Nature flourishes on canvas as two Rockford artists present colorful floral paintings in Kortman Gallery exhibition opening July 29th

 

  "Color is a power which directly influences the soul,” says emerging Rockford artist Valentina Fedoseeva quoting Wassily Kandinsky.
    “Telling universal stories, is how I like to highlight the magical elements in our shared culture,” says Rockford artist Jenny Mathews.
    These two exuberant artists are teaming up in an expression of the colorful beauty of nature in “Botanic Flourish,” an exhibition of floral paintings opening Friday, July 29th in the Kortman Gallery, Downtown Rockford.
    “Both Mathews and Fedoseeva have an artistic gift to create works that have universal appeal because of their classic painterly styles,” says Kortman gallery director Doc Slafkosky.  “Jenny introduced me to not only the idea for this show, but also to Valentina, a newcomer to the Rockford art community.”
    Valentina Fedoseeva was born and raised in Moldavia. Her work is influenced by her travel experiences that heave taken her to such colorful cultures as India and Central America. Nature is her inspiration as most of her works captures imagery such as flowers, botanicals, and landscapes.
    “I love nature very much! It's the main source of my inspiration. Shapes, colors, and motifs are collected grain by grain in my subconscious,” said Fedoseeva.  “When I enter the studio, something huge, something that cannot be described in words, seems to take possession of me.”
    Jenny Mathews is a well-known and accomplished Rockford artist. She has exhibited work in a galleries and museums throughout the region including a 2019 solo exhibit in the Kortman Gallery. She is best known for her public art murals that have graced the Rockford urban landscape for years…her latest in Rockford’s North End above the Norwegian Restaurant at 1402 North Main.
    “I enjoy creating small paintings and illustrations as much as large public murals,” said Mathews. “My artistic vision is driven by my love for bringing people together and my work aims to be the catalyst of a shared experience.”
    Kortman Gallery opening reception for “Botanic Flourish,” an exhibition of floral paintings by Valentina Fedoseeva and Jenny Mathews opens Friday, July 29th from 5:30 to 9pm.  The gallery is located upstairs at J. R. Kortman Center for Design, 107 North Main Street in Downtown Rockford. The exhibit is free, and open to the public..
    “Botanic Flourish” will run though September 30th. For more information call 815-968-0123.


Shop at J.R. Kortman Center for Design Tu-Fr 11-6, Sa 11-5/See "Amorous,"group exhibit upstairs in the Kortman Gallery thru June 30

From Alessi designed by the late Virgil Abloh, the international design & fashion genius and Rockford native...
A new approach to designing tableware, Occasional Object is a stainless steel cutlery set consisting of a spoon, fork, knife and a carabiner to attach all three together, either in the context of a new way of setting the table, or as a means of attaching these utensils to the body. A new take on cutlery in a limited edition of 999 numbered pieces.
The set features geometric forms and an aesthetic closer to that of work tools than of table settings. It’s the first of a series of ‘Occasional Objects’, which will be joined by more pieces, including ceramics, tableware and a new interpretation by Vigil Abloh of an Alessi classic.
Available by special order @ J.R. Kortman Center for Design





Three Rockford artists curate erotic art exhibition in Kortman Gallery

Margret Hynes, John Lamar, and Marilynn Lamar have well established themselves in the Rockford arts community as accomplished artists. The three artists approached the Kortman Gallery with the idea of curating an exhibit featuring local artists creating works of art with an erotic theme…a subject rarely explored in the local art scene.

From that concept came “Amorous” a group exhibition opening Friday, April 22nd in the Kortman Gallery. Along with Hynes and the Lamars, other participating artists include Ruth Eversoll, Nikki Hollander, Javier Jimenez, Ron Rawhoof, and Ted Simmering.
“Since mankind began to visually communicate their thoughts, sexually charged images have been used in art, even appearing on prehistoric cave walls,” says co-curator Marilyn Lamar. “However, social constraints have always influenced what is acceptable in the visual arts over the centuries. We are still having to sometimes contend with Victorian era attitudes.”
 “We wanted to challenge artists to create works that may be out of their comforts zones,” said Hynes, co- curator. “Anything that has a sexual element can certainly be stimulating not only visually, but also intellectually, inspiring conversations on censorship, social mores, and how the arts affect our cultural attitudes.”
“We thought it was a great idea to explore the realm of erotic art with these talented artists,” says Kortman Gallery director Doc Slafkosky. “There is a definitely a distinction between what is erotic and what is pornographic. The works of art presented in this gallery exhibit are esthetically pleasing and can be viewed and enjoyed by a general audience.”
The “Amorous” exhibition will feature works in multiple media including painting, drawing, ceramics, and printmaking
Kortman Gallery opening reception for “Amorous,” a group exhibition of erotic art opens Spring ArtScene weekend, Friday,April 22nd from 5 to 9pm, and Saturday, April 23rd from 4 to 9pm.  The gallery is located upstairs at J. R. Kortman Center for Design, 107 North Main Street in Downtown Rockford. The exhibit is free, and open to the public..
The exhibit will run though June 30th. For more information call 815-968-0123.

J.R. Kortman Center for Design selects Rockford Elk’s Lodge as the 2021 addition to the Rockford Landmark Ornament Collection

  

 The historic downtown Elk’s Lodge #64, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, has been selected as the new addition to the hand-painted Rockford Landmark Ornament Collection for 2021 at J.R. Kortman Center for Design.
    The building, which stands on the corner of North Main and Jefferson Streets, was built in 1913 and designed by the successful and influential Chicago architect Lawrence. P. Buck.
    “The beautiful and endangered downtown Elk’s Club is not only a local landmark, but is is one of America’s treasures,” says Doc Slafkosky, co-owner of J. R. Kortman. “The building’s architecture is definitely  inspired by the Arts and Crafts movement that took place around the turn of the 19th to 20th century.”
    The Elk’s Club ornament image was based on a painting by Rockford artist Rebecca Downing Pelley who was inspired by a 1920’s vintage post card of the building.
    Also added this year in the Landmark collection is a new edition of Symbol sculpture by Alexander Liberman,
    “The Rockford “Symbol” in Sinnissippi Park along the river is by far the best selling ornament of all other buildings and places that have been made  into ornaments since we started commissioning them back in 1997,” said Jerry Kortman. “It really has become Rockford’s definitive landmark!”
        Besides the Elk’s Club and the new Symbol, other ornaments in the collection include  the Rockford Armory, which is also a National Landmark along with two different ornaments of the Coronado Performing Arts Center.
    Rockford Landmark Ornament Collection also includes the Embassy Suites Hotel, Prairie Street Brewhouse, East and West High Schools, St. Anthony Church, two views of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Laurent House, a special edition of Memorial Hall, the Beattie Park Gazebo, the Faust Landmark Building, the “Y” Log Lodge, Burpee Natural History Museum, Anderson Gardens, and Midway Theater Building.
       In addition to the Swedish Historical Society’s Erlander Home, other historic houses in the collection include the  “Limestone Mansion,” home to the Community Foundation of Northern Illinois, and the “Cobblestone House,” located at 2127 Broadway, one of Rockford’s oldest houses.    
    All the Landmark ornament images are individually hand-painted on the inside of a glass sphere, utilizing an ancient Chinese technique originally applied to “snuff” bottles. Each collectable ornament is a miniature work of art.