Community Calendar

David Bingaman and Bob Logsdon, Lowden Gallery, Sept 1 - Oct 31

David Bingaman:

David Bingaman began his photographic journey in 1973 when he bought a Nikon camera and then backpacked throughout Europe and North Africa. Since that time, he has developed his skill in capturing landscapes as well as other natural and portrait subjects.

David lives on the Rock River in Dixon, IL with his wife Sarah where he pursues Bald Eagles, Great Blue Herons, and amazing sunsets. He also travels extensively in the U.S. as well as Africa and South America to capture interesting subjects.

He has displayed his work at many area galleries and won numerous awards including Best Landscape Award at the Franklin Grove Harvest Festival, Best of Photography at the Grand Detour Arts Festival, First Place in Digital Photography at The Woodlawn Arts Academy, and Best of Show at the About Face and the Winter Scenes and Holiday Dreams Exhibitions at TNPS.
Picture

Bob Logsdon:

Bob Logsdon is an accomplished landscape photographer, residing in Grand Detour, Illinois. Bob is an extensive traveler who documents his traveling experience in his pictures. It is through photography that Bob introduces the viewer to his endless and challenging imagination

Andrew Raeside, Feature Wall - September 1 - September 30

It hit me in an instant to become an artist at the age of 12. I remember the moment like yesterday. A sudden spiritual rebirth and everything had changed. I have been working on that project ever since.

I attended the University of Northern Iowa and received a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Painting in 1980. I worked with disabled adults for a time in Dubuque IA. Then I relocated to New England where I taught Art and Music in a residential grade school for children with emotional and behavioral disorders now called Spaulding Academy. While working there I attended Plymouth State University and received a Master of Arts in Teaching.

I worked at Spaulding Academy for 27 years until I retired and returned to Dubuque to focus again on painting and become a member of the artist community in Eastern IA. My main focus in the arts has been the Expressionist and Abstract Expressionist approaches.

​ My current objective is to use abstract art to celebrate what connects us all together. The New York School of Abstract expressionists is my primary influence. They spoke about a collective unconscious, a concept held by psychologist Carl Jung. But it is not necessary to believe in anything magical to understand that we are all connected because we all have shared experiences. And we all respond emotionally to our experiences. When we look at a painting, we respond emotionally to what we are seeing. Even if the painting is completely abstract and makes no reference to anything in the physical world. We may not be conscious of our reaction but if we are paying attention, it is there. My wish is to make paintings that celebrate these emotional interconnections between us.

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.”

In the early 1900s, the small studio, Universal Pictures, discovered that audiences were interested in thrilling adventures. They released a series of classic horror films between 1913 and 1956. It was these films that boosted Universal into the major film studio that it is today.

William Pack tells us about the earliest monster movies, from Dracula to Frankenstein, from their inspiration to the impact they have on us today.

This program is intended for adults and teens. No registration is required.

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

David Bingaman and Bob Logsdon, Lowden Gallery, Sept 1 - Oct 31

David Bingaman:

David Bingaman began his photographic journey in 1973 when he bought a Nikon camera and then backpacked throughout Europe and North Africa. Since that time, he has developed his skill in capturing landscapes as well as other natural and portrait subjects.

David lives on the Rock River in Dixon, IL with his wife Sarah where he pursues Bald Eagles, Great Blue Herons, and amazing sunsets. He also travels extensively in the U.S. as well as Africa and South America to capture interesting subjects.

He has displayed his work at many area galleries and won numerous awards including Best Landscape Award at the Franklin Grove Harvest Festival, Best of Photography at the Grand Detour Arts Festival, First Place in Digital Photography at The Woodlawn Arts Academy, and Best of Show at the About Face and the Winter Scenes and Holiday Dreams Exhibitions at TNPS.
Picture

Bob Logsdon:

Bob Logsdon is an accomplished landscape photographer, residing in Grand Detour, Illinois. Bob is an extensive traveler who documents his traveling experience in his pictures. It is through photography that Bob introduces the viewer to his endless and challenging imagination

Andrew Raeside, Feature Wall - September 1 - September 30

It hit me in an instant to become an artist at the age of 12. I remember the moment like yesterday. A sudden spiritual rebirth and everything had changed. I have been working on that project ever since.

I attended the University of Northern Iowa and received a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Painting in 1980. I worked with disabled adults for a time in Dubuque IA. Then I relocated to New England where I taught Art and Music in a residential grade school for children with emotional and behavioral disorders now called Spaulding Academy. While working there I attended Plymouth State University and received a Master of Arts in Teaching.

I worked at Spaulding Academy for 27 years until I retired and returned to Dubuque to focus again on painting and become a member of the artist community in Eastern IA. My main focus in the arts has been the Expressionist and Abstract Expressionist approaches.

​ My current objective is to use abstract art to celebrate what connects us all together. The New York School of Abstract expressionists is my primary influence. They spoke about a collective unconscious, a concept held by psychologist Carl Jung. But it is not necessary to believe in anything magical to understand that we are all connected because we all have shared experiences. And we all respond emotionally to our experiences. When we look at a painting, we respond emotionally to what we are seeing. Even if the painting is completely abstract and makes no reference to anything in the physical world. We may not be conscious of our reaction but if we are paying attention, it is there. My wish is to make paintings that celebrate these emotional interconnections between us.

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.”

On Thursday, October 2, DeKalb Township, in partnership with Housing Action Illinois, Hope Fair Housing Center, and Prairie State Legal Services, will host a free informational session focused on Illinois House Bill 2775. Signed into law in 2023, this important legislation makes source of income a protected class under the Illinois Human Rights Act, effectively prohibiting housing discrimination based on lawful sources of income — including housing choice vouchers.

This session will provide tenants with valuable knowledge about their rights under the law, how to identify source of income discrimination, and what actions to take if it occurs. At the same time, landlords and property managers will gain a clear understanding of the law so they can remain informed, compliant, and protected.

The presentation will take place at DeKalb Township, 2323 S. 4th Street, DeKalb, IL, from 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM. A Zoom option will also be available for those who prefer to attend virtually. This event is free and open to the public.

For more information or request a Zoom meeting information, please contact Mary Hess at 815-758-8282.

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!