Kortman Gallery celebrates 25 years with Cherri Rittenhouse exhibition during Fall ArtScene, Oct. 14 &15

Cherri Rittenhouse to Unveil New                   
          Painting at Kortman Gallery

Cherri Rittenhouse, one of Rockford’s most accomplished artists, will be unveiling a new painting at 7pm during the opening of her exhibition at the Kortman Gallery on Friday, October 14th. The exhibition titled “25: Rittenhouse @ Kortman” features selected works by Rittenhouse, first artist and curator of the Kortman Gallery, marking the 25th anniversary of the Gallery. Paintings in the exhibit represent works created by Rittenhouse over the past 25 years through the present.
“We’re so excited to have Cherri showing again in the gallery after 25 years,” said Doc Slafkosky, gallery director. “We thought it would be fun to have an actual unveiling of a new piece to add to the excitement.”
Rittenhouse whose works can best be described as Expressionistic Abstraction with subject matter comprised of inner visions and personal narratives that are derived from subconscious sources. 
“I never know what I’m going to do,” Rittenhouse says, “I just make an image and then respond to it and see where it takes me. It’s very freeing to work this way – it’s like uncovering a part of myself that I didn’t know existed.”
Highlights of her career as a painter include a Best of Show award at the New Horizons in Art at The Chicago Cultural Center, her time as a gallery artist with the Phyllis Kind Gallery in Chicago in the 1990’s, shows in Mexico where she now has a home and studio as well as a show at the prestigious Vida Museum in Borgholm, Sweden in 2009.
In addition to being Professor of Art at Rock Valley College, Rittenhouse owns and operates two restaurants, Josef of Barbados and Pearl, with her chef husband, Josef Schwaiger. They live in Rockford with their daughter, Sofia.
The opening receptions for “25: Rittenhouse @ Kortman” exhibition will be Friday, October 14th and Saturday, October 15th from 5 to 9pm in conjunction with Fall ArtScene.  The gallery is located upstairs at J. R. Kortman Center for Design, 107 North Main Street. For further information call 815/968-0123 or visit www.jrkortman.com.

What: “25: Rittenhouse @ Kortman” art exhibit featuring 
                         paintings by Cherri Rittenhouse
When: Opening receptions: Friday, October 14th, 5 to 9:00pm (unveiling of new painting at 7pm) and Saturday, October 15th, 3 to 9pm. Exhibits runs thru November 19th. Gallery & Store open Monday to Saturday, 10am – 6pm
Where: Kortman Gallery, upstairs at J. R. Kortman Center for Design, 
             107 North Main St.
Admission: Free 

To see images of Cherri Rittenhouse's exhibiton click on the "Current Show" option to the left. If you are viewing this via posterous go to kortmangallery@posterous.com.