An image of the bridges of La Paloma Gardens has been selected as this year’s addition to the Rockford Landmark hand-painted ornaments collection from J. R. Kortman Center For Design. Also featured this year is a second-edition version of the Nicholas Conservatory which recently opened in Sinnissippi Park.
La Paloma Gardens, located in northeast Rockford, is owned and meticulously cared for by Rockford artist and philanthropist Karen Harding. La Paloma, Klem Arboretum, Nicholas Conservatory, Sinnissippi Gardens along with Anderson Gardens are good reasons for Rockford to take on the moniker of City of Gardens.
“Even though La Paloma is a privately owned garden, it has been the site of many cultural and special community events including Rockford Art Museum’s Art in the Garden, annual garden walks, as well as many prominent wedding celebrations,” said Doc Salfkosky, co-owner of J.R. Kortman Center for Design.
“We had another edition of the Nicholas Conservatory created because of popular demand. There is much excitement now that the spectacular superstructure of the conservatory is now a part of our river front landscape,” says Slafkosky.
The Downtown Rockford design store/gallery has been creating new ornaments every year for more than decade.
Also in the collection is a special edition of Memorial Hall, the Woodward Governor building, and the North Main Street Armory. Other ornaments available in the Landmark Collection include “Guardians of the Rock” Sculpture by Theresa Agnew, the Beattie Park Gazebo, Sinnissippi Lagoon, the Rockford News Tower, the Faust Landmark Building, Coronado, and Midway Theater Buildings, and the Coronado stage, Sinnissippi Bur Oak tree, Old City Hall, and “Symbol” sculpture, the best selling ornament in the collection.
“Other top sellers include four ornaments depicting different scenes of the beautiful Anderson Japanese Gardens,” says Salfkosky.
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 ancient Chinese technique originally applied to “snuff” bottles. Each collectable ornament is a miniature work of art. All ornaments are priced at $22 each.
