Community Calendar

Lowden Gallery Artist: Ellen "Ellie" R. Bartels
March 1 - April 30

​Ellie has a BA degree in Education and a BFA in Studio Art , both from the University of Washington. She taught art, K – 12, in Orangeville, Il for 12 years. She currently lives in Freeport, Il.

Ellie states, “ The process of transforming paint and canvas into an appealing and effective image scares, frustrates, excites and inspires me.

My work starts out with a subject or theme in mind, usually based on my personal response to nature or a past experience, and a general plan on how to accomplish my goal. As it progresses spontaneity and intuition take over and my unconscious becomes the director.
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I have found that both oils and acrylics work well as vehicles for translating my inner vision to outer reality. Both comply with my enjoyment of layering paint and working the canvas by scraping, rubbing, scratching through, dry brushing, etc., to create depth and texture and to bring the surface to life.

It is my wish that the viewer will want to spend time with my work, to contemplate its meaning, discover its complexities, or to just enjoy the colors and shapes.

Join us for this new gathering at Woodstock Public Library as we enjoy a complimentary cup of coffee and discuss a new program topic with a guest speaker every month. Free to attend, but advance registration is required.

February 26 - New Advances in Alzheimer’s Treatment with the Alzheimer’s Association
March 26 - Identity Theft & Fraud Prevention with the Illinois Comptroller’s Office
April 30 - Fall Prevention with Smith Physical Therapy+ of Crystal Lake
May 28 - Mental Health in Older Adults with NAMI of McHenry County
June 25 - Discount and Ride Free Programs with RTA

Youth ages 8–14 are invited to a hybrid community book club that brings readers together to explore the American Revolution through shared reading, conversation, and film. Each month, participants watch a preview from the PBS documentary The American Revolution by Ken Burns, Sarah Botstein, and David Schmidt, along with short videos connected to the featured books, followed by an informal discussion.

The featured titles for this session are “The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere,” by Christopher Bing and “The Many Rides of Paul Revere,” by James Cross Giblin. The Many Rides of Paul Revere goes beyond the familiar legend to present a lively, accessible biography that traces Revere’s life from the son of a French immigrant to a skilled silversmith and key figure in the growing resistance to British rule, highlighting his many daring rides and wide-ranging accomplishments through clear prose and striking black-and-white archival images. The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere offers a visually stunning interpretation of Longfellow’s poem, blending history and imagination through meticulous research, period maps, reproduced documents, and dramatic engravings that immerse readers in the tense night of April 1775, creating not just a history lesson, but a powerful artistic experience that brings the American Revolution vividly to life.

The program runs approximately 45–60 minutes and is free and open to the public. To register virtually, please visit: https://shorturl.at/VRKtu. Copies of the book are available at the Condit Branch.

Join RAMP Disability Resources and Services at Cahoots for an evening of wine, beer, spirits, and food samplings from various local vendors and live music. Come prepared to bid on our annual silent auction via smartphone to benefit RAMP's programs and services.

This year we are excited to have Disco Drinks, Disco Chicken, Linos, Baker Street, The Raven, Ambience Cuisine and Catering, Mary's Market, Barnstormer Distillery, 5 Bar, Pig Minds, Lena Brewing, Urban Forest, The District, Sassy Mac Boys, and 27 Aluna providing samples to event attendees!

Register here: https://wl.donorperfect.net/weblink/weblink.aspx...
For reasonable accommodations or questions contact Amanda Fair at afair@rampcil.org

Lowden Gallery Artist: Ellen "Ellie" R. Bartels
March 1 - April 30

​Ellie has a BA degree in Education and a BFA in Studio Art , both from the University of Washington. She taught art, K – 12, in Orangeville, Il for 12 years. She currently lives in Freeport, Il.

Ellie states, “ The process of transforming paint and canvas into an appealing and effective image scares, frustrates, excites and inspires me.

My work starts out with a subject or theme in mind, usually based on my personal response to nature or a past experience, and a general plan on how to accomplish my goal. As it progresses spontaneity and intuition take over and my unconscious becomes the director.
​
I have found that both oils and acrylics work well as vehicles for translating my inner vision to outer reality. Both comply with my enjoyment of layering paint and working the canvas by scraping, rubbing, scratching through, dry brushing, etc., to create depth and texture and to bring the surface to life.

It is my wish that the viewer will want to spend time with my work, to contemplate its meaning, discover its complexities, or to just enjoy the colors and shapes.

It is a gathering of women to encourage and uplift one another.

(This event is one hour, but there are refreshments after, so it could go to 3 pm.)

Explore under the light of the Flower Moon on a hike to see various blooming wildflowers. Ages 8 and up. Registration required

oin us at Severson Dells for these family-friendly, open-house style events. Each month will have a different nature theme full of hands-on, minds-on activities for guests of all ages to participate in. Celebrate local pollinators in May, meet live butterflies and take home milkweed seeds to plant.

Lowden Gallery Artist: Ellen "Ellie" R. Bartels
March 1 - April 30

​Ellie has a BA degree in Education and a BFA in Studio Art , both from the University of Washington. She taught art, K – 12, in Orangeville, Il for 12 years. She currently lives in Freeport, Il.

Ellie states, “ The process of transforming paint and canvas into an appealing and effective image scares, frustrates, excites and inspires me.

My work starts out with a subject or theme in mind, usually based on my personal response to nature or a past experience, and a general plan on how to accomplish my goal. As it progresses spontaneity and intuition take over and my unconscious becomes the director.
​
I have found that both oils and acrylics work well as vehicles for translating my inner vision to outer reality. Both comply with my enjoyment of layering paint and working the canvas by scraping, rubbing, scratching through, dry brushing, etc., to create depth and texture and to bring the surface to life.

It is my wish that the viewer will want to spend time with my work, to contemplate its meaning, discover its complexities, or to just enjoy the colors and shapes.

Stockholm Inn is the home for our potpourri of music from 5pm to 7pm on 1st Saturday and 5:30pm to 7:30pm on 3rd Friday of each month. The Trinadora musical mixture includes vintage and contemporary pop, folk, country, jazz, blues, Latin, Celtic, and variety music - everything except the proverbial kitchen sink 🙂 Janel Nelson and Ron Holm accompany their vocals with keyboard, ocarina, guitar, ukulele, fiddle, harmonica, jSax, bass, steel guitar, concertina, and more. The room can fill up, so please phone 815.397.3534 for reservations, and mention that you need seating in the music area.