Community Calendar

Summer Camp on the Farm is hosted at our Learning Center campus, situated on 70+ rural acres with a real working farm, including organic garden, alfalfa fields, livestock, oak forests, a creek and hiking trails.

Campers ages 6-15 are immersed in possibility, spending most of their time outdoors in nature, learning the rhythms of farm life, participating in farm chores, developing new skills and confidence, practicing independence and connecting with their peers. Campers learn about the connection between land and food, harvesting and preparing fresh food to eat.

Summer Camp on the Farm grows kids that can change the world, in a place that is changing the world!

Day Camp(ages 6-12)
Week 1: June 5-8
Week 2: June 12-15 

Overnight Camp
June 19-23: Farm and Forest Leadership Camp (ages 10-15)
June 25-29: Overnight Week 2 (ages 8-12)
July 9-13: Teen Week (ages 13-15)

For more detailed information, place visit https://www.learngrowconnect.org/farm-camps.html

Don’t miss this glorious retrospective which features a broad and carefully-curated collection of original works from six decades of Deborah Newton’s life-long artistic venture from downtown pioneer to supportive community leader. Thousands of her cherished works reside in homes, companies, and public institutions across the country. These joyful examples are assembled from private holdings to inspire a path forward for emerging local artists of all ages. Open through July 9th.

Deborah was the first to be awarded the Jessica Holt Purchase Award in 1992 that ultimately made it possible for her work to be included in RAM’s Permanent Collection. She stated then “My life as an artist is deeply rooted in Rockford. The seeds were sown as an eighth grader when I was awarded a scholarship for art classes at Rockford Art Museum.” Her family now continues her legacy with a perpetual endowment awarded annually to RAM for a locally chosen 7th or 8th grade student, or established artist, and their pursuit of an art-making experience via the museum.

The Rockford Art Museum presents the exhibit "Ken Hoffman: 10 More And Bigger" May 19-September 24.

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 Next Picture Show community fine arts center in Dixon presents “The Human Form” Art Exhibition June 2 through July 15, 2023. Formerly known as “About Face,” it has broadened its scope. Expanding from portraits, this show celebrates the art of the human form. It is an all-media exhibit of both 2-D and 3-D original work created and signed by the artists.

This show’s judge: Debra Cleary is an artist and art educator. She has exhibited her artwork at local galleries. Debra received degrees in Art Education from Northern Illinois University and Eastern Illinois University. She has been an art educator in the Amboy, Illinois, school district for the past 26 years, has taught artists ages five to adult, and has been selected to present workshops for fellow art educators at the state and national levels.

The Human Form Art Exhibition is sponsored by Axiom Wealth Management of Dixon, IL.

Free and open to the public during gallery hours, Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The DeKalb School District’s food pantry is moving from Huntley Middle School. Beginning on Thursday, July 29, Barb Food Mart’s new home will be Chesebro Elementary School, 900 E. Garden Street in DeKalb. Barb Food Mart will continue to be open every week on Thursdays between 4:30 - 6:00 p.m.
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The pantry’s final food distribution day at Huntley is on July 14. The pantry is closed on July 22.
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Barb Food Mart serves families with children in DeKalb schools. Those using the pantry must register every year, either online at www.barbfoodmart.com or by contacting the office of the school attended by a child. Send questions to barbfoodmart@d428.org.
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At Chesebro, food will continue to be distributed outdoors with curbside pickup for those who drive up to the front door at the Garden Street entrance. Walk-up pickup will be available for those who park in the parking lot accessed off Taylor Street and walk to the entrance. Wagons will be available to help people carry food boxes to cars.
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Beginning on July 28, donations of food and personal care items may be dropped off at Chesebro using the Garden Street entrance. Donation times are Wednesdays between 1:00-2:30 p.m. and Thursdays between 9:00-10:30 a.m. Beginning July 26, mail monetary donations to Chesebro Elementary School, 900 E. Garden St., DeKalb, IL 60115. Do not mail or drop off donations at Huntley at this time.

Annual Regional Juried Exhibition
May 6 - July 29, 2023
Opening Reception: Saturday, May 6th, 5 pm - 8 pm
The annual Regional Juried Exhibition opens on Saturday, April 30th from 5-8 pm. The mission of this annual exhibition is to offer both established and emerging artists the opportunity to debut work created in the last two years. Each year, FAM invites a new juror to select approximately 40 - 50 works of art for inclusion, with first, second, third place, and honorable mention awards. Garnering a reputation as a highly competitive show, the museum received nearly 240 submissions from over 60 artists this year and includes artists living in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. The regional show continues a tradition of displaying some of the finest and most recent efforts by Midwestern artists showcasing a wide range of styles and approaches.
The special guest juror this year is Joshua Johnson of the Figge Art Museum in Davenport, Iowa. He is an experienced curator of contemporary art and an art educator. He received his MFA in Studio Art from American University in Washington, DC, his BFA in Sculpture and Painting from Dominican University in Oak Park, Illinois, and has done additional graduate work in Museum Studies at Western Illinois University. Joshua has worked at the Figge since 2015 when he started as a Graduate Assistant in the Curatorial Department. In addition to working at the Figge Joshua has taught art courses at Muscatine and Scott Community Colleges for the last 8 years. He has also acted as juror for a variety of exhibitions throughout the Quad Cities region.

The world premiere of Agatha Christie’s The Man in the Brown Suit comes to AET in May.

Anne Beddingfeld has lived her whole life in a tiny English village. She longs for adventure like her favorite heroine in the cinema. But Anne gets more than she bargained for when she is swept up in a whirlwind of mystery, romance, and murder. Who is the man in the brown suit? Find out May 11-28 in the Cheek Theatre at Rockford University.

This delightful new adaptation is by local playwright Margaret Raether. Sarah Waddle plays Anne, with Stephen F. Vrtol, David A. Gingerich, Casiena Raether, Ian Garthwaite, and David G. Mortenson playing the many colorful characters that she meets on her journey. The play is directed by AET Producing Artistic Director Richard Raether.

The Man in the Brown Suit will be performed May 11-28 in the Cheek Theatre in the Clark Arts Center at Rockford University. Performances are Thursdays at 7:30, Fridays at 7:30, Saturdays at 4:00 and 7:30, and Sundays at 2:00.

Thursday tickets are $19. All other performances are $28 for adults, and $10 for students. Tickets may be purchased online at www.artistsensemble.org or by calling 815-394-5004. This production is recommended for ages 10 and up.

Artists’ Ensemble is an Equity professional theater that performs at Rockford University.

Stage Coach Players presents "Love, Loss & What I Wore," Thursdays-Sundays, June 1-11, at its DeKalb theater.

A play of monologues and ensemble pieces about women, clothes and memory covering all the important subjects — mothers, prom dresses, mothers, buying bras, mothers, hating purses and why we only wear black. Written by Nora and Delia Ephron based on the bestselling book by Ilene Beckerman. This production features a cast of 15 directed by Maria L.P. Boynton.

The Dixon Municipal Band presents Summer Sounds 2023. Come enjoy a family friendly evening of music along the beautiful Rock River.

Summer Camp on the Farm is hosted at our Learning Center campus, situated on 70+ rural acres with a real working farm, including organic garden, alfalfa fields, livestock, oak forests, a creek and hiking trails.

Campers ages 6-15 are immersed in possibility, spending most of their time outdoors in nature, learning the rhythms of farm life, participating in farm chores, developing new skills and confidence, practicing independence and connecting with their peers. Campers learn about the connection between land and food, harvesting and preparing fresh food to eat.

Summer Camp on the Farm grows kids that can change the world, in a place that is changing the world!

Day Camp(ages 6-12)
Week 1: June 5-8
Week 2: June 12-15 

Overnight Camp
June 19-23: Farm and Forest Leadership Camp (ages 10-15)
June 25-29: Overnight Week 2 (ages 8-12)
July 9-13: Teen Week (ages 13-15)

For more detailed information, place visit https://www.learngrowconnect.org/farm-camps.html