ROCKFORD ART MUSEUM | EXHIBITION

Past Exhibitions

Hollis Sigler: Expect the Unexpected | October 9, 2009 - January 10, 2010
Hollis Sigler: Expect the Unexpected celebrates the mature work of noted Chicago artist and feminist Hollis Sigler. Opening in October to coincide with Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and partially sponsored by OSF Saint Anthony Medical Center in Rockford, the exhibition will explore the deeply personal imagery of Sigler’s autobiographical Breast Cancer Journal that chronicled her struggle with the disease that eventually took her life. Throughout her career Hollis Sigler (1948-2001) created psychologically complex narrative works grounded in personal experience. Her style was also a means of conveying difficult emotional content in a way that viewers could relate to and understand. Curated by RAM Curator Patty Rhea, the exhibition travels to the Chicago Cultural Center in early 2010.

Download exhibition Showcard.
Download Gallery Guide.
Download Teacher Guide.

The Francis and June Spiezer Collection | July 17 - September 27, 2009
The Francis and June Spiezer Collection celebrates this important gift to the RAM Permanent Collection by longtime promoters of the Chicago art scene, the late Francis Spiezer and his widow, June. Promised to RAM over 15 years, the collection is comprised of more than 200 objects in two main focus areas – contemporary studio glass and regional contemporary art.

Representative of more than 30 years of Chicago art, the Spiezers immersed themselves in the lives of regional artists and the local gallery scene. A diversity of media, style and subject matter is represented in the collection, which is rich in paintings, prints, sculpture, and glass.

The collection includes work by Nicholas Africano, Stephen Warde Anderson, Phyllis Bramson, Roger Brown, KeKe Cribbs, Spencer Dornitzer, Mark Sumner Forth, Anne Farley Gaines, Jesse Hickman, Frances and Michael Higgins, John Kearney, Alan Lerner, Nina Levy, John Littleton and Katherine Vogel, Ben Mahmoud, Richard Marquis, James Mesple, Jacqueline Moses, Joel Philip Myers, Gladys Nilsson, Jim Nutt, John Fergus Nygren, Ed Paschke, Lorraine Peltz, John Phillips, Daniel Ramirez, Scott Reeder, David Russick, Hollis Sigler, Lino Tagliapietra, Janusz Walentynowicz, Ray Yoshida, and Toots Zynsky. Exhibition curated by RAM Curator Patty Rhea.

Download exhibition article
Download exhibition showcard
Download The Francis and June Spiezer Collection Teacher Guide

Moby Dick: Heart of the Sea | April 17 - July 5
Moby Dick: Heart of the Sea presented imagery relating to the classic Melville novel Moby Dick. Exhibiting artists George Klauba and Kathleen Piercefield are each natives of the Chicago area. Works by Robert McCauley, former chair of Rockford College Department of Art, provided a sculptural element to the exhibition. Their contrasts in style and media, Klauba’s realistic paintings, Piercefield’s expressive, multi-media prints and Robert McCauley’s sculptural assemblages will make for a striking and challenging show. Author and Moby-Dick scholar Robert Wallace will led a gallery walk at the members preview on April 17, 2009.

Dowload exhibition article
Download exhibition showcard
Download Moby Dick: Heart of the Sea Teacher Guide

Visages: Face Revised | January 15 - April 5, 2009
Visages: Face Revised explores the genre of portraiture. The exhibition presents the work of seven nationally recognized artists that approach the image from a variety of perspectives. The styles are as wide ranging as each artist's intent. Working in a variety of mediums, ranging from painting, photography and glass.

Exhibiting artists include: Michigan artist Rick Beerhorst (oil); Rockford, Ill., artist Stephen Warde Anderson (acrylic); Gregory Grenon, Seattle, (glass); Argentinian artist RES (photography); Anna Siems (mixed media); Seattle, Christina Bothwell (glass, found objects); Pennsylvania and Ray Donley (oil); Texas. Visages: Face Revised is curated by RAM Curator Patty Rhea. Visit exhibition page.

Download exhibition article
Download exhibition showcard
Download Visages: Face Revised Teacher Guide

Vera Klement: Paint Into Icon | October 17, 2008 - January 4, 2009
This much-anticipated retrospective celebrates one of Illinois' most distinguished painters, Chicago artist Vera Klement. The exhibition features an array of Klement's awe-inspiring, large-canvas paintings. Her love of paint is astounding: vibrant layered colors are applied in a lavish manner, echoing the gestural movement of Abstract Expressionism. Visit exhibition page. Dowload exhibition article.

Born in the Free city of Danzig (now Gdansk, Poland), she immigrated to the U.S. with her family just before the Holocaust, and was raised in New York. "Her move to Chicago in the 1960s and her long and distinguished career as an artist and professor at the University of Chicago led her to play a key role in the development of one of America's major art centers, and her impact on our region as artist and teacher has been vast," wrote contemporary art critic James Yood. Guest curator is Ingrid Fassbender of Fassbender Fine Art, Chicago. Visit exhibition page.

Download exhibition article
Download exhibition showcard
Download Vera Klement: Paint Into Icon Teacher Guide

The 2008 Rockford Midwestern | July 11 - October 5, 2008
The 2008 Rockford Midwestern marks the 70th presentation of Rockford Art Museum's juried exhibition, which began in 1913 as an annual showcase of local artists, then expanded eligibility and was known as the Stateline Vicinity Show through 1998. Now a biennial competition, the Midwestern is open to artists residing in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan,
Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, and Wisconsin.

Original paintings, sculptures, prints, drawings and photographs were eligible. Artists were allowed to submit three entries for consideration. Juried into the exhibition were 101 works of art by 90 artists. Awards, including the prestigious Dean Alan Olson Purchase Award ($2000), Best of Show ($1000), First Place 2-D ($750) and First Place 3-D ($750), were presented Friday, July 11, at 6:30 p.m., during the exhibition opening.

This year's juror was noted artist Robert McCauley, who recently retired as chair of the department of art and art history at Rockford College. A Pacific Northwest native, McCauley received his M.F.A. from Washington State University in 1972, and B.A. from Western Washington University in 1969. He was first featured in the 75th Exhibition by Artists of Chicago and Vicinity at the Art Institute of Chicago in 1975; numerous group and solo exhibitions have followed. His gallery affiliations include Linda Hodges Gallery, Seattle; K. Kimpton Contemporary Art, San Francisco; Perimeter Gallery, Chicago; and Gail Severn Gallery, Ketchum, Idaho. The 2008 Rockford Midwestern is sponsored by Art in the Garden and partially supported by grants from the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency, and Rockford Area Arts Council. The exhibition remains on display in Funderburg and Kuller galleries through Sunday, Oct. 5.

We gratefully acknowledge the DAO Foundation for its longtime funding of the Dean Alan Olson Purchase Award, presented to the artist whose work has been selected for inclusion in the RAM Permanent Collection.

Download exhibition article
Download 2008 Rockford Midwestern Teacher Guide.

Zhou Brothers: New Beginning | April 4 - June 29, 2008
The Zhou Brothers are one of the most accomplished contemporary artists in the world today renowned for their unique collaborative work process. They always work together on their paintings, performances, sculptures, and prints, often communicating without words in a so-called dream dialogue. Their thinking, aesthetic, and creativity are a symbiosis of Eastern and Western philosophy, art, and literature that informed their development since early childhood. Their indomitable spirit allowed them to leave behind their brilliant success in China, where they were hailed as national heroes for their early work, to step onto the world stage. They have since achieved international acclaim while continuing to work in the West. Download exhibition article. Download Zhou Brothers: New Beginning Teacher Guide.

Divergent Minds Live Performance | June 13, 2008
Rockford art museum presents divergent minds, an eclectic live fusion of visual and performing arts, featuring the Zhou Brothers, chinese collaborative painters, rock legend Rick Nielsen and classical composer Donald Fraser. Performed at the historic Coronado Theatre.

Thanks to our Primary Sponsors: Alpine Bank, Eclipse Inc. Foundation on behalf of Roger and Wendy Perks Fisher; Supporting Sponsors: Bob and Patty Rhea. Contributing Sponsors: Forest City Gear, Hugh and Gail Funderburg, Rob and Cathy Funderburg, The Ben Harding Family Foundation, and Special Thanks to Rockford Carving Company and Gibson Custom Guitars for donating one of the guitars Rick Nielsen plays tonight - the 57 Gibson Les Paul Gold Top Reissue. After Nielsen performs with the "R7 Goldtop" this evening, the custom guitar will be auctioned off during RAM's Evergreen Ball on Saturday, December 6th. Company. Download Divergent Minds Program Book.

Betsy Youngquist: Light of the Moon | January 18 - March 23, 2008
"As fourth graders at Welsh Elementary School in Rockford, my classmate Kristin Henard and I co-authored and illustrated a book entitled The Two Friends. Xeroxed and stapled, this book tells the story of an eagle and a horse who meet in the wild and become friends. Two of the book"s illustrations, both simple line drawings, picture the eagle, Bushy-Tail, riding on the back of the horse, Cherokee. It was a start.

'While a fledgling adult artist in 1998, the Illinois Committee for the National Museum of Women in the Arts selected a beaded painting of mine called Flight of the Zebra for an exhibition. With a red bird perched on a zebra, the images of Bushy-Tail and Cherokee were back. Still great friends, they had morphed into an explosion of texture and color, and both now sported human feet. Anthropomorphism had taken root. Eight years later I returned to D.C. as a professional artist exhibiting my work at the Smithsonian Craft Show. My animal forms had become three-dimensional, and all had human glass eyes.

'Always in such a hurry to create enough work to fill my booth for the next show, I seldom take time to stop, breathe, and reflect. As I sit here at the computer, with beads accidentally glued to my pants, I'm further reminded that my life as an artist, and my story as a person, are intertwined with the significance of the animals that cross my path. Animals are as invested in our experience as we are in theirs. Sometimes I think we want to see ourselves in these creatures in order to hear the messages they bring.

I know I do. "The show Light of the Moon highlights the first decade of my life as a working artist. Whether two-dimensional or sculptural, the core of this work continues to explore my own interpretation of contemporary mythology. In the beaded painting entitled Surfacing, the white buffalo gently challenges a figure to come out of the darkness and find her heart as the subtle light of the moon looks on. Half of the viewers looking at my three-dimensional fox head Walden interpret him as an entirely different animal, a deer. Taking no offense, I relish the blurring between prey and predator. Lately I've come full circle, as the human heads of my earlier paintings have found their way into my sculptures as antique doll parts. That's always fun-when an unintentional connection becomes obvious."

Download exhibition article
Download exhibition showcard
Download Betsy Youngquist: Light of the Moon Teacher Guide

Common Thread: Contemporary Craft | January 18 - March 23, 2008
They "explore a personal idiom, narrative, or cultural mythology through an eclectic source of materials," said guest curator Lynn Fischer, associate professor of art at Rock Valley College. "In these contemporary artists, a traditional approach to their media is balanced with the awareness of moving forward."

Artist included in the exhibition are: Renie Breskin Adams, Chris Berti, Beth Bojarski, Jenny Mendes, Nichael Nakoneczny, Chris Roberts-Antieau, Cathy Rose, Kurt Brian Webb, Lynn Whipple, and Mark Winter. Light of the Moon and Common Thread open Friday, January 18 with a preview gallery walk at 4:30 p.m., members reception 5:30-7 p.m., and free public opening 7-8:30 p.m. Both exhibitions remain on display through Sunday, March 23.

Download exhibition article
Download exhibition showcard
Download Common Thread: Contemporary Craft Teacher Guide

Fast Forward: The School of the Art Institute of Chicago in the 21st Century
October 26, 2007 - January 6, 2008
The School of the Art Institute of Chicago is often referred to as America's Studio for its legacy as a place where radical experimentation in form and idea in the arts prevail. From its founding in 1866 as the Chicago Academy of Design (known as the School of the Art Institute of Chicago since 1882) it has been one of the premier art academies in the U.S. Its chartered affiliation with a great art museum, its distinguished alumni (including Georgia O'Keeffe, Claes Oldenburg, Ed Paschke, Richard Hunt, Inigo Manglano-Ovalle, Grant Wood, Elizabeth Murray, Richard Estes, Walt Disney, Thomas Hart Benton, Gladys Nilsson, Rirkrit Tiravaniji, Robert Indiana, etc.; many of these and other SAIC alumni represented in the collection of the Rockford Art Museum) and its superb faculty and facilities have led it in recent years to be regularly cited as the finest art school in America.

But it's never yesterday that makes an art school an exciting and viable place for visual thinking, it's tomorrow-always tomorrow. Keeping the SAIC vibrant, making it a laboratory for new ideas in a rapidly changing art environment, is the challenge facing its newer faculty. Fast Forward: The School of the Art Institute in the 21st Century takes a close look at the men and women who have joined the faculty of the SAIC this century, and who will lead it for decades to come. Beyond-but including-artists working in the media of painting, sculpture, photography, printmaking, fashion, etc., these artists also expose us to things Georgia O'Keefe couldn't have imagined during her time at the SAIC, culled from newer departments such as Architecture/Interior Architecture/Designed Objects, Film/Video/New Media, Art and Technology, Performance, Sound, and Visual Communication. These faculty represent diversity in every sense of the concept, and offer an overview of contemporary art in all its ambition and intensity, setting the bar high for future generations of SAIC students.
- James Yood, Guest Curator and Contemporary Art Critic

Glimpse: The Arnold Gilbert Photography Collection | July 20 - October 7, 2007
In December 1974, Arnold Gilbert, a nationally prominent photography collector, donated a collection of prints to Rockford Art Museum that collectively represent almost the entire history of photography. After having already gifted several prints to museums such as the Art Institute of Chicago, Gilbert decided to donate his collection to RAM because of its strong photographic program, including its juried exhibits and photographic workshops. His vision for the collection was that it be seen and utilized by students and the general public, which has been realized through RAM's regular display of photography and, now, Glimpse
The exhibition draws from the 140 photographs that comprise the Arnold Gilbert Photography Collection of Rockford Art Museum, which boasts major figures in the history of photography.

Works on display include landscapes by Ansel Adams, documentary images of the Civil War by Mathew Brady, documentary portraits of Mexico and its people by Manuel Carrillo, and landscapes by Brett Weston. The exhibition includes didactic material about the photographers, photographic processes, equipment, and the acceptance of photography in society via images, cartoons, newspaper reports and historic equipment. The earliest processes–daguerreotype, ambrotype and tintype – are also represented by samples from the collection.

HE & SHE: Vallien and Hydman-Vallien | March 30 - July 8, 2007
World-renowned glass artists Bertil Vallien and Ulrica Hydman-Vallien of Sweden mark their first combined exhibition of this magnitude in the U.S. when Rockford Art Museum presents HE & SHE: Vallien and Hydman-Vallien March 30-July 8, 2007.
The Valliens create some of the most original, highly recognized and critically acclaimed glass pieces and installations in the world today. More than three decades of their work are on permanent display at Sweden's VIDA Museum, and both artists are represented in museums and galleries around the globe. Rockford Art Museum showcases sandcast sculptures by Bertil and paintings and ceramics by Ulrica in this extraordinary exhibition that shatters conventional notions about glass. An illustrated catalogue accompanies HE & SHE.