ROCKFORD ART MUSEUM | RAM TALKS ART | FREE ART EVENTS AROUND TOWN

RAM Talks Art: Free art events around town

By Elizabeth Dailing, Education Director, Rockford Art Museum

Since the weather outside isn't really inviting to look at all of the great public sculpture in Rockford, it's time to think indoors. And, what better to do indoors than check out some cool art? For free?

At Rockford Art Museum (RAM), Tuesdays are donation days. Visitors are invited into the museum galleries with no admission cost, and encouraged to make a donation if possible. There are some wonderful pieces to be seen now at RAM. Visages: Face Revised is on the main level. Galleries full of portraiture for all tastes and styles.

Want to learn more about portraiture? Attend the two FREE lectures we are hosting for this exhibition: "History of the Portrait" by Barbara Jaffee, Ph.D., Tuesday, Feb. 17, at 6 p.m., and "American People Project" by Nels Akerlund, Tuesday, March 24.

And, that's not all. There are many pieces on display from the RAM Permanent Collection in the lower level. From Warrington Colescott to numerous local artists, take a look and see what's here. I guarantee you will be pleasantly surprised. AND, want more free stuff? Ask at the front desk for all of the gallery activity sheets we have-something to keep the whole family busy and engaged for your visit.

If you haven't been to Kortman's recently, check out their new exhibit-The Plague of Saint Aphrodite by Corey Hagberg. No admission, very cool art. This show just opened Feb. 6, and will be up until the end of March. You can view the work Monday-Saturday, between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. Check it out! And, if you've got money burning a hole in your pocket-there's plenty of cool stuff for sale at Kortman's as well.

Take a trip to Rock Valley College. They have a Black History art event, open until Feb. 20. This exhibit features artwork from the Charles Box Collection and, guess what? It's free.

And, free isn't just for the visual arts. There's a Rock Valley College Jazz Festival the weekend of Feb. 14. On the 15th, Severson Dells Nature Center is hosting "Darkness and the Return of the Light" - a literary arts event featuring authors Paul Bogard and Kathleen Dean Moore.

Want to hear something free? Go to the Music Academy of Rockford College's Piano and String Student Recital - presented in Fisher Chapel on the 15th!

More literary arts, you say? On the 21st, North Suburban Library presents "Lincoln Tales: Tall and True"-hear storyteller and author Brian Ellis step into character and introduce Lincoln.

So, there you have it, free art events this month in Rockford. Looks like it's going to be a busy and budget-friendly month. Enjoy!

Contact Rockford Art Museum Education Director Elizabeth Dailing at edailing@rockfordartmuseum.org.

From the Feb. 11-17, 2009 issue

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