Father's Day Gifts with an empahasis on great design and FUN from J.R. Kortman Center for Design


Here are some great Father's Day gift ideas that Dad will enjoy for years to come!: Award winning design bottle openers,"Bottle" wine caddy, "Dear Dad" gift book with cherished quotes about being a father,  espresso makers from Alessi, elegant cocktail shaker/server by Marianne Brandt from the 1920's,recycled rulers photo frame, classic & fish flasks, "Guns'n'Roses ceramic vase and skull, retro magnifying device, chair 'sculpture' from MoMA, hand-carved sandal wood figures & miniature Chinese furniture, , shot glasses/desk figures & shoe horn, robot lunch box, classic ceramic Haeger vessels by Frank Lloyd Wright, wooden robot puzzle, 4 faces of Buddha, ceramic desk robot, Alessi limited editon wine openers, and MoMA wall clock...





"Gray Areas" group exhibition opens First Friday, June 2nd in the Kortman Gallery

Burpee Natural History Museum inspires Roosevelt Art Students to Create Mural, Art Exhibit in Kortman Gallery
A group of art students from Roosevelt Alternative High School have been engaged in a yearlong project that uses art to teach the scientific ideas behind human sustainability. After an inspiring tour of the Burpee Natural History Museum, the students’ artistic spirit culminated with them creating a large scale mural and other smaller pieces. These works will be featured in a Kortman  Gallery exhibit titled “Gray Areas,” opening Friday, June 2nd.
“Students with an interest in art and the ability to make deeper connections were chosen to tour the Burpee Museum and find issues related to Earth Science that they were most intrigued by,” says Kyle Wolfe, art instructor at Roosevelt.  
Inspired by Burpee’s Windows to Wilderness display, this group of young artists quickly began asking questions about how the environment could change if humans continue with the energy and environmental decisions they are currently making.
“Eager to express their ideas artistically, the students decided to work together to create a mural,” said art instructor Brian Hierstein.  “Each of the students contributed imagery in their own artistic style in black, white, and gray, resulting in a large, exciting cohesive artwork” 
Rockford artist Corey Hagberg came to Roosevelt to discuss his experiences as an artist and his time spent working with “En Masse,” a Canadian art collective, during projects in Chicago, Detroit and Florida.  He worked with the students to create a background that would enhance the visual narrative the students were trying to convey. 
The students sketched and planned several images and then worked together to arrange these ideas into a large scale mural. 
According to Wolfe, the work represents the students’ opinions on human sustainability and where they see the world going if we continue with current policies and ideas about climate change.
“We are thrilled to show the ‘Gray Areas’ exhibition in the Kortman Gallery allowing this talented group of young artists to share their artistic vision with the general public,” says gallery director Doc Slafkosky. “Four foot sections of the the large mural will be sold, along with other student works, and a portion of the proceeds will be donated to the Burpee Natural History Museum”
Participating artists include:
Sarahi Alvarado, Seion Barbor, Armon Conner, Javier Flores, Berenice Galvan, Yael Goriono, Ashley Haley, Anthony Hunter, Stefvon Kalepp, Jasmine Knuth, Shiann Kolff, Jonathan Lane,Tyesha Rogers, Jackeline Rosales, Jumanee Smith, Michael Spiva

Opening reception for the “Gray Areas’ exhibition in the Kortman Gallery will be Friday, June 2nd, 5:30 to 9pm. It will be on display through June 30th. Kortman Gallery is located upstairs at J. R. Kortman Center for Design, 107 North Main Street in Downtown Rockford. The opening reception is free and open to the public. For more information call 815-968-0123 or visit www.jrkortman.com.









A great gift for Mom, this Mother's Day from J.R. Kortman Center for Design!

This Mother's Day, Sunday, May 14th, take your Mom for dinner or brunch and present her with an extraordinary gift from J.R. Kortman Center for Design. It can be both practical and beautiful like a Michael Graves designed water kettle, or something elegant like a pearl necklace or hand-blown glass perfume bottle, or even a piece of original art from the Kortman Gallery. Whatever you choose she will treasure it for a lifetime since it came from you and J.R. Kortman! Open Monday - Friday, 11am to 6pm & Saturday, 11am to 5pm

Speleothems inspire Artist Carmen Turner’s Abstract Works in Kortman Gallery Exhibit...opening April 21st!


Her subject matter is speleothems, which most people know as stalactites and stalagmites. They are sculptures of nature and they have inspired the latest works by Rockford artist Carmen Turner who will exhibit her series of abstract art for ArtScene weekend, Friday and Saturday, April 21st and 22nd in the Kortman Gallery.
    Turner, who creates her work at MainFraim studio in Rockford, has titled her exhibition, “The Space Between” in reference to her fascination with origin, shape, and formation of speleothems.
    “The goal of my collection is to capture their temporary form. I make no attempt to depict speleothems as they occur in nature, rather to use color and texture to celebrate their growth, overall shape, and the inevitable lessening of the space between.”
    “As member of the MainFraim studio, which is known for artistically repurposing historic found objects, Carmen has such a great sense of the things that are old and how they fit into an eclectic contemporary world,” says Kortman Gallery director Doc Slafkosky. “She also builds her own frames which ads authenticity to her intriguing works.”
     Opening receptions for Carmen Turner’s Spring ArtScene exhibition, “The Space Between” in the Kortman Gallery will be Friday, April 21st, 5 to 10pm and Saturday, April 22nd, 4-9pm. It will be on display through May 31st. Kortman Gallery is located upstairs at J. R. Kortman Center for Design, 107 North Main Street in Downtown Rockford. The opening receptions are free and open to the public. For more information call 815-968-0123 or visit www.jrkortman.com.

New Store & Gallery hours!...Monday to Friday 11am – 6pm, Saturday, 11am – 5pm

If you haven't seen the beautiful paintings by Rockford artists JoanLee Stassi, her exhibition, "Reflections: Backward/Forward...Paintings/Prints" has been extended through April 12th. Scroll down and read more about Ms. Stassi and her intriguing works. Kortman Gallery is hosting a "closing party" for JoanLee's show on First Friday, April 7th from 6-10pm, (maybe even later) featuring Dennis Horton tending the Kortman Gallery Bar!

And don't forget our new Store & Gallery hours are Monday to Friday 11am – 6pm and Saturday 11am – 5pm!

The Sea & Primitive Cultures inspire Rockford Artist JoanLee Stassi in Kortman Gallery Exhibit Opening February 3rd

    Rockford artist JoanLee Stassi feels as much at home in her Provincetown (Massachusetts) studio as she does in her hometown of Rockford when she is creating her dynamic and engaging works of art. A resident of both contrasting environments, Stassi has embraced her surroundings that have impacted her work and life for her entire art career.

     On Friday, February 3rd, Stassi will be presenting works from the past and present, both paintings and prints in “Reflections: Backward/Forward…Paintings/Prints,” an exhibition opening in the Kortman Gallery, Downtown Rockford.

     “The sea plays a prominent role in the imagery found in my paintings and prints,” says Stassi. “The opportunity to live and work in the oceanside community of Provincetown, Massachusetts, along with travels to various Caribbean Islands, and even music, continually nurtures my visual language.”

      Stassi writes in her artist’s statement, “Myths and rituals found in primitive cultures, Carl Jung’s theory of universal symbolism, along with the spiritual beauty nature provides are important elements that I draw from.”
    
    “JoanLee had a solo show of her large scale paintings in the Kortman Gallery more than 20 years ago,” says gallerist, Doc Slafkosky. “We are excited to present not only some of her beautiful paintings, but also her recently created monoprints and photo etchings.”

      Opening reception for JoanLee Stassi’s exhibition, “Reflections: Backward/Forward…Paintings/Prints” in the Kortman Gallery will be Friday, February 3rd, 5:30 to 9pm. It will be on display through March 18th. Kortman Gallery is located upstairs at J. R. Kortman Center for Design, 107 North Main Street in Downtown Rockford. The opening reception is free and open to the public. For more information call 815-968-0123