Community Calendar

Spring is here and NIAAA is having our 2nd photo contest. We hope to have all nine counties we serve represented. We are looking for an iconic photo to represent each county: it should be something easily recognizable, a hidden treasure or notable view.

Please remember, this contest is open to everyone so please feel free to submit your own entries.

Join the Boone County Conservation District for a morning of giving back to nature as we help keep our sites looking beautiful! We will be clearing brush and invasive species along the Kishwaukee River at Spencer Conservation Area. Grab your friends and family; the more the merrier! No experience is necessary and tools/protective gear will be provided. For more information and to register, call 815-547-7935 or email dgrelecki@bccdil.org.

Experience the healing and wellness-promoting effects of forest therapy, the practice of immersing the senses in the atmosphere of the forest. This 90-minute introductory session will be held at P.A Nehring Forest Preserve at 380 Bethany Rd. in DeKalb.

Certified Forest Therapy Guide Beth Hanson of Peace in Nature Forest Therapy will lead this mindful walk and help you awaken your senses and connect with nature. No two walks are the same!

Registration is required, as space is limited. This program is open to ages 16 and up.

Please wear comfortable clothing and shoes, bring a water bottle, and wear sunscreen and bug spray if you require them. There are no restrooms on site, so please plan accordingly. You may also bring a small camp chair if you wish, as there will be some quiet time to sit during the walk.

In case of inclement weather, we will post a cancellation announcement on social media and email all registered participants.

This program is made possible through a partnership with the DeKalb County Community Mental Health Board. Through leadership and funding, the DeKalb County Community Mental Health Board supports access to high-quality behavioral healthcare services for the residents of DeKalb County.

This program is also sponsored in part by the Rick Johns Memorial Fund.

For additional information or help with registration, please contact Chelsea at chelsear@dkpl.org or at (815) 756-9568 ext. 1700.

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.

Our Feature Wall Artist for March is Betty Predmore.

Betty an award-winning artist and teacher based in Dixon. You have probably seen her work on display at many of our area art fairs and galleries including the Grand Detour Art Festival, Nuts About Art, Encore, and TNPS. Betty also serves as a volunteer at the Coliseum Museum.

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.

The Next Picture Show is excited to once again host the Illinois Watercolor Society for their 41st Illinois Watercolor Society National Exhibition throughout the month of May. This show features talented artwork by artists from the USA, Canada, and beyond!

The Illinois Tollway I-PASS On Demand team will be in the library’s main lobby helping drivers to swap their old, plastic transponders for the new I-Pass sticker tag at no cost. They will also be able to answer account questions, add new license plates, clear fines, and sign drivers up for an I-Pass Assist account, which can help income-eligible residents to save on tolls.

Please bring your plastic transponder if you wish to swap it for a new sticker tag, and have your license plate information ready.

This program is free and intended for ages 16 and up. No registration is required.

For more information, please contact Chelsea at chelsear@dkpl.org or (815)-756-9568 ext. 1700.

The Morton Arboretum Photographic Society will present its annual nature photography exhibit in the Cudahy Room in The Morton Arboretum’s Administration and Research Center.

Join us Mother’s Day weekend to see over 150 beautiful framed photographs showcasing nature’s bounty. They include images captured at The Arboretum as well as at local, national, and international locations. See the wonder of trees, plants, animals, rocks, skies, and more depicted through the medium of photography. Cards, coasters, books, and matted prints are available, and most of the artwork can be purchased from the artist following the exhibit.

The exhibit is free with admission to the Arboretum.

Learn more about the exhibit at The Morton Arboretum Photography Society website: mortonarboretumphotographicsociety.com

Opening Reception
Friday, May 9, 2025, 5:00 to 8:00 p.m.

Exhibit Hours
Saturday, May 10, 2025, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Sunday, May 11, 2025, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.