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.

Cora Hutchison is a life-long resident of the Rock River Valley, Midwest roots and a love of animals and nature has inspired much of Cora Hutchison’s past and current work. A self-taught artist, with some formal education, Cora has been active in the arts throughout her career. A soft style and photo realism in her work has brought her animals, landscapes and portraits to the forefront.

Originally, her art centered around pastels and eventually embracing watercolors for her animals and children. In recent years graphite has dominated her work in portraits and “Americana” scenes.

Cora has shown her art in galleries and venues locally and throughout the Midwest for several years working closely with the community and local groups.

During the 1940s, male professional baseball players left the field to lend a hand in WW2 war efforts. To keep the game alive, Chicago Cubs’ owner Philip K. Wrigley and others started the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL) which lasted from 1943-1954. Rockford’s own team, The Peaches, were one of the best teams in the league, winning the championship four times, more than any other team. Today many people know of the Peaches through the 1992 Hollywood film, A League of Their Own.

Provided by Midway Village Museum, this presentation is part of the America 250 initiative: celebrating our nation throughout the year. It is open to all ages and sponsored by The Friends of the Library. Registration is not required.

For more information, please contact Susan at susang@dkpl.org or (815) 756-9568 ext. 2114.

Join us for Conversational Café every 3rd Saturday from 1:00 to 2:30 PM at the Christ Community Outreach Center, located at 316 N 6th St in DeKalb. This is a great opportunity to practice your English in a welcoming atmosphere. Everyone is welcome, and walk-ins are accepted! For more information, visit ccclife.org/dekalboutreachcenter.

Lift the winter blues and embrace spring through this comprehensive organic garden workshop. This class will take you through the entire lifecycle of the garden – from starting seeds, creating healthy soil to final harvest. Designed for both first-time and experienced gardeners, this class emphasizes regenerative, chemical-free methods for producing high quality food.

Randy Mermel has nearly two decades of experience working as an educator and organic gardener at Farmers Rising. By sharing the garden as a living classroom with people of all ages and backgrounds, he aims to connect people with the soil and foster participation in healthy, local food systems that are good for people and the planet. He lives with his family in a geodesic dome in Roscoe, and loves to travel and explore the natural world.

This workshop is best suited for ages 13 and up. Please register in advance. Participation fee is $25/person.

The Prairie Arts Council hosts an exhibit of paintings by Princeton native Brian Taylor during the month of March in the Prairie Arts Center Gallery.

Brian Taylor says about his works, "The art presented is a reflection of doodles and patterns practiced over many years. As time evolved, the practice was refined into its own colorful and unique style, evoking influences of various concepts from surrealism, abstract and indigenous art. The natural world is also an influence through travel, time working in arboriculture and landscape design.”

The gallery is open Saturdays and Sundays, March 7 - 29 from 1:00-3:00 PM.

www.PrairieArts.org
Facebook.com/prairiearts

Embark on an exciting journey following the transformation of rocks and minerals into dazzling gemstones! This new series lets participants travel alongside a material’s formation in the earth, through the mining and production processes, and showcases how rough stones are formed, extracted, and transformed into sparkling gems. With real samples to examine and expert demonstrations, this program offers a fascinating look at the life cycle of a gem, highlighting the process that turns a simple rock into a stunning piece of nature’s art. The first program will focus on Jade.

Pop music comes and goes, but some songs from over 100 years ago are just as fresh in the mind as the day they were written. The Entertainer, Alexander’s Ragtime Band, St. Louis Blues, and Ballin’ the Jack are still familiar, but even when they first hit the scene, these songs were recognized as having something special.

We’ll look at some of the songs that captivated the public and how their popularity continued into the present, and we’ll also share some songs and rags that were hits back in their day. So to quote Irving Berlin, “come on along” for a great hour of ragtime and some early jazz and blues!

“Cherry & Jerry” is Isaac Cherry on percussion and Jerry Rabushka on piano. Based in St. Louis, the duo is also part of the larger “Ragged Blade Band,” and has toured music of the ragtime era throughout a several state area. They’ve found this music is great for good times – brewpubs, wineries, markets, festivals, and more! They’ve appeared in the Big River Steampunk Festival in Hannibal, MO, the Oddities and Curiosities Expo in Chicago and Tulsa, the RAGBRAI bicycle event in Iowa, and the St. Louis World’s Fare in their hometown.

This free event is open to all. No registration is required. It is sponsored by Gretchen and Charles Moore.

This event is part of the America 250 initiative; celebrating our nation throughout the year.

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

Music on Pearl is excited to host an afternoon concert with local singer/songwriter
favorite Marques Morel and friend Simon Cropp on Saturday, March 21st at 2pm. The
show will be held in the “acoustically wonderful” sanctuary of the historic UU Church of Stockton at 219 North Pearl. Tickets are $15 and are available at https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/marques-morel-with-simon-cropp, or at the door.

Marques, with five CDs to his name, is well known in the area – but rarely does an
audience have an opportunity to see him on stage where they can really immerse
themselves in his music, connecting with his lyrics and energy.

Originally from Illinois corn country, he has performed just about anywhere that anyone
would listen: big city street corners around the world, county fairs, folk festivals, hole in
the wall taverns, theaters and campfires.
His voice has been described as reminiscent of country outlaws, like Johnny Cash and
Waylon Jennings, low with lots of vibrato. One reviewer said of his voice that it’s “like
country singers that are actually from the country”.

Simon Cropp is newer to recording and recently released his first CD. Also a Midwest
native, his songwriting has drawn comparisons to his biggest inspiration, John Prine. Simon appreciates those everyday stories that make lives meaningful. We are excited to hear him perform.

There is plenty of street parking for the show and the venue is wheelchair accessible.
Snacks and drinks will be available for donation.

CALIFORNIA is EXTENDED through March 21st!

A family road trip takes an unexpected turn when, in the dark of night, on the plains of eastern Oregon. . . reality splits.

WSSR takes another left turn with "California," a play that takes place entirely inside a car. Join us for this unique immersive experience that blends a quirky family comedy with the eerie darkness surrounding a long abandoned nuclear facility.

Directed by Claire Dahlhauser, this intimate production explores the humor and power of family bonds in a world where the map keeps rewriting itself. Claire's credits include Legally Blonde, The Wedding Singer (Starlight Theatre) and Macbeth (Starlight Shakes) and she recently served as assistant director for last season's production of POTUS at WSSR.