Northern Illinois Community Calendar

The Coliseum Museum is honored to host a special collection of China by members of the Pickard Collectors Club. The club was founded in 1992 by Joy Luke of Bloomington, Illinois, who along with a small group of Pickard enthusiasts thought it was time to bring together collectors of Pickard porcelain and glass.

Wilder A. Pickard (1857-1939) started the company in 1894 by offering his customers hand-painted giftware, artware, and eventually dinnerware of the highest quality.

Today, Pickard, Inc., remains a family-owned business proudly producing high quality, hand-crafted china. Each Pickard generation carries on the tradition of producing Ivory and White porcelain for individuals as well as for government and corporate organizations, both domestic and international. For more information visit their website at https://pickardcollectorsclub.org

Rock River Valley Painters Guild Plein Air Art Show
September 2 – October 31
Lowden Gallery, Coliseum Museum

Sponsored by the RRVPG

​Artists participating in the 2026 annual show include Carol Bingham, Pam Bradford, Dick Cholke, Janice Conkrite, Charles Gregory, Anne Hilliard, Tom Linden, Nancie King Mertz, Sharon Saponari, Donna Smith, Terry Werntz, Lucinda Winterfield and Leah Zahn.

Awards will be presented by judge Jean Apgar, on October 9, in conjunction with the Moments in Monochrome Awards & Reception.

The RRVPG is a not-for-profit organization promoting local art and art education (North Central Illinois).

Moments in Monochrome Art Exhibit - October 1 - Nov 14
Moments in Monochrome Awards Reception - Oct 9, 6:00pm - 8:00pm
Judge Heather Shore

Heather is both an award-winning artist and art educator working in Northern Illinois. Her works reflect the variety of media and techniques she has been teaching for the past 22 years as a high school visual arts educator. Although the breadth of the media and techniques she teaches made for a long and difficult journey in finding her artistic voice; it did, however, influence her mixed media approach quite directly.

Music by Grass Attack
Grass Attack plays various genres of upbeat songs with Acoustic Bluegrass instruments They have tight vocal harmonies and arrangements that makes the music their own brand and genre

Dick Cholke
Feature Walls, October 1 – 31
Sponsored by Stillman Bank

​Dick Cholke started painting watercolors after his retirement. After a period, he started to enter shows and Plein Air quick paint competitions. Dick has taken classes from local artists and workshops from a few nationally recognized artists. Having fun with the media and the people is most important. His best moments have been entering and selling at his first Door County Plein Air. Dick’s work has been accepted into the Illinois Watercolor Society’s National Exhibit and he has received multiply awards in Reginal & State shows.

Paula Kuehl
Taft Gallery, October 1 – November 30
​
Paula Kuehl, of McHenry, has been painting since 1981. She started painting with oil paints, which were fun but slow to dry and would become muddy if you didn’t wait for them to dry. When she discovered pastels, she switched to them and never went back to oils. Pastels better suit her personality – she loves to draw and pastels are like drawing with color. She also loves the vibrancy of the medium and the versatility it provides – versatility in the ability to use different types of paper and the way the pastel reacts on that paper. She feels her work is a study capturing the essence of life – whether it be in a child, a flower or a landscape. Pastels are like life – vibrant and full of energy That is what she attempts to capture in her works.

The Next Picture Show community fine arts center in Dixon presents its annual Farms & Barns Art Exhibition now through Oct. 24.

Farms & Barns Art Exhibition celebrates the beauty, history, and enduring spirit of rural life. While inspired by the agricultural landscapes that define Northwest Illinois, the exhibition welcomes artists from across the country to share their own interpretations of farming communities, country living, and the working landscapes that feed and shape our world.

The gallery is open Wednesday-Saturday from 10am-4pm.

You are invited to experience the collective wisdom and personal experience of artists' interpretation of the theme Echoes of a Changing Planet. Participating artists:
Norm Knott, Marsha Goodheart, Holly Blair-Cascio, Susan Berry, Julie Kennelly, Maya Simmons, Caitlyn Jahn, Paula Flanagan-Marsh, Barbara Berney, Lori Gustafson, Sadie Hoessrich, Becca Houlihan, Jose Sente, Greg LaMont, Clara Krick, Jessie Crow-Mermel, Wren Medina, Cassie Blair, Ventie Houi, Drew Helge, Annette McLean and Cherie Heck.

✈️ An Evening with Amelia ✈️

Step back in time and spend an unforgettable evening with one of aviation's greatest pioneers!

Join us on Friday, October 23, 2026, at the Poplar Grove Vintage Wings & Wheels Museum for an elegant evening featuring acclaimed historian and actress Dr. Leslie Goddard as she brings Amelia Earhart to life.

Evening Schedule
🕠 5:30 PM – Cocktail Hour
🍽️ 6:15 PM – Plated Dinner
🎙️ 7:00 PM – An Evening with Amelia presented by Dr. Leslie Goddard

Through an engaging first-person portrayal, you'll hear Amelia's remarkable story of courage, adventure, and determination from the woman herself. It's an inspiring evening of history, aviation, and storytelling you won't want to miss.

🎟️ Tickets:
$50 per person
$45 for Museum Members

Seats are limited, so reserve yours early!

We look forward to welcoming you for a memorable evening celebrating one of aviation's most iconic trailblazers.

#AnEveningWithAmelia #AmeliaEarhart #WingsAndWheelsMuseum #AviationHistory #LivingHistory #DrLeslieGoddard #PoplarGrove #MuseumEvents #IllinoisEvents #Aviation

Take Root is BACK!

Take Root is a virtual farm business class that will be running from September 14th, 2026 to November 19th, 2026.

Take Root is a business class new farmers with 0-10 years experience.

In Take Root, we will build a farm business plan, an enterprise plan, learn how to budget and manage a farm enterprise, and market your business.

Take Root is held on Tuesday and Thursday nights from 6-8PM CT. This class is virtual and ran over zoom. The class will have both facilitated classes, and speakers. In addition to the online class, you will also receive one on one consulting from Jillae, our Take Root Program Facilitator.

Sign up today for Take Root!

Questions? Email Jillae at jillae@farmersrising.org

See you there!
Jillae
Farmers Rising

This spine-tingling new tour program is sure to awaken your Halloween spirit and send a shiver down your spine!

Book a tour for a time slot between 6 pm and 8 pm on Friday, October 23. At your designated tour start time, a servant guide will beckon you through the manor doorway and channel you to the appropriate rooms to hear accounts of mystery and horror in the dimly lit spaces.

Edgar Allen Poe and other literary friends will be on hand to delight you with Literary Frights as the evening unfolds.

Each tour group will be inside the manor for approximately 45 mins. and will move throughout both floors of the building. Expect candlelight, dimly lit spaces, eerie decorations, and riveting actors sharing some of your favorite tales.

*Please note that Eventbrite ticketing lists the start time and gives a ten minute window for entry. We will begin the tours promptly at 6:00, 6:15, 6:30, etc. Please arrive a little early.