Celebrate the Arts | Womanspace 50th anniversary fundraiser
What: Womanspace will hold its 50th anniversary fundraiser celebrating connection, empowerment, creativity and transformation through the arts. Enjoy a vibrant art raffle featuring work by Rockford artists John Verl McNamara, Bill Burns and Gordie Johnson. There is also a silent auction with works from over 30 artists in the Womanspace community, hors d'oeuvres, and a cash bar. Former TV anchor Whitney Martin of Made for Rockford will emcee the event. All proceeds benefit Womanspace.
When: 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 8
Where: The Mauh-Nah-Tee-See Club, 5151 Guilford Road, Rockford
Info/register: Go HERE
After-dark art project turns Sinnissippi Park in Rockford into surreal dreamscape
By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
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ROCKFORD — An after-sunset art project that utilizes mediums ranging from dance to giant puppetry will turn the dark woods of Sinnissippi Park into an illuminated surrealist dreamscape.
Somnium, an award-winning annual production created and directed by Eddaviel Montero and Emily Klonicki, is now in its fourth year. This year's production is called "Somnium: The Book of the Hollow Earth," and it walks audiences through multiple set pieces such as a glowing portal and spinning column before concluding in the seats at the Sinnissippi Park Music Shell.
There are shows at 8 p.m. each night from Thursday through Sunday at the park, 1401 N. Second St.
"Our concept is for people to feel that they are experiencing their own dream," Klonicki said. "They are a part of it. They interact with it. It interacts with them."
The production is a collaborative effort of more than 20 artists and it blends projection art, theater, dance, music, film, circus arts, puppetry, murals and other disciplines into an immersive experience.
"One of the things that we love about the project is that every artist is given complete freedom to explore the theme and the idea in whatever way they want," Klonicki said. "It's an unusual experience for artists to be given complete freedom to do something."
Artists take a variety of approaches to the theme, treating it as everything from mythological to psychological.
"This is a way to work with artists that don't have any limits," said Faith Minneyfield, a dancer who is in her fourth year with Somnium.
Minneyfield was part of the CAPA program at Auburn and then studied dance at Illinois State University, where she graduated in 2022. She said the artists continue to come up with more and more outlandish ideas for the production each year.
"The more you watch it and the closer you look at it, you will see more things unfold as you experience it," Minneyfield said.
During the production you'll walk under a giant glowing jellyfish, past towering puppets, through a glowing portal and alongside other surreal installations.
"Making a theater out of a forest is quite an undertaking," Klonicki said. "It's a lot of work when it comes time to put everything together -- and we don't do anything small."
Emma Bruce, one of the youngest performers at age 8, said she likes how Somnium encourages you to use your imagination.
"I really like how you can tell them your ideas, and they'll tell you to go for it," she said.
She said there's also a message for viewers to find, too.
"It's also very important because, for me, it shows how you should protect the Earth," she said. "It shows the importance of taking care of nature."
The loose narrative follows young Guajayuna, the last traveler from a planet destroyed in the future as he arrives into a world deep within the planet and discovers what lives there.
You don't need to have seen other versions of Somnium to follow the production, but if you have you will notice little threads that weave throughout the storyline.
"Whatever you're into you'll find a thread that will resonate with you and you'll see little elements that will bring a meaning to you," Klonicki said. "And if you're just here to enjoy it like a movie, you'll also enjoy it like a movie."
If you go | Somnium: The Book of the Hollow Earth
What: Somnium is an award-winning multimedia public art project that incorporates music, story, light, dance, and extravagant and surreal visuals. It's now in its
Artists: Somnium is a collaborative project that combines the visions of Odilius Vlak, Raymond Jáquez, Patrick Mattison, Verónica Soria-Martinez, David Stocker, Jenny Mathews, Zach Stephens, Alizé Jireh, Zheka Fedoseev and Valentina Fedoseva, Faith Minneyfield, Ella Lakey, Maggie Arango, Arjuna Klonicki, Bill Houtkamp, Andrew Ehrhardt, Prairie Smoke, Invisible Five and Chroma Club with sculptural contributions by José Santiago Román, Ben Hooker, Drew Helge and John Verl McNamara.
It is created and directed by Eddaviel Montero and Emily Klonicki.
When: 8 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 28-Sunday, Aug. 31
Where: Sinnissippi Park, 1401 N. Second St., Rockford
Cost: $25; $10 for children 6-12; free for children younger than 6
Tickets: experiencesomnium.com
This article is by Kevin Haas. Email him at khaas@rockrivercurrent.com or follow him on X at @KevinMHaas or Instagram @thekevinhaas and Threads @thekevinhaas
Picturesque Rockford sign gets new home along the west bank of the Rock River
By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
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ROCKFORD — A colorful sign that became a popular backdrop for photos to showcase city pride has found a new home along the west bank of the Rock River in downtown.
GoRockford officially unveiled the new location for the picturesque Rockford sign on Wednesday after it was installed a day earlier. The eight 4-foot tall aluminum letters now rest along the riverbank behind the Rockford Public Library, right where Mulberry Street ends near the river.
The sign faces the river, giving views of it from east bank, as well as when you're up close on the west bank.
"We wanted a site for Rockford letters that was iconic and really showcased the best of Rockford, and what is more iconic than the river," said Kristen Paul, GoRockford's executive vice president. "You can see it from the new fountains, you can see it from the two bridges, you can see it at City Market. You can also come over and get really great pictures."
The sign had been removed from Davis Park in late June to make way for construction that will add walking paths, a concert stage, new lighting, restrooms, a skatepark and playground to the city-owned park at South Wyman and Chestnut streets. City Council approved that project on Aug. 18 after months of discussion.
"It was kind of sad when we were deinstalling them because we probably had 15 come by and go, no, don't take them away. Where are they going," Paul said. "Now that they're back, again we've probably had 30 or 40 comments of people who are walking by."
The riverfront space will be the new permanent location for the letters.
The unveiling was coupled with GoRockford spotlighting the recent expansion of its sculpture initiative.
There are 18 new sculptures that have been installed this year, the largest single-year installation in the program's decade-long history. They're in places along West State Street, South Main Street, Perryville Road, Broadway, Seventh Street, Harrison Avenue, the Edgewater neighborhood, and downtown.
The new sculptures bring the total in the city up to 33.
“Public art lifts our spirits and, in doing so, elevates our quality of life, which pays economic dividends to us as a community in the long run," Alderman Mark Bonne said in a news release. "The work of GoRockford on this front is so important because communities people want to visit are likely communities where people want to live."
Durascape, Crazy Joe’s Vinyl and Midwest Crane & Rigging help with the installation.
Ben Pierce, an artist from southeast Missouri, has six pieces as part of this year's sculpture program. He has had multiple pieces part of Rockford's public art scene for years, leading to a long-standing joke that he should move here. That bit got so much traction that Mayor Tom McNamara on Wednesday gave Pierce a faux key to the city with a plaque that read, "for your commitment to excellence in public art and finally deciding to make Rockford home."
Pierce, who was in Rockford Wednesday, said he's glad to see the sculpture program continue to grow over the years.
"It's just great that it's caught on," he said. "You need the community itself to appreciate it so much that they react to it positively enough that they reach out to their alderman, or they reach out to GoRockford or they reach out to someone to let people people know that they're on the right track."
He has had pieces in 47 cities across 18 different states. His sculptures have a minimalist, abstract design that leaves room for interpretation by the viewer.
"That helps create a stronger connection versus being told what the piece is," he said. "When you have to stand there and look at it — and you have to figure it out as the viewer, and each person gets to do that — I think that creates a stronger connection with the artwork."
The sculpture program was expanded thanks to an injection of funding from Hard Rock Casino Rockford taxes. City Council members in June agreed to provide $135,250 to fund the sculpture program. The money pays to lease, deliver and install the sculptures, which are typically loaned for a two-year period.
“The city of Rockford is proud to support the CRE8IV Sculpture Program through our arts grant program," McNamara said. “Public art is more than decoration; it’s a reflection of who we are as a community. By investing in projects like this, we’re making sure art is accessible in every neighborhood, strengthening pride in our city, and showing that Rockford is a place where creativity thrives.”
Sculpture locations
1. Sunstruck
- Location: West State St., across from Ellis Elementary School
- Artist: Nicole Beck
2. Window
- Location: West State Street at Jefferson Street
- Artist: Paul Bobrowitz
3. Astron
- Location: West State Street at Jefferson Street
- Artist: Peter Krsko and Nathan “Sloke One” Nordstrom
4. Skyward
- Location: West State Street at Jefferson Street
- Artist: Ben Pierce
5. Florette II
- Location: Elm Street between South Main and Wyman streets
- Artist: Sam Spiczka
6. Crystalline
- Location: West bank of the Rock River behind Rockford Public Library
- Artist: Ben Pierce
7. Reach
- Location: 4949 Harrison Ave.
- Artist: Ben Pierce
8. Flux
- Location: 4949 Harrison Ave.
- Artist: Luke Achterberg
9. Triangle Play II
- Location: 1225 Broadway
- Artist: Sunghee Min
10. Here Comes the Sun
- Location: 1242 Broadway
- Artist: Ben Pierce
11. Greeting Tower
- Location: Corner of 7th Street and 4th Avenue
- Artist: Sunghee Min
12. Cardinal
- Location: Harlem Blvd. and Ellis Ave. on the river bank
- Artist: Zan Knecht
13. Unsure if this Peace is Abstract
- Location: Triangular intersection of Clinton Street, Oxford Street, and Ellis Avenue
- Artist: Ben Pierce
14. Neither Toil, Nor Spin
- Location: Along the Perryville Path, southwest corner of Perryville and Guilford road
- Artist: Ben Pierce
15. Composition #1
- Location: Along the Perryville Path, southwest corner of Perryville Springbrook roads
- Artist: Chris Plaisted
16. Liquid Sunshine
- Location: Along the Perryville Path, between Sentinel and Guilford roads
- Artist: Michael Alfano
17. Thank You Degas
- Location: Near 1706 S. Main St., along the riverside path
- Artist: Terry Karpowicz
18. Phoenix
- Location: 1824 S. Main St., along the river path
- Artist: Chris Plaisted
This article is by Kevin Haas. Email him at khaas@rockrivercurrent.com or follow him on X at @KevinMHaas or Instagram @thekevinhaas and Threads @thekevinhaas
New sculpture at Rockford Public Library celebrates unity with all the shades of the human race
By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
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ROCKFORD — A new sculpture in front of the Rockford Public Library aims to send a message about unity and racial healing with a series of abstract figures that represent the skin tones of the human race.
The piece, called "Carry the Dream," was unveiled Friday at the entrance to the library at 215 N. Wyman St. It was created through a collaborative effort by seven artists: Tim Hawley, Betsy Youngquist, Nancie King Mertz, Jeremy Klonicki, Scott Long, John McNamara and Nathan J. Taylor.
The sculpture has 17 poles with O-shaped heads that serve as minimalist, abstract representations of people. The colors of each sculpture were designed to represent humanity's various skin tones.
"We are human beings, a human family. We're all one species and we have different skin tones," Taylor said. "With that comes different cultures ... Here in Rockford we have to find a way to celebrate our differences but also work through it for the better of everybody."
Taylor said the piece is playful enough that it will resonate with children, too.
"When children walk through here I want them to feel happiness and fun. They may say, oh it looks like lollipops — that's fine," he said. "I want it to evoke their creativity as they walk into the library to learn and have fun."
The work was funded by the Illinois Department of Human Services' Healing Illinois program, Field Foundation of Illinois, Midland States Bank, and Joel Zirkle and Christina Valdez. There were in-kind donations from Liebovich Steel & Aluminum, Sherwin-Williams, and Sheet Metal Workers Local 219.
Related: Pollinators have new urban refuge outside Rockford Public Library in downtown
"We are honored to welcome this powerful sculpture to the entrance of our main library. Created by local artists with a vision for unity and healing, it stands as a symbol of our shared commitment to racial equity and community connection," said Lynn Stainbrook, executive director of the library. "I’m deeply proud that Rockford Public Library can be a home for art that reflects the heart and hope of our city."
Stainbrook said she hopes the sculpture sparks curiosity.
"To me it's that curiosity that leads to learning and education, which is really what the library's about," she said. "I think it's going to be a wonderful addition."
The sculpture was created over the course of about 14 months bringing together sculptors, painters, metal workers, designers and abstract artists.
"Lots of different skill sets came together," Mertz said. "We melded it into a cohesive design."
A sign that accompanies the piece includes a statement from Taylor, which reads:
“Racism is heartbreak, violence, and often justice denied, and dreams deferred without restitution, leaving scars that run generations deep. We strived to portray a sense of solemnity, respect, and hope, alongside peace and understanding in our sculpture.”
Mary McNamara Bernsten, executive director of the Rockford Area Arts Council, said it is a wonderful starting point for tough conversations.
"Heavy topics need approachable vehicles for discussion," she said. "This is an excellent example of a way that people can look at this, appreciate it, get excited about it, tell somebody about it, and then have conversations about it."
Taylor said he sees the piece as an optimistic look at a painful topic.
"I wanted the sculpture to be uplifting and optimistic, and celebrating us as a people," he said. "We have to believe that we can be better and do better."
This article is by Kevin Haas. Email him at khaas@rockrivercurrent.com or follow him on X at @KevinMHaas or Instagram @thekevinhaas and Threads @thekevinhaas
Who is Paul Harvey Oswald? The story behind Rockford's 'unperson'
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cUbfvIkEPy8
By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
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ROCKFORD — This week, a local art collective will give a behind-the-scenes look at a question they played with roughly three decades ago: Who is Paul Harvey Oswald?
The answer to that question is one the group is still contemplating today.
The founders of the art collective, which formed in 1992 and at one point had a dozen members, will give a retrospective look at their work Thursday at the Rockford Art Museum, 711 N. Main St.
It's part of the exhibit Analog: Rockford's Decade of Creative Rebellion, which runs at the museum through Sept. 28.
Related: Rebellious creators of the pre-viral era get spotlight in new Rockford Art Museum exhibit
We sat down with the founders of Paul Harvey Oswald to create a video story in the spirit of the group itself. Check it out above.
The collective was known for making irreverent and sometimes bizarre videos during the analog era, creating mini-movies that offer humor and social commentary decades before going viral was a thing.
You can explore about 70 pieces the group created from 1992 to 2005 at the Rockford Art Museum, and hear from the founders during a forum Thursday evening.
Analog Lecture Series | Paul Harvey Oswald
What: Artists from the Paul Harvey Oswald collective, including founders Doug Connell and Kevin Cronin in 1992, will discuss their work in a forum with Rockford Art Museum chief curator Carrie Johnson.
When: 6 p.m. Thursday, June 26
Where: Rockford Art Museum, 711 N. Main St., Rockford
Admission: Free
Info: Go HERE
This article is by Kevin Haas. Email him at khaas@rockrivercurrent.com or follow him on X at @KevinMHaas or Instagram @thekevinhaas and Threads @thekevinhaas
Rockford's sculpture program is doubling in size with its largest summer installation yet
By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
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ROCKFORD — A program that brings sculptures to public spaces across the city is doubling in size this year with a target of installing 16 new pieces this summer. It would be the largest single-year installation in the program's decade-long history.
The program, which is run by GoRockford and Forest City Beautiful, has leased sculptures with donor funding for temporary display since 2015. It's expanding this year thanks to an injection of funding from Hard Rock Casino Rockford taxes.
Last year, installations included "Magical Thinking" — which is an oversized gold-colored bunny outside Rockford City Market — and "Keyhole Flutter Gateway" near the BMO Center, among other pieces. That brought the total to 15 sculptures installed through the program. Now, 16 new sculptures are slated to be installed in seven areas of town. One existing sculpture will be relocated and begin a new two-year lease.
"When you travel to a community and you see works of art, including sculptures or murals, it sparks a little bit of joy," said John Groh, president and CEO of GoRockford. "It brings an awareness that you're in a creative, artistic community. When you walk by it, it tells you that somebody thought of you before you got there and that they want you to be there."
The City Council's Finance and Personnel Committee on Tuesday agreed to provide $135,250 to fund the initiative. The money pays to lease, deliver and install the sculptures, which are typically loaned for a two-year period. City Council is expected to vote on final approval next week.
The money comes from the portion of Hard Rock Casino Rockford revenue that's dedicated to arts initiatives. Hard Rock's $7 million in guaranteed gaming taxes go toward nine city initiatives ranging from pension obligations to funding Rockford Promise scholarships. The city dedicates $250,000 annually for the arts.
More arts: Kith and Kin Art Collective opens in 'jaw-dropping building' in downtown Rockford
GoRockford made a national call to artists earlier this year and received about 50 proposals, Groh said. GoRockford has identified the sculptures it plans to lease but it won't finalize contracts with artists until the funding is approved. GoRockford will then work with city staff to finalize the locations before installation.
Here's a breakdown of the general area the sculptures are headed:
- Two to North Main Street north of Auburn Street
- Two to South Main Street north of the 15th Avenue bridge
- Three to the Broadway business district
- Three to the Perryville Path between Guilford and Spring Brook roads
- Two to Harrison Avenue along the path adjacent to Collins Aerospace
- Four to the linear park along West State Street
- One to downtown near the BMO Center
More arts: Rebellious creators of the pre-viral era get spotlight in new Rockford Art Museum exhibit
Forest City Beautiful has been improving the city through landscaping and public art since 2014.
"We think the results have been pretty significant from what we hear from visitors and residents," Groh said. "When we see people taking photos by them for their senior portraits or their wedding photos or graduation pictures or prom pictures it tells you these are the backdrops and the enhancements of our daily life and our visitors' lives."
Get a closer look at some of the proposed sculptures and locations in City Council documents HERE, scroll to the bottom for images.
This article is by Kevin Haas. Email him at khaas@rockrivercurrent.com or follow him on X at @KevinMHaas or Instagram @thekevinhaas and Threads @thekevinhaas
Kith and Kin Art Collective opens in 'jaw-dropping building' in downtown Rockford
By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
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ROCKFORD — If abstract artist Jessica Quam has her way, downtown's newest art gallery will inspire people to ditch the kind of stock decor that often fills the walls of homes around the region.
"We don't want you to have a 'Live, Laugh, Love' sign in your house. We want you to have a beautiful, abstract statement piece," said Quam, one of seven hosting artists at Kith and Kin Art Collective. "All of our price points are reasonable enough for anyone who could walk through the door and want an original piece of artwork for their home."
Kith and Kin Art Collective brings together seven abstract artists specializing in large-format paintings, photography and hand-blown glass to a shared gallery at 510 E. State St., in the heart of downtown's Block 5.
Sandi Kohn, who has owned the building for 26 years, created the collective, bringing together Quam, Drew Helge, Carrie Johnson, Drew Eurek, Rudy Galindo and Valerie Olafson.
Kith and Kin welcomed its first guests during Spring ArtScene, and after a soft opening it will celebrate its grand opening with a lineup of events this weekend.
Aside from operating as a gallery, the collective will look to draw people in with pop-up events and classes such as figure drawing and abstract painting under the instruction of professional artists. There are also live painting days and live music events where you can sip coffee and shop.
More arts: Rebellious creators of the pre-viral era get spotlight in new Rockford Art Museum exhibit
"That will build the momentum, help us grow and allow people to get to know us," said Galindo, an artist and personal chef who leads abstract painting classes.
Creating an environment where you can forge a relationship with the artist and learn about their process is part of the goal of Kith and Kin. Those relationships help give you a deeper connection to the art that may one day hang in your living room.
"Drew (Helge) has this beautiful glass that you're afraid to touch, but he always puts it in people's hands, and he always talks about his process," Kohn said. "These pieces that we have here are from his personal collection of what he thinks are the best of the best of what he's got going."
Helge creates hand-made glass art for the hospitality industry. He keeps some of his favorite pieces at Kith and Kin, such as an obsidian-colored orb that when you peer inside recreates the views of deep space captured by the Hubble Space Telescope.
"We want this to be public outreach," Helge said. "Just really facilitating and creating community where they can support the arts even more."
The space has been home to a number of retail businesses over the years, most recently Salvaged by Sonya, which moved at the end of February. It's been revamped with a more open look that accentuates the art and highlights the architecture of the multi-level space, which has uniquely furnished lofts overlooking paintings hanging from the exposed brick walls.
"This is a jaw-dropping building. I brought a jaw-dropping building to begin with," said Kohn, whose business MedicineMan Creative, a graphics design studio and advertising agency, also calls the building home. "I think this is the best that this storefront has ever looked because it's so open now."
More arts: What’s next for transforming the former Rockford Armory after winning critical grant
The furnishings help sell the artwork because it allows people to picture a piece in their home, Kohn said.
"I've had people come from out of town, and they told me 'I didn't feel like I was in Rockford. I felt like I was in New York somewhere at some really cool gallery,'" Galindo said.
Olafson said the collective works well together not only because their styles complement each other, but because the artists are often boasting about each other's work to prospective buyers. Everyone in the group, she said, has helped sell another artist's work.
"We're here not just to sell our work but to sell everybody's work," Olafson said. "The whole point of being a collective is that you support each other. You're a united front."
Kith and Kin Art Collective | Grand opening weekend events
Where: 510 E. State St., Rockford
Gallery hours: Noon to 7 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays; noon to 5 p.m. on Saturdays (and by appointment)
Follow on Facebook: @kithandkinartcollective
Follow on Instagram: @kithandkinartcollective
Live painting
What: See live painting from Jessica Quam accompanied by music and shop the pop-up store from Cloth and Canva.
When: 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Friday, May 23
Coffee Saturday
What: The kick-off weekend for Kith and Kin Art Collective's Coffee Saturday series. This week features live music from Tim Gill. You can sip coffee, have a slice of Bob Ross toast, shop the collective's art and peruse the pop-up shop from Cloth and Canva.
When: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, May 24
Open studio figure drawing
What: Hone your figure-drawing skills with techniques from professional artists in this three-hour class.
When: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday, May 25
Cost: $20
This article is by Kevin Haas. Email him at khaas@rockrivercurrent.com or follow him on X at @KevinMHaas or Instagram @thekevinhaas and Threads @thekevinhaas
Rebellious creators of the pre-viral era get spotlight in new Rockford Art Museum exhibit
By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
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ROCKFORD — Before the concept of going viral existed, Doug Connell and Kevin Cronin were creating videos that would have stirred up social media.
There just wasn't an easy means to share it.
In the 1990s, the Rockford duo led a collective in creating experimental videos that they thrust into public spaces — like when they projected some of their work onto the side of a building during the On The Waterfront Festival.
There was the time they dumped cash over the second-story rail of the CherryVale Mall. Or when antiquated cell phone technology allowed them to use police scanners to inject bits of cell phone conversations into a live show. Or the multitude of ways they cut up TV soundbites to create new politically infused works of art.
"The sad part is that there were not many people who saw the stuff because it couldn't be broadcast," Connell said. "There was no real internet, and certainly not video."
Dozens of those original works are now living on as part of a new Rockford Art Museum exhibit that celebrates the city's art scene in the 1990s. It's called Analog: Rockford's Decade of Creative Rebellion, and it's showing now through Sept. 28.
"There was no social media. There wasn't a lot of internet happening at that time," said Carrie Johnson, the museum's chief curator. "It was a beautiful time of that raw innocence of the art world before digital."
The exhibit, in the museum's downstairs gallery, showcases 20 artists who left a mark on the city's creative scene in the 1990s. That includes Betsy Youngquist, Scott Long, Matt Herbig, Rick Zillhart, Lynn Fischer-Carlson, John Deill, Jim Julin, Scott Snyder, Mark Blassage and Kim Van Laeke. It also highlights the Skuggi Gallery, which became a hub for creativity on Seventh Street, and the former Café Esperanto, now known as Kortman Gallery, which merged a café environment with an art gallery.
"This is just showing a lot of people who weren't around at that time — or who were that didn't know what was going on — just how cool Rockford was," Johnson said. "What they were doing at the time was really cutting edge. ... It was just a young group of artists that were doing anything."
More arts: What's next for transforming the former Rockford Armory after winning critical grant
Paul Harvey Oswald
If you weren't familiar with Connell and Cronin's video work, that's somewhat intentional. The duo's group hid behind the moniker of Paul Harvey Oswald, a mashup of the names of radio broadcaster Paul Harvey and assassin Lee Harvey Oswald that was made in the same vein as the punk band JFKFC.
They used an Italian mannequin prototype made out of terracotta as the figurehead for the group.
"Once we could hide behind Paul, nobody had any idea what we were doing or how we were doing it," Connell said.
Connell and Cronin both had backgrounds at WIFR news, where they would hear sound bites throughout the day. They found humor in cutting them into places out of context, and eventually started creating avant-garde videos that blended satire and social commentary. One, called A Bill Clinton Rap, cut together sound bites of the former president saying "terrorism, narco trafficking and biological and chemical warfare" over a cheering audience. Another spliced together news sound bites to poke fun at Rockford's ranking near the bottom of Money Magazine's list of 300 liveable cities.
"It was about as close to physically cutting tape with a razor blade as you could be," Connell said. "We got to where we could frame accurately, edit, but on S-VHS tape. We listened to the machines and could get them in sync to hit points that we needed to, and then go back and add the video clips afterward."
In the Analog exhibit, there are 70 Paul Harvey Oswald pieces ranging from two to four minutes each. Now you can play them through a touch screen at the museum, giving them an accessibility it never had before.
"It never got into digital. Everything was all standard def," Connell said. "The first sampler we used when we would play live could play a six-second sample off of a floppy disk. So I'd have to put in a new floppy every time we wanted to play a different sound."
Art Zone
Paul Harvey Oswald videos weren't easily found, but they did find a host in a half-hour TV show created for public access television to highlight Rockford's art scene.
It was called Art Zone, a minuscule-budget project that debuted in 1992 to document arts, artists and cultural events in the city.
"Television was something that belonged to the networks, to the TV stations, but all of the sudden we had handheld cameras and home cameras and things that allowed you to start doing things yourself," said Doc Slafkosky, director of Kortman Gallery and the driving force behind Art Zone. "The technology allowed for things that gave you creative freedom."
Art Zone was an attempt to give the arts the TV time it wasn't getting on the regular airwaves.
"We didn't just give people their three-minute soundbite, we talked to them for 15, 20 minutes," Slafkosky said. "The idea was to encourage people to go out and experience the arts on your own."
The Analog exhibit highlights that video work, but it extends beyond that as well. It's not just paintings on the wall, but three-dimensional creations that showcase the ingenuity of artists of the time, Slafkosky said.
"These people were not only good artists, but they were good craftsman," Slafkosky said.
The artists in the exhibit are all connected by a common thread, not just the decade they were working but intertwining through places like Cafe Esperanto and Art Zone.
"There was so much going on with music and art. It really was a fertile bed of creativity for this town," Connell said. "It was really a pretty special time to be involved in art."
Analog | Rockford's decade of creative rebellion
When: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursdays-Sundays until Sept. 28
Where: Rockford Art Museum, 711 N. Main St., Rockford
Admission: Free
Info: Go HERE
This article is by Kevin Haas. Email him at khaas@rockrivercurrent.com or follow him on X at @KevinMHaas or Instagram @thekevinhaas and Threads @thekevinhaas
What's next for transforming the former Rockford Armory after winning critical grant
By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
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ROCKFORD — The Rockford Area Arts Council has made a key first step in what will be a yearslong process to repurpose the former Illinois National Guard Armory into a cultural civic center and artists' lofts.
The council won a $1.54 million grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that is critical to efforts to clean up asbestos and other environmental hazards before redevelopment can move forward.
The process to revamp and reopen the nearly 90-year-old building, 605 N. Main St., will take years to complete.
Here's a look at why the grant is significant and what happens next to bring the long vacant building back to life.
Why is the grant announcement significant?
The U.S. EPA grant was critical to funding cleanup of the site, which has asbestos, lead paint, mold and a former shooting range in the basement, among other environmental hazards.
Without the grant money, cleanup of the site would not have been able to move forward and the property would have been turned back over to the city.
While the project is still years away from completion, Mayor Tom McNamara said the city has seen challenging redevelopments like the Armory take similar first steps.
That includes the UW Health Sports Factory, a former Ingersoll factory at 305 S. Madison St. that's been converted into a large amateur sports complex, and Embassy Suites Rockford Riverfront, a downtown hotel at 416 S. Main St. that's built out of the 13-story former Amerock factory.
"We are a ways away from it getting done, but the first steps of so many great facilities that we all know and love at the city — if its UW Health Sports Factory or if its Embassy Suites — it started with a grant very similar to this," the mayor said. "So we are absolutely on the right track."
What's the next step?
The Arts Council expects to receive the federal funding in the fall. Then, they'll take bids starting in October for the environmental remediation work.
When will cleanup work begin?
Work will likely begin next March, with the goal to complete environmental cleanup by December 2026.
That cleanup is designed to give the council a "blank canvas" to handle the rest of the redevelopment work.
When will redevelopment begin?
The goal is to have the financial capital stack ready for redevelopment to begin by January 2027, said Mary McNamara Bernsten, executive director of the Rockford Area Arts Council.
"So it's a long-term project. It's a long game," McNamara Bernsten said.
When would it open?
The goal is to open before the end of 2029, McNamara Bernsten said. She said the timeline can fluctuate based on a variety of factors, including how long cleanup takes and finalizing financing. A tight timeline could have it open in three years, with four years being more likely, she said.
"We want to capitalize on all this momentum and excitement," McNamara Bernsten said. "We've received nothing but positive input from residents, legislators, community partners, leaders — it's just been this really positive thing and you don't want to lose momentum on something like that."
What does it look like inside?
The building has fallen into disrepair, with peeling paint, water-warped floors and other water damage.
Take a look through our photo gallery from inside the building below, or see video HERE.
https://www.rockrivercurrent.com/2024/09/photos-inside-the-former-illinois-national-guard-armory-in-rockford/
Who will lead the redevelopment?
The Arts Council doesn't specialize in redevelopment, but it is partnering with two businesses that do.
Urban Equity Properties and Gorman & Co., which both have historic redevelopment experience and have tackled multiple other projects in downtown, plan to partner with the Arts Council on the project.
Gorman also has expertise in subsidized housing, which in this case will be subsidized housing for artists, McNamara Bernsten said. It's been a yearslong effort to get affordable housing downtown for artists.
The mayor and the Arts Council have both stressed that the project will take public and private partnerships.
"It's a great project for our community," said Ron Clewer, Illinois market president for Gorman. "We're here to support it as best we can and figure out how we can help bridge those partnership gaps."
How will it be funded?
The project will be funded with a variety of public and private dollars, including the federal grant announced on Monday.
The Arts Council also plans to tap into tax-increment finance district funding, historic tax credits and environmental tax credits.
"What's going to be that gap that the arts council has to fill. That's going to be the challenging piece," McNamara Bernsten said.
The project is still in its very early stages, so all funding sources haven't been identified. However, it's clear that it will take a multitude of partnerships to make it happen, said Justin Fern, founder and CEO of Urban Equity Properties.
"It's going to take a lot of partners on this deal, not just private partners but lots of public partners from the county to the city to the state to the fed, nonprofits and everything in between," Fern said. "It's a large project. That building has been sitting vacant for decades, and it's going to take a lot to do."
How much will it cost?
The estimated redevelopment was $45 million about eight months ago, McNamara Bernsten said, but those costs are fluid in an ever-shifting economic picture.
"Things seem to be going up and up and up," she said.
What will the final development include?
The vision is to turn the 57,000-square-foot property into a cultural hub for visual and performing arts. That could include anything from school performances to to providing a stage for groups such as the Rockford Youth Symphony Orchestra.
There would also be gallery space for resident artists, offices for cultural groups and rental space for weddings receptions and other special events.
Surrounding the main civic center space of the building would be approximately 25 studio apartments for artists. The goal is to bring artists together to inspire each other and spur collaboration.
Why is it important?
Mayor McNamara said Monday that investing in the arts and redeveloping a dilapidated building are both ways to help bolster Rockford's economy.
He said the cultural civic center and artists' lofts will elevate what is already a thriving arts community in Rockford.
"Local communities built to celebrate a thriving arts and cultural community always have more thriving economies," McNamara said. "They also always increase quality of life, which in turn increases the number of people who want to choose to live in that city."
Video | Inside the former Armory
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9qmQMdPMDEs
This article is by Kevin Haas. Email him at khaas@rockrivercurrent.com or follow him on X at @KevinMHaas or Instagram @thekevinhaas and Threads @thekevinhaas
$1.54M in federal funds will help give Arts Council a 'blank canvas' for Rockford Armory project
City will receive additional $1.15M for other environmental cleanup work
By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
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ROCKFORD — The Rockford Area Arts Council has won funding critical to its plans to transform the former Illinois National Guard Armory into a cultural civic center and artists' lofts.
The Arts Council has been awarded a $1.54 million grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to clean up asbestos and other environmentally hazardous materials from the nearly 90-year-old building at 605 N. Main St. In addition, the city will receive $500,000 for community-wide environmental assessment and $650,000 in revolving loan funds that can be designated toward environmental cleanup work.
The funding will support a range of environmental cleanup work that will provide the Arts Council a "blank canvas" for future development, said Mary McNamara Bernsten, the executive director of the Arts Council. Work needed includes emergency roof repairs and structural stabilization, mold and asbestos abatement, lead paint encapsulation and removal, and the decommissioning of the former basement shooting range.
“This environmental cleanup award is a true community win and the first step in a major community impact project,” McNamara Bernsten said in a news release. “The Arts Council’s Rockford Region Cultural Plan, finalized in July 2024, highlighted a consistent theme echoed by participants — the critical need for shared, affordable, quality space for arts and culture. The reimagined Rockford Armory will embody how communities can celebrate diversity and uplift our shared humanity.”
The Arts Council purchased the 57,000-square-foot facility from the city for $1,000 in November. It envisions the facility as a venue for visual and performing arts as well as live and work spaces for artists.
“This RAAC project will complement the already successful Riverfront Museum Park campus and help fill a housing gap by providing affordable artist living and workspaces,” Mayor Tom McNamara said in a news release. "These additional grants will continue to spark transformative projects, much like the UW Health Sports Factory and Embassy Suites Riverfront Hotel — both made possible through similar funding support."
The grant funding was critical to the Arts Council's plans. Had it not won the grant, the group had planned to turn the building back over to the city. The city would have then started to shop the building in hopes of landing another developer. That has been a difficult task so far. The building has sat vacant for more than a quarter century.
The city purchased it in 2006 when it was already starting to deteriorate after about six years of vacancy.
Photos: inside the former Illinois National Guard Armory in Rockford
The Arts Council expects to select an environmental engineering firm this fall to lead the cleanup process starting next year. It also plans to partner with organizations such as Urban Equity Properties and Gorman & Co. to lead the redevelopment.
The armory was built in 1936 by Sjostrom & Sons and designed by Bradley & Bradley Architects for the Illinois Army National Guard, which operated there until 1993, when it left for a new home in Machesney Park.
The property hosted some of the biggest entertainment acts in the 1970s and 1980s before the debut of the MetroCentre, now the BMO Center, in 1981.
It was last used as OIC Vocational Institute from 1996-1999.
Development of the property would happen in 2027 through as late as 2029.
Previous video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9qmQMdPMDEs&t=12s
This article is by Kevin Haas. Email him at khaas@rockrivercurrent.com or follow him on X at @KevinMHaas or Instagram @thekevinhaas and Threads @thekevinhaas