

Caring for a loved one with dementia can be both rewarding and overwhelming. To support family caregivers, the Senior Resource Center, in partnership with Lifescape Community Services, is offering a free, evidence-based, 9-week Stress-Busting Program for Family Caregivers™, designed to help caregivers manage stress, improve their well-being, and develop effective coping strategies.

This program has been proven to enhance the quality of life for family caregivers by teaching stress management techniques, problem-solving skills, and ways to navigate the emotional challenges of caregiving. Each week, participants will receive practical tools and supportive guidance to help reduce stress and maintain their own health.

Program Details:
📅 Dates: Wednesdays, April 16 – June 11
⏰ Time: 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM
📍 Location: Senior Resource Center, 206 E. Stephenson St., Freeport, IL 61032
💲 Cost: FREE (Includes weekly gifts to aid in stress management)
☎ Registration: Call 815-235-9777 (Limited to the first 10 participants)

What Participants Will Learn:
• The effects of stress on the mind, body, and spirit
• Relaxation techniques to reduce stress
• How to manage challenging behaviors in dementia patients
• Coping with grief, loss, and depression
• The power of positive thinking and self-care

Caregivers will gain practical skills, emotional support, and valuable resources to help them navigate their caregiving journey with greater ease and confidence.

The NIU Art Museum hosts its Mysterious Dream Suite of 4 exhibits through May 10: "Windows to the Subconscious," "Surrealist Classics from the Museum Collections," “Phantasmagraphica: The Early Psychedelic Work of British Artist Douglas Binder or Nightmares of alienation in post-industrial England” & “A Deb Sokolow Sampler: 20 Years of Speculative Drawing."

The Coliseum Museum welcomes Joy Meyer as our Taft Gallery Artist for April & May.

Joy Meyer earned both her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Art and Art Education from Northern Illinois University. She retired in 2005 after teaching art for thirty years. Joy also taught many workshops for both teenagers and adults during her career and shortly after retirement. She has won numerous awards for both her painting and her teaching.

Joy has enjoyed working in many different media including watercolor, pen and ink, pencil, glass etching, stained glass, and silk painting, but the medium she has chosen to specialize in during recent years is Acrylic Painting. She enjoys working in a fairly realistic style using primarily bright, cheerful colors. Her actual painting techniques vary depending on the subject matter being painted and the mood desired, often using many techniques within a painting to better represent the details within the painting. Joy also enjoys the challenges of working in an increasingly wider variety of subject matter.

The Coliseum Museum of Art, Antiques and Americana presents Focus on Photography, juried exhibition of works by photographers working in all photographic mediums -- digital, film, mixed and unique processes -- now through May 17.

Opportunity House Art Exhibit: Textured Landscapes

Join Opportunity House for an inspiring evening celebrating creativity and inclusion at the Opportunity House Art Show: Textured Landscapes! This free event showcases stunning nature-themed artwork—including paintings, sculptures, photographs, mixed media, fiber arts, and fashion designs—created by Opportunity House clients and staff. Enjoy live music, local artist raffles, hors d’oeuvres, and a cash bar, and don’t miss the fashion show at 6 PM featuring client-made clothing designs.

📅 Date: Wednesday, April 30, 2025
📍 Location: Blumen Gardens, 403 Edward St., Sycamore, IL
⏰ Time: 4:30 PM – 6:30 PM

For more information, contact Brooke Montavon at (815) 895-5108 ext. 125 or bmontavon@ohinc.org.

Come celebrate the talent and artistry of Opportunity House!

Get ready for Give DeKalb County on May 1, 2025! Celebrating 12 years of generosity, this annual fundraising event makes giving easy with multiple ways to support nonprofit organizations—plus, the Bonus Pool boosts every donation.

Give anytime from midnight to midnight on May 1 at GiveDeKalbCounty.org. Search for a nonprofit, browse by cause, follow the leaderboard, or support multiple organizations—all in one place.

Beginning in April, donors who prefer to give by check can print a mail-in donation form at GiveDeKalbCounty.org, list their chosen organization(s) and donation amount(s), then write one check for the total amount payable to “DCCF.” Mail it with the completed donation form to the DeKalb County Community Foundation, 475 DeKalb Avenue, Sycamore, IL 60178 (postmarked April 17 - May 1). Donations from Individual Retirement Accounts (IRA) follow the mail-in guidelines.

Hosted by the DeKalb County Nonprofit Partnership, a program of the DeKalb County Community Foundation, the past 11 giving days accumulated over $10.7 million. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram, save the date, and make a difference on May 1!

On May 1st, The DeKalb Township & Senator Sue Rezin’s Office will host an I-PASS event at the DeKalb Township Administrative Building, located at 2323 S. 4th St. in DeKalb. The event will operate on an appointment-only basis during the hours of 9 AM – 4:30 PM, before transitioning to a walk-in only event between the hours of 4:30 and 7 PM.

Last year, the Illinois Tollway started the process of phasing out the decades-old I-PASS transponders in favor of I-PASS sticker tags. Anyone in possession of a transponder is encouraged to return and safely recycle their lithium-containing-transponder at this event. In exchange for their transponder, participants will receive their new I-PASS sticker tag(s) and a credit to their I-PASS account equal to the amount they paid for their transponder deposit.

Tollway representatives will also be on-site to take applications for the Tollway’s I-PASS Assist program--an initiative that makes Tollway usage accessible to low-income households.

To book an appointment or for general inquiries, contact Kimberly at the DeKalb Township (T: 815-758-8282).

Homecoming: In Color celebrates the reopening of Rockford Art Museum after a year-long renovation closure. This exhibition features a selection of popular pieces and hidden gems, showcasing the rich diversity of our revered collection.

Homecoming is organized by Rockford Art Museum Chief Curator, Carrie Johnson. The exhibition is sponsored by Dean Alan Olson Foundation and partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency.

March 1 – April 30: Lowden Gallery Artist Lucinda Winterfield

My love of nature, the North Woods, and wildlife is evident in my paintings. When not “up north” in mind or body, I spend much of my time painting “en plein air” around Northern Illinois and organizing painting sites for our weekly group, the Eagle’s Nest Plein Air Painters. I also help organize the annual RRVPG plein air contest and workshops sponsored by the Rock River Valley Painters Guild.

A talented 4th grade classmate inspired me to begin painting and take a children’s workshop at Burpee Art Museum in Rockford. I then continued on to study fine arts at Northern Illinois University. Since retiring as a graphics specialist, I have become an avid plein air painter and participate in classes and local workshops when available.

My oil, acrylic, and watercolor paintings have won several awards at Dixon’s Phidian Art Show and TNPS. You may spot me out painting with my artist friends at local parks, farms, gardens, historic sites, nurseries, and local events. Stop and say "hi" if you see our group. We love visitors and are always looking for new sites to paint.