Community Calendar

The Next Picture Show community arts center in Dixon brings back its Farms and Barns art exhibition, a celebration of the beautiful surrounding area and all vistas that inspire a love of the open land, including interior, still life and animal depictions, Aug. 13-Sept.13. The gallery is open Wednesday-Saturday 10am-4pm.

The opening reception and artist award ceremony will take place on Aug. 15 from 6:00–8:00 p.m.

Parents/Guardians and Adult Students are invited to attend an informational meeting about WSSR's fall performing arts classes. Meet our instructors and learn about our classes, programs, mission, and our exciting plans for the fall!

Kids are invited to attend a free Musical Theater dance class at the same time ✨

The Next Picture Show community arts center in Dixon brings back its Farms and Barns art exhibition, a celebration of the beautiful surrounding area and all vistas that inspire a love of the open land, including interior, still life and animal depictions, Aug. 13-Sept.13. The gallery is open Wednesday-Saturday 10am-4pm.

The opening reception and artist award ceremony will take place on Aug. 15 from 6:00–8:00 p.m.

On Tuesday, September 2nd at 1:00 p.m., the Granville Branch of the Putnam County Public Library District will host a screening of Living Soil, a documentary produced by the Soil Health Institute.

This one-hour, unrated film takes viewers on a journey through America’s farming regions, from Oregon’s lush fields to California’s dry landscapes, across the vast Midwest, and to the Chesapeake Bay. Farmers, scientists, and policymakers share stories that highlight the urgent need for regenerative farming practices that restore and protect soil health. The documentary reveals how healthy soil supports not only sustainable food systems, but also clean air and safe drinking water.

Following the film, attendees are invited to participate in “Soil Sleuthing”, a hands-on activity where you’ll identify different soil types by touch. Using a Soil Flow Chart, you’ll examine soil texture and composition just like a soil scientist.

This screening is free and open to the public and made possible through public performance rights provided by Kanopy. For more information, please contact the Granville Branch at 815-339-2038. The library is located at 214 S. McCoy Street, Granville, Illinois.

Improve your knowledge of English and become more comfortable speaking in everyday situations. Practice basic English grammar concepts in conversation, learning how to ask and answer questions, expanding your vocabulary, and learning to understand the sounds of spoken English.

This class is intended for adult participants at a low intermediate level of speaking English or higher, but all are welcome to attend.

On September 2 this class will be held in the Bilder Family Meeting Room.

This program requires registration. There will be limited seats for unregistered patrons.

For more information or to register, please contact Britta at brittak@dkpl.org or (815) 756-9568 ext. 2100.

Gerry Parran, author of 33 Ways Not to Screw Up Negotiating, is offering a 60-minute presentation on improving your negotiation skills. This program focuses on teaching how to negotiate without confrontation and how to defend yourself from aggressive tactics. There will be time for a Q&A session after the presentation.

The Senior Resource Center is excited to announce a new Chair Yoga class designed specifically for adults age 60 and older.

Chair Yoga is a safe and effective way to build strength, improve flexibility, and enhance overall well-being—without the strain or exertion of traditional yoga. Participants will enjoy calming stretches and simple postures that are accessible to all fitness levels. No prior yoga experience is needed, and all adults age 60 and older are welcome to attend.

Class Details:
• Dates: Mondays & Wednesdays, July 14 – August 20
• Time: 9:30 – 10:45 a.m.
• Cost: $60 for all 12 sessions (checks payable to Senior Resource Center)
• Location: Senior Resource Center Activity Room, 206 E. Stephenson St., Freeport
• What to Bring: A long scarf

The class will be taught by Patricia Kessinger, an internationally certified yoga instructor with more than 30 years of experience in health, nutrition, and fitness. She has taught classes, workshops, and seminars in Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Michigan. Kessinger is an experienced fitness coach and personal trainer as well as a yoga instructor, and she’s even managed a multi-million-dollar fitness center.

Pre-registration is required. To sign up, call 815-235-9777 or email Ann Marie at awalker@srcntr.org. A minimum of 10 participants is needed for the class to begin, so invite a friend and join us for this rewarding experience!

Ellen Mumford, Taft Gallery

As a child I really never had an interest in art. It wasn’t until my junior year in high school that I decided to take an art class due to the fact that I needed an elective course. Here I found my niche and won a summer semester art scholarship at the University of Illinois. During my college years I did not major or minor in art as I would certainly have become a “starving artist." However, I always took an art course.

My career as a civil engineering technician drove me to focus on math causing a conflict that was at odds with my artistic creative processes. So, during those 42 years of highway work I produced very little art, only mainly for my home. While considering future retirement, I decided it was time to “up” my art game. Because I had never considered watercolor, in 2012, on a whim, I enrolled in Graydon Cafarella’s watercolor landscape classes at The Next Picture Show gallery. I LOVED IT! To further my watercolor experience, I also painted with David Becker in Venice, Italy, and then every Thursday (fighting rush hour traffic!) with Dale Popovich of Palette and Chisel Art Academy in Chicago. When possible, I still paint with Dale at Dillman’s Resort in Wisconsin.

My work is eclectic at best but tends toward realism. I am always trying new methods, paints, topics, etc. As a “snowbird” I have recently joined Scott Hiestand’s acrylic wildlife/landscape classes and Gail Bokor’s experimental mixed media/abstract classes. Both are teaching in the Daytona Beach area. My paintings in this gallery exhibit their influence but also Graydon’s and Dale’s.
​
I have won many awards for paintings created in all 3 mediums (most recently at TNPS Best of Show Abstract) but have only exhibited locally. Exhibiting at CMAAA is opening a new area of exposure of my art to the masses. I try not to be too philosophical about my art. I paint what I like and what brings me pleasure – and sometimes a challenge. In the words of Georgia O’Keeffe “I have but one desire as a painter - that is to paint what I see, as I see it, in my own way.”

Paw Prints: Artworks of Animals
August 1 - September 13
Reception: August 8, 6:00pm - 8:00pm

This exhibit focuses on the subject of animals, domesticated or wild: mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, invertebrates, and fish. Artists are free to apply their own interpretation in representing the overall theme, from a small insect to a massive whale, and even fictional, mythological, or imagined creatures.
​
Awards: The exhibit will be judged with awards presented at the reception, August 8, from 6:00 - 8:00pm. Visitors will also be allowed to vote for their favorite art piece with the People’s Choice winner announced at the close of the exhibit.

Our awards judge, Carol Bingham, grew up in a small town in central Illinois where she spent much of her childhood playing near rivers and streams. Early childhood experiences provide the basis of her paintings. Most of her work is in oil, but she has also used watercolor, acrylic inks, graphite, collage, and mixed media.

Carol has accepted numerous awards for her work. She received her BFA Illustration summa cum laude at NIU in DeKalb, IL.

The Next Picture Show community arts center in Dixon brings back its Farms and Barns art exhibition, a celebration of the beautiful surrounding area and all vistas that inspire a love of the open land, including interior, still life and animal depictions, Aug. 13-Sept.13. The gallery is open Wednesday-Saturday 10am-4pm.

The opening reception and artist award ceremony will take place on Aug. 15 from 6:00–8:00 p.m.