J. R. Kortman Center for Design / Kortman Gallery

On November 21st, J.R. Kortman Center for Design starts it 40th year in business in Downtown Rockford. To celebrate this milestone, the Kortman Gallery has invited 25 accomplished artists to exhibit in “year40,” a holiday group show opening Friday, November 21st.
    “The invited artists have consistently, over the years, created superb works of art and are still involved in the art community today,” says Doc Slafkosky, co-owner and Kortman Gallery director. “Each of these enduring artists has been featured in the Kortman Gallery in multiple group and solo shows. Their exhibitions represent each of the four decades of art that was displayed in the Kortman Gallery…starting with the first exhibition featuring paintings by Cherri Rittenhouse, who also served as the gallery’s curator until 1990."  
    “We have been fortunate and privileged over the years to have exhibited, not only these great artists, but also many other talented and remarkable artists,” says co-owner Jerry Kortman. “They have all contributed to the success and longevity of our business.”
    To commemorate the business’s 40th year and this milestone art show, J.R. Kortman has created a 2026 calendar that features images of each of the 25 artworks on display in the “year40” exhibition. The desk-style calendars will be available for purchase through the run of the show which ends on January 10th, 2026.
    Slafkosky and Kortman purchased and renovated the historic, Barloga designed building at 107 North Main Street in 1985 and opened J.R.Kortman Center for Design on November 20th, 1986. The vision for the store and gallery was to bring an entertaining and quality shopping experience, with an emphasis on great design and fine art, to Downtown Rockford.
    J.R. Kortman has become the longest running retail establishment still operated by the original owners in Downtown Rockford.
    Participating artists include: Zoa Ace, Stephen Warde Anderson, Sarah Bell, Lynn Fischer Carlson, Jesus Correa, John Deill, Michelle Dorr, Fatherless, Matt Herbig, Brian Hierstein, Margret Hynes, Lisa Jimenez, Carrie Johnson, Norm Knott, Jenny Mathews, Robin McCauley, Valerie Olafson, Paul Pinzarrone, Steve Pitkin, Louis Recchia, Cherri Rittenhouse, Joanlee Stassi, Brett Whitacre, Kyle Wolfe, Betsy Youngquist.
    The “year40” holiday group exhibition featuring 25 artists will open with an artists’ reception Friday, November 21st from 5:30 to 9pm upstairs in the Kortman Gallery, 107 North Main Street in Downtown Rockford. The exhibit will run through January 10th. J.R. Kortman Center for Design and Kortman Gallery are open Tuesday through Friday, 11am to 6pm and Saturdays, 11am to 5pm. 
    The opening event and gallery are free and open to the public. For more information phone 815-968-0123.

Rockford artist Michelle Dorr’s art works featuring portraits show not only her love for animals, but also her passion for bold, bright colors. Her exhibition “Michelle’s Groove: In Loving Color” which opens Friday & Saturday, October 3rd & 4th in the Kortman Gallery, offers a visually charged, colorful group of new paintings.

Not only her art is colorful, but she is surrounded by color in her home…her painting goes beyond her canvases to an environment she has created both inside and outside the house in her patio and backyard.

Dorr has been painting pet portraits for over 20 years. Her use of color and attention to detail, especially the subjects’ eyes, creates fun and lively portraits of pets, farm animals, wildlife, humans and other creatures.

“My inspiration comes from the connection humans have to animals and the important roles they play in our lives,” says Dorr. “The title of my show, “Michelle’s Groove: In Loving Color” comes from a playlist of 346 songs created on Spotify of music that I like and inspires me while I’m painting. I also want to emphasize ‘loving color’ to express not only my passion for animals, but also for bright, bold colors…so I thought it was the perfect name.”

Dorr grew up in a family of artists. Her sister, Sherrie Dorr, is also an accomplished artist, as was her father.

“I grew up in a family of artists and crafters and creativity filled my childhood,” said Dorr. “My father was a commercial artist by trade, but his true passion was pastel portraits and landscapes. His studio was at home and I spent many hours watching him create and learning his techniques to bring the subject alive, especially the eyes.”

“Michelle’s portraits seem to capture the spirit of an animal because of her attention to the eyes,” said Doc Slafkosky, Kortman Gallery director.  “The old adage that the eyes are the windows to the soul, is certainly characterized in her engaging paintings. The charm of her works is that they create a personal relationship between the image and the viewer.”

“Michelle’s Groove: In Loving Color,” featuring new works by Michelle Dorr will open with an artist’s receptions on Friday, October 3rd from 5 to 9pm, and Saturday, October 4th, from 4 to 8pm upstairs in the Kortman Gallery, 107 North Main Street in Downtown Rockford. Her openings dates are part of the Fall ArtScene weekend. Her exhibit will run through November 15th. 

J.R. Kortman Center for Design and Kortman Gallery are open Tuesday through Friday, 11am to 6pm and Saturdays, 11am to 5pm. The opening event and gallery are free and open to the public. For more information phone 815-968-0123. 

   

    
     Rockford clay artist Ginny Hatwich creates sculptural ceramic totems and vessels that invite contemplation, connection, and surprise. Her elegant, alluring works will be presented in a Kortman Gallery exhibition, titled “Shaped by Hand, Touched by Flame: Ceramic Totems and Vessels for Moments of Quiet Discovery.” The exhibit opens Friday, June 27th, 5:30 to 9pm
    Hatwich’s work, created with elements from the earth, has been greatly inspired by nature. It is the subtle merging of craft and art.    
    “My ceramic practice is grounded in a lifelong connection to nature and an early foundation in painting,” says Hatwich. “I approach clay much like a canvas, attuned to surface, texture, and composition. But unlike a painting, each piece is transformed through fire, a collaborator that brings depth, unpredictability, and strength.”
    For over a decade, Hatwich also served as a docent at Anderson Japanese Gardens which has deeply shaped her aesthetic sensibility. 
    “I’m especially drawn to the Japanese principle of miegakure, or "hide and
reveal"--the idea that beauty is often discovered gradually, in quiet moments of attention,” says Hatwich in her artist’s statement. “I aim for my work to evoke that sense of discovery. Sculptures are designed to be found in the garden, half-veiled by foliage, or to offer a subtle presence indoors. They invite a pause, a second glance, a tactile curiosity.”
    According to Kortman Gallery director Doc Slafkosky, Hatwich’s exhibition showcases a collection of ceramic totems and vessels that invite contemplation, connection, and surprise.
     “Ginny’s work, especially her totems, offer a visual treat of color, composition, and narrative with her recognizable 2 and 3D elements incorporated into these both indoor and garden sculptures,” Slafkosky said. “It’s the perfect time of year to present such an outstanding exhibit.”
    “Shaped by Hand, Touched by Flame: Ceramic Totems and Vessels for Moments of Quiet Discovery,” featuring  works by Ginny Hatwich will open with an artist’s reception Friday, June 27th from 5:30 to 9pm upstairs in the Kortman Gallery, 107 North Main Street in Downtown Rockford. Her exhibit will run through September 27th. J.R. Kortman Center for Design and Kortman Gallery are open Tuesday through Friday, 11am to 6pm and Saturdays, 11am to 5pm. 
    The opening event and gallery are free and open to the public. For more information phone 815-968-0123.

        Rockford artist Jeanne Reitsch calls herself an unintended artist.
“My happiness comes from working with bold and rich fabric,” says Reitsch. “Along with found objects I create fun and whimsical art, intending to put a smile on one’s face.”
    Reitsch’s vivid and captivating textile artworks will be featured a a solo exhibition, titled “Step Into Color” opening in the Kortman Gallery April 25th, ArtScene weekend. The exhibition will present Reitsch’s colorful mixed media works in both 2D and 3D.
    Reitsch started her art career making works with paper such as decoupage and collage which led into her interest in textiles. Reitsch’s work with fabric art started by deconstructing a cherished sweater of of her mother-in-law, Enrica Reitsch, who passed away in 2020.
    “My passion for creating fabric art comes from the influence of my mother in law Enrica,” said Reitsch. She was a well known talented seamstress in Rockford. Through our close relationship I gained an appreciation for art, style and fabrics.”
    The deconstructed fabrics from that cherished sweater of Enrica’s became the materials Reitsch used to create some her first works of art: garden spirit dolls she created for her family and friends.
    “That personal and creative spirit can still be seen in her work today,” says Kortman Gallery director Doc Slafkosky. “Jeanne’s attention to detail and colorful, bold fabric combined with found objects are both whimsical and sophisticated.  Her extraordinary work is really something to experience. She is a one-of-a kind talent in the Rockford art community.”
    “Step Into color” featuring 2 and 3D textile works by Jeanne Reitsch will open with receptions ArtScene weekend, April 25th & 26th, Friday, 5 to 9pm & Saturday, 4 to 9pm upstairs in the Kortman Gallery, 107 North Main Street in Downtown Rockford. Her exhibit will run through June 21st. J.R. Kortman Center for Design and Kortman Gallery are open Tuesday through Friday, 11am to 6pm and Saturdays, 11am to 5pm.
    The opening event and gallery are free and open to the public. For more information phone 815-968-0123 or checkout the J.R. Kortman facebook page.

25 Rockford artists create small scale works for Kortman Gallery group exhibit..."Window Shopping: Art within a Space"

    One of the fond memories of urban Christmas shopping was looking in department store and shop windows and seeing the magical holiday displays in the front windows. Everything looked so exciting and alluring.
    The Kortman Gallery hopes to recapture that holiday shopping experience in this group exhibition, “Window Shopping: Art within a Space” which runs through January 11th, 2025.
    Twenty-four of some of Rockford’s most accomplished artists have been invited to create a small scale work of art that will fit within a 12 inch by 12 inch “window” box. The result is a dazzling array of media, including paintings, ceramics, sculptures, and mixed media.
    “The invited artists were not restricted by media or subject matter allowing each artist to work in their own creative realm,” said Doc Slafkosky, Kortman Gallery director. “The only restriction was size.”
    A series of small window boxes has been installed in the gallery to recapture a “window shopping” experience. Each work of art is displayed within its own space allowing the viewer to explore and discover each work of art as they walk around the room.
    “We hope that a visit to this exhibition, in a small way, emulates that magical holiday memory of looking into store windows and seeing an exciting Christmas gift you hoped you might receive,” says Slafkosky.
    Participating artists include: Stephen Warde Anderson, Lynn Fischer Carlson, Molly Carter, Nick Cashmere, Jesus Correa, John Deill, Michelle Dorr, Drew Eurek, Fatherless,  Drew Helge, Brian Hierstein, Lisa Jimenez, Carrie Johnson, Brent Jones, Jeremy Klonicki, Norm Knott, R. Scott Long, Nancie King Mertz, Jeanne Reitsch, Cherri Rittenhouse, Scott Snyder, Joe Tallman, Brett Whitacre, Dysen White, Kyle Wolfe, and Betsy Youngquist.

    The beautiful new Rockford Public Library has been selected as this year’s new ornament added to the Rockford Landmark Ornament collection at J.R. Kortman Center for Design at 107 North Main Street.
    “The new library is such a cultural and architectural asset for our Downtown and riverfront,” says Doc Slafkosky, co-owner of J.R. Kortman. “It is the first time we’ve selected a brand new building to be in the Rockford Landmark Ornament Collection, but the building has become an significant and admired landmark the moment it was completed this past spring.”
    The Iconic Building (formerly the Rockford News Tower) and the Times Theater are are also part this of unique collection of hand painted ornaments that have been created for J.R. Kortman of local landmarks since 1997.
    Other recent additions to the Landmark Collection include the Elks Lodge, the Embassy Suites Hotel, Coronado Theatre and the Rockford Armory. All are on Main Street and each are official Registered National Landmarks.
    Alexander Liberman’s “Symbol” sculpture 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 Slafkosky.  “It really has become Rockford’s definitive landmark!”
    The Rockford Landmark Ornament Collection also includes the 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 the Coronado stage/proscenium.
       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 indigenous art technique unique to China, originally applied to “snuff” bottles and other vessels since the early 1800’s. Each collectable ornament is truly a miniature work of art.

 One of the fond memories of urban Christmas shopping was looking in department store and shop windows and seeing the magical holiday displays in the front windows. Everything looked so exciting and alluring.
    The Kortman Gallery hopes to recapture that holiday shopping experience in its holiday group exhibition, “Window Shopping: Art within a Space” opening Friday, November 22nd, from 5:30 to 9pm.
    Twenty-four of some of Rockford’s most accomplished artists have been invited to create a small scale work of art that will fit within a 12 inch by 12 inch “window” box. The result is a dazzling array of media, including paintings, ceramics, sculptures, and mixed media.
    “The invited artists were not restricted by media or subject matter allowing each artist to work in their own creative realm,” said Doc Slafkosky, Kortman Gallery director. “The only restriction was size.”
    A series of small window boxes has been installed in the gallery to recapture a “window shopping” experience. Each work of art is displayed within its own space allowing the viewer to explore and discover each work of art as they walk around the room.
    “We hope that a visit to this exhibition, in a small way, emulates that magical holiday memory of looking into store windows and seeing an exciting Christmas gift you hoped you might receive,” says Slafkosky.
    Participating artists include: Stephen Warde Anderson, Lynn Fischer Carlson, Molly Carter, Jesus Correa, John Deill, Michelle Dorr, Drew Eurek, Fatherless,  Drew Helge, Brian Hierstein, Lisa Jimenez, Carrie Johnson, Brent Jones, Jeremy Klonicki, Norm Knott, R. Scott Long, Nancie King Mertz, Jeanne Reitsch, Cherri Rittenhouse, Scott Snyder, Joe Tallman, Brett Whitacre, Dysen White, Kyle Wolfe, and Betsy Youngquist.
    “Window Shopping: Art within a Space” a holiday group exhibition featuring works by twenty-four Rockford artists will open with a reception on Friday, November 22nd, upstairs in the Kortman Gallery, 107 North Main Street in Downtown Rockford. The exhibit will run through January 11th, 2025. J.R. Kortman Center for Design and Kortman Gallery are open Tuesday through Friday, 11am to 6pm and Saturdays, 11am to 5pm. The store and gallery will be open seven days a week starting Monday, December 2nd through Christmas Eve.
    The opening event and gallery are free and open to the public. For more information visit www.jrkortman.com or phone 815-968-0123.