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.”

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.
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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.

Take a deep dive into food history with Cynthia Clampitt. This lecture is free to the public thanks to sponsorship from Illinois Humanities.

About 10,000 years ago, a weedy grass growing in Mexico possessed of a strange trait known as a “jumping gene” transformed itself into a larger and more useful grass—the cereal grass that we would come to know as maize and then corn. Nurtured by Native Americans, this grain would transform the Americas even before First Contact. After First Contact, it spanned the globe, but it also drove westward expansion in North America, building cities and inspiring innovators and entrepreneurs. However, vampires, whiskey, time zones, Fritos, and the Chicago Bears are also part of this remarkable story. And, as Margaret Visser noted in Much Depends on Dinner, “Without corn, North America—and most particularly modern, technological North America—is inconceivable.”

Cynthia Clampitt is a writer and food historian. She has pursued her love of culture, history, and food in thirty-seven countries on six continents (so far), but has in recent years focused her studies on the American Midwest. She is the author of Midwest Maize: How Corn Shaped the U.S. Heartland, (University of Illinois Press); Pigs, Pork, and Heartland Hogs: From Wild Boar to Baconfest, (Rowman & Littlefield); and Destination Heartland: A Guide to Discovering the Midwest’s Remarkable Past (University of Illinois Press, March 2022). She has written for three decades about food history, but has also written more traditional history and geography for clients that include the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation and National Geographic Learning. Clampitt is a member of the Society of Women Geographers, Culinary Historians of Chicago, the Agricultural History Society, and the Midwestern History Association.

Art helps us "stop, look, and listen" to our lives. Keeping a regular sketchbook makes room for us to do that in our busy lives--a practice that's good for us and ripples out to those around us.

Join us for a fun, interactive time with illustrator and author, Kyle L. White, on the Why and How of developing this art habit. No art skills needed. All supplies provided.

This program requires registration. There are a limited number of seats available. Sketchy Drawing Club is intended for adults and teens 16 or older.

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

Artists' Ensemble Theater presents the musical comedy "Guys on Ice" - a.k.a. the ice fishing musical, Thursdays-Sundays, Sept. 4-21 in Rockford University's Cheek Theatre.

Meet Lloyd and Marv, two Wisconsin fisherman who are out on the lake for a day of ice fishing, beer, and deep thoughts about life, love, and the Packers. With occasional visits from Ernie the Mooch, these irrepressible, irresistible guys will win your hearts.

Lloyd’s got troubles at home. Make no mistake, he’s crazy about his wife but she wants to go out to dinner for their anniversary. And that’s fine, only… their anniversary is this Sunday… Game Day. And Lloyd has tickets to Lambeau. The wife is steamed, and Lloyd just wants to spend some time focusing on fish. Marv has romantic troubles of his own. He’s got a crush on Connie at the Pick and Save. What he hasn’t got is the nerve to ask her out. So Marv is also concentrating on fish. Fish are less confusing. Don’t miss this delightful musical treat.

Award-winning Irish trio Socks in the Frying Pan brings the heart of County Clare to the stage with their fresh, energetic take on traditional Irish music. Formed in 2014, the group features Aodán Coyne on guitar and vocals, Shane Hayes on accordion, and Fiachra Hayes on fiddle.

Known for their signature "Socks Sound," the trio combines virtuosic musicianship, smooth three-part harmonies, and charismatic stage presence with deep respect for Irish musical heritage. The result? A rich, rhythmic sound that’s as stirring as it is fun.

They’ve toured 46 U.S. states, dozens of countries, and every continent, lighting up stages at major festivals including Walnut Valley Festival, Electric Picnic, Tønder Festival, and the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival.

With three studio albums and a growing list of accolades, including “Best New Band,” “Best Live Band,” and “Album of the Year,” Socks in the Frying Pan continues to win fans across the globe. Their latest release, Raw & Ríl, a live album recorded at Glór Theatre, was named Best Live Album, showcasing their raw energy and unmistakable chemistry.

Whether you're a long-time fan of Irish trad or new to the genre, this is a performance not to be missed.

Visit beautiful Grand Detour, IL on Sunday, September 7th from 9-5 (rain or shine). This 76th Annual Grand Detour Arts Festival features a juried art show, a student art show, live music all day, and delicious food. The show is held on the grounds of the John Deere Historic Site and admission is free. The John Deere home and exhibits will also be open all day.

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.

Enjoy our Award-Winning Farmers Market every Sunday at The Dole Mansion from 10am - 2pm!

Fantastic Variety of Farmers, Food Purveyors, Artisans, Food-Trucks, Live Music, Brunch Beverages and Complimentary childrens entertainment! Free Face Painting and Balloon Creations! Plus Roaming Characters ready to delight and take photos with! Come on out and spend a few hours with us for a Sunday Funday experience!!!