Community Calendar

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.
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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.”

No One Ever Sees Indians: Native Americans in Media, “Are you watching closely?”

This presentation by Ernest Whiteman III is loosely structured as a three-part magic act. Ernest discusses the many representations of Native Americans in media, how far back these depictions go, and how these representations inform audiences’ perceptions of Native peoples and issues. This presentation reflects the ideology of lived experience, ownership of culture versus the authorship of expertise of Native representation, and its reductive constructs. Ernest will show that what people know and see about Native Americans in the media has always been an illusion.

He is a Northern Arapaho filmmaker, artist, writer, and media educator. Ernest is the Co-director of First Nations Film and Video Festival, Inc. a non-profit film festival supporting Native American directors. He teaches an upper-level communications course, “Native Americans in Media” at the University of Wisconsin Parkside.

Program Logistics
The presentation takes approximately 60-90 minutes depending on the level of audience interaction.

This Science Saturday invites local Indigenous groups to utilize Severson Dells to teach community members about stewardship of nature and Indigenous culture & traditions

Rockford Rage Roller Derby presents: Screw City SMACKDOWN

Join your local roller derby league for our home opener tournament!!
3 Teams
3 Bouts
1 Winner!

Doors Open @ 12:30pm. First Whistle @ 1:00pm

Food, Drinks, and Rage merchandise will be available for purchase!

Tickets are $15 in advance, $20 at the door, kids 8 and under are free
Tickets can be purchased here:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/screw-city-smackdown-2025-tickets-1631671295769?utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=listing&utm-source=cp&aff=ebdsshcopyurl

Winner of the Tony and the Drama Desk Awards for Best Book, "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee" has charmed audiences across the country with its effortless wit and humor. This bee is one unforgettable experience.

An eclectic group of six mid-pubescents (played by adults) vie for the spelling championship of a lifetime. While candidly disclosing hilarious and touching stories from their home lives, the tweens spell their way through a series of (potentially made-up) words, hoping never to hear the soul-crushing, pout-inducing, life unaffirming "ding" of the bell that signals a spelling mistake. Six spellers enter; one speller leaves a champion! At least the losers get a juice box.

Award-winning vocalist Maureen Christine brings her crystal-clear voice to deliver an uplifting after-hours concert in the library’s main lobby! This event features Maureen’s heartfelt renditions of inspiring songs including Wind Beneath My Wings, You Raise Me Up, Because You Loved Me, and You Light Up My Life. She will also sing classic gems such as Over The Rainbow, What A Wonderful World, Morning Has Broken, and You’ll Never Walk Alone. You’ll also hear some lighter songs including L-O-V-E, Sunny Side of the Street, Love Will Keep Us Together, and more.

Maureen Christine is a celebrated Broadway-style entertainer. She delights audiences throughout the country with her “natural melodious, expressive voice” (AllMusic Guide) and is heralded as a “singer worth crowing about” by the Chicago Tribune for her thoughtful interpretations of great American standards, romantic ballads, and original compositions.

Maureen will be joined by Michael Bazan, a highly-regarded woodwind player. As a professional musician, Michael has played saxophone, flute, and clarinet, with several musical legends, including Billy Eckstine, Cab Calloway, Bob Hope, Jerry Lewis, Frankie Valli, and more. Michael has also performed in various symphony orchestras, including the Rockford Symphony Orchestra and the Galesburg Symphony. An active musician, he continues to learn and perform in the Chicago area and throughout the Midwest.

Doors will open at 6:00 p.m. and music will begin at 6:30 p.m. No registration is required.

For additional information, please contact Samantha at samanthah@dkpl.org or at (815) 756-9568 ext. 1701.

Rotary Rocks the Raue: The Chicago Experience
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2025 | 7:00 PM

Tickets start at $63.

(All-in pricing includes $4 Box Office Fee. An $8 Order fee will be applied at checkout to the entire order)
The Chicago Experience is the nation’s premiere tribute to the legendary band “Chicago.”

The Chicago Experience is the ultimate tribute concert honoring the legendary rock band Chicago! You will experience a group of devoted musicians blending to recreate the sound and feel of Chicago’s hit songs that have spanned generations of fans. The Chicago Experience invites you to reminisce about a timeline in your life with memories of the music you fell in love with and cherish to this day. You’ll enjoy hits from Chicago Transit Authority’s 1968 self-titled album, like Beginnings and Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?, as well as Chicago’s 80’s hits like Hard To Say I’m Sorry, Hard Habit To Break, and You’re The Inspiration. You’ll enjoy classics like 25 or 6 to 4, Make Me Smile, Just You ’n’ Me and more radio hits, plus several “deep album cuts”. The Chicago Experience combines rockin’ guitars, stunning vocals, and sizzling brass to transport you to an unforgettable evening of Rock with Horns.

Recommended: 12+

This performance is sponsored by and is a fundraiser for:

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*Prices vary according to zone. Tickets are non-refundable and non-exchangeable.

Box Office Fee – A $4 per ticket charge to support the ticketing software.

Order Fee – A $8 per order charge that helps operate and invest back in our historic venue.

Premium Seat Fee – $6 Premium seat fee is based on location/additional leg room and indicated with a light blue color on the seating chart.

Patron Code of Conduct: Be courteous. Inform staff if you feel or observe any harassment. We reserve the right to remove any guest at any time. For more information, please visit rauecenter.org.

Questions? Contact our Box Office at 815-356-9212; boxoffice@rauecenter.org
Raue Center For The Arts is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to enriching the lives of all through the arts.

Winner of the Tony and the Drama Desk Awards for Best Book, "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee" has charmed audiences across the country with its effortless wit and humor. This bee is one unforgettable experience.

An eclectic group of six mid-pubescents (played by adults) vie for the spelling championship of a lifetime. While candidly disclosing hilarious and touching stories from their home lives, the tweens spell their way through a series of (potentially made-up) words, hoping never to hear the soul-crushing, pout-inducing, life unaffirming "ding" of the bell that signals a spelling mistake. Six spellers enter; one speller leaves a champion! At least the losers get a juice box.

Join us this fall on the Ray Castle Stage, right next to Starlight Theatre, for A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Bundle up, bring your own chair or blanket, and enjoy an evening of enchantment, comedy, and mischief on the lawn. The magic of Shakespeare meets the beauty of autumn nights — don’t miss it!

🍂 Lace up for Taft! 🍂
Join us Sunday, October 5th in Oregon, IL for the Together for Taft 5K Walk/Run — happening alongside the AOP Oregon Fall Festival! Walk it, talk it, or run it — just bring your friends and your energy. 🌿 Start time is 8:15 AM (arrive by 7:45). Let’s move together, build community, and support the future of the Lorado Taft Campus. 💚
Sponsored by Constellation Energy