J. R. Kortman Center for Design / Kortman Gallery

Shades of green...warm up your Spring with these St. Patrick's Day inspired gifts...serving tray from Alessi, turquoise necklace, Magritte's pipe plate, ceramic turtle, frog purse, and bunny paper towel dispenser shown with a green iphone case, and plastic watering vessel, last, but not least, a handmade glass star by Robert Held...

Spring ahead with this cool clock with a unique adhesive backing that allows you to "stick" it where you might ordinarily not be able to hang one such as on a mirror, fridge, or even a window. The clock with smooth movement (battery operated) keeps accurate time and comes in several color combinations. See this and other contemporary wall clocks and watches @ J.R.Kortman Center for Design.

If you haven't experienced the Kortman Gallery - DAS music combination, you won't want to miss this first Friday.  Surrounded by Diane Rose Dailing's "Captured" exhibition, enjoy signature cocktails from bartender Dennis Horton and manually mixed beats by dj DAS...all together, leads to a great Friday night at J. R. Kortman Center for Design and the Kortman Gallery. Shop til 9 and relax upstairs in the galley late into the evening. Experience a refreshing First Friday in Downtown Rockford this Friday, March 6th.

Saturday is Valentine's Day...a day of Love and Romance. Make it last all year with a Love Token from J. R. Kortman Center for Design. Find a small keepsake that will be treasured forever along with a elegant necklace or jewelry for her or a cool watch or original work of art for him, or something wonderful for your home that you can both enjoy.  Celebrate Love with a great dinner, champagne, chocolate and a great gift from J. R. Kortman! Cuddle up and stay warm.

Seeing Rockford artist Diane Rose Dailing’s art is like discovering newly uncovered drawings and sculpture from some uncertain ancient time, yet it also is like discovering fresh contemporary works that capture the classic beauty and alluring characteristics of the human figure. Dailing’s expressive, figurative drawings and sculpture can be seen starting Friday, February 6th in an exhibition titled, “Captured” at the Kortman Gallery in Downtown Rockford.
    Dailing, who has been creating drawings all her life, became intrigued with Pre-Columbian clay heads when she received a clay “trophy head” as a gift.
    “Clay heads were created to represent the number of the enemy killed in battle,” explains Dailing. “They look alike, anonymous and impersonal, and not all of those conquered were killed. Some were enslaved. This ancient idea of capturing a person in a work of art intrigued me since this is what inspires me with my drawings and my sculpture.”
    Dailing’s exhibition features both drawings of the human figure and sculpted clay heads that are more abstract than realistic. The small clay faces she presents in her show are people whose essence she strove to capture.
    “Some are actual acquaintances, some are people observed from afar, some are imaginary,” says Dailing. “I envisioned them looking stunned and defeated as I stole their likeness. My pieces in the exhibit represent people in the abstract, like the Pre-Hispanic clay figure that inspired me, but they are also captured objects, hung on the wall as hunters do their trophies”
    “Diane’s art is at once classic and contemporary,” says Doc Slafkosky, gallerist for the Kortman Gallery. “She’s a very talented artist who brings a mature style and sophistication to the Kortman Gallery.”
    Dailing received BA, MA and MFA degrees in Studio Art from the University of Iowa, with Figure Drawing as her area of emphasis. She has taught art in private and public schools, the Davenport Art Museum, Rockford Art Museum, and drawing classes at Black Hawk College and Rock Valley College.
     The Dailing exhibition, “Captured” will be will be on display through March 31st.The First Friday, February 6th opening reception will be from 5:30 to 9pm. The Kortman 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: “Captured,” an exhibition of works by Diane Rose Dailing opening reception, First Friday, February 6th, 5:30 to 9:00pm.
When:  The exhibition runs through March 31st. Gallery & Store open Monday to Saturday, 10am – 6pm.
Where: Kortman Gallery, upstairs at J. R. Kortman Center for Design,
             107 North Main Street, Downtown Rockford
Admission: Free and open to the public

For the 3rd consecutive year, the Kortman  Gallery (second floor @ J. R. Kortman Center for Design) is one of the co-hosts of the Rockford Public Schools All-City high school art exhibition from January 8th through January 26th. Octane Interlounge and Conveyor Gallery are hosting the 2-dimensional works and Kortman Gallery is featuring 3-dimensional and 2-D student art. A reception for the artists and public is scheduled for Thursday evening, January 15th from 6pm to 8pm at all 3 venues. The student exhibition can be seen at the Kortman Gallery 10am to 6pm, Monday through Saturday, now through January 26th. The photos are a sampling of works on display in the Kortman Gallery.  Exhibition hours vary at the other 2 venues...please call in advance. Conveyor Gallery (317 West Jefferson), (815) 540-9554...Octane Interlounge (124 North Main), (815) 965-4012.

These are the last few days of the "Art & Design: Converging Creativity" exhibition. If you haven't seen this show or would like to see it again please stop by and see this very entertaining art show. The exhibit ends on Monday, January 5th. Once again, very Happy New Year...have a great 2015!

Come see our beautiful holiday storefront windows designed by the creative team at Scaryhouse. Our hats off to Scary Dan Gildea, Mari Gildea, and Sam Cornn who created the glittering, revolving fantasy Snow Palace and the Flashing ferris wheel that will keep you in the holiday spirit through the New Year! Speaking of New Year's, J. R. Kortman has that special gift from our store or an original work of art from the Kortman Gallery for your New Year's celebration...a gift that will be treasured for lifetime!