J. R. Kortman Center for Design / Kortman Gallery

"Modern Design: The freedom to mix, to choose, to change." Explore J.R Kortman Center for Design Tuesday-Friday, 11am to 6pm & Saturdays, 11am to 5pm. Now on exhibit upstairs in the Kortman Gallery..."Eye to Eye:Here's Looking at You" featuring the works of Rockford artist, Norm Knott & Door County (Wisc.) artist, David Franke.

To visit our online store click on the link below:

j-r-kortman-center-for-design.square.site

Hope you're enjoying these warm summer days of July! Stop by soon and check out our J.R. Kortman Summer Sale...Save 50% on items selected from throughout the store! New items added every week.

J.R. Kortman's new online store is now available for you to browse and make purchases of a limited selection items. We are able to provide curbside service, free local home delivery in the immediate Rockford area, or have your online purchases gift wrapped (by request) and ready for you to pickup in our store. We can arrange for shipping anywhere (standard rates apply). Our online store is designed to give you a sampling of some of the things we have available, however, for the best shopping experience, we invite you to explore and enjoy our store & gallery in person...

Tuesday – Friday, 11am-6pm
Saturday, 11-5pm
Enjoy shopping in a safe and comfortable socially distanced environment. We will be complying with all of the City of Rockford’s guidelines for small retail businesses.

Starting Wednesday, May 6th, J.R. Kortman Center for Design will be open for curbside pick-up from 1-5pm Wednesday through Saturday! We know that Mother’s Day,  birthdays, anniversaries, and other occasions for gift giving go on!
    Let us be your personal shoppers! Check out J.R. Kortman Center for Design on Facebook or our #jrkortman on Instagram for gift ideas.  Besides our “store hours,” we can also be available anytime by appointment for curbside pickup or local home delivery. You can text 815-540-7187 to request purchases and delivery options…and we can gift wrap!
    Don’t forget you can buy a J.R.Kortman eGift Card on line, by clicking the link below. We are also participating in Rockford Art Deli’s T-shirt promotion “HereForGoodRKFD.” When you purchase a J.R. Kortman designed T-shirt from RAD, we get 40% of the proceeds…which is helpful in theses challenging times. There’s also a ink below where you can order a shirt online.
Hope you all stay safe and well!
Warmest regards,
Doc&Jerry
J.R. Kortman eGift Card link:https://squareup.com/gift/KY1M23Q2N1Q25/order?external_source=postoffice-egift-widget&external_token=aJONaSBq6MAh1nIL
Order T-Shirt here: https://rockfordartdeli.com/products/j-r-kortman-center-for-design

Store telephone: 815-968-0123

 

When Rockford artist Norm Knott and Door County artist David Franke met, there was an immediate connection, not only with the visual imagery in their work, but also the inspiration behind the engaging pieces they create. They both see the world around them through a spiritual lens that is reflected in their work…both using the eye as a visual theme in many of their pieces.
    The two artists come together in the exhibition, “Eye to Eye: Here’s Looking at You” opening Friday February 7th, 5:30 to 9pm in the Kortman Gallery in downtown Rockford.
    “I look at the eye from the  inside out,” said Franke. “Many people look into the eyes to see your soul, your essence…I’m using my eyes to see my world, and interpret my world.”
    Frank, who lives near Egg Harbor, Wisconsin, creates quirky, eye-catching interactive sculptures and assemblages often with the eye as the focus of the piece.
    It was former Rockford gallerist Charlene Berg who introduced David Franke to Norm Knott while visiting her Gallery X, now in Door County.
    “She immediately saw not only the visual connection in our work, but also our like minded inspiration in our art,” said Knott. “Our work is very different, but their is a definite visual and spiritual connection with our art.”
    It’s this connection that motivated Kortman Gallery director Doc Slafkosky to invite the artists to exhibit together in this two-person show.
    “Eye to Eye” will feature Knott’s personal, wearable art along with his “Normaments,” a term Knott coined to describe his pieces that you could also refer to as “table jewelry.”
    Franke will be exhibiting be small scale sculptural assemblages and mixed media works that he has become known for in the Door County art scene.
    “Eye to Eye: Here’s Looking at You,” featuring the 3-Dimensional, and mixed media works by David Franke & Norm Knott opens First Friday, February 7th, with an artists’ reception from 5:30 to 9 pm in the Kortman Gallery, located upstairs at J. R. Kortman Center for Design, 107 North Main Street in Downtown Rockford. The exhibit will run through March 31st. For more information call 815-968-0123.

At J.R. Kortman Center for Design explore and discover cutting edge design in our store on the first floor and intriguing art from artists, both local and international, upstairs in the Kortman Gallery...since 1986 @ 107 North Main Street in Downtown Rockford.