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 7th. 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.

 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.

 Kintsugi is the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery by mending the areas of breakage with a lacquer of gold, silver, or platinum. As a philosophy, it treats breakage and repair as part of the history on an object, rather than something to disguise.
    Rockford ceramic artist Margret Hesler Hynes inspired by this artistic philosophy has created a body of new works in an exhibition titled, “From Broken to Beauty.” Her show opens Friday, July 19th from 5:30 to 9pm in the Kortman Gallery, Downtown Rockford.
    “Mending the damage is not to hide or repair, but to accentuate and emphasize it.  This encourages the viewer to accept, celebrate, and see new beauty in the imperfections,” said  Hessler Hynes.
    Hesler Hynes has been creating intriguing works in ceramic for most her art career not only as an artist, but an art educator.
    “There’s an organic quality to Margret’s theme-driven ceramic pieces. Many of her works have recognizable elements incorporated into her hands-on approach to her sculptural vessels,” says Kortman Gallery director Doc Slafkosky.
     She has participated in numerous shows in the Kortman Gallery including a solo exhibit in 2014 where she exhibited her nature inspired ceramic totems. Images of her past works are featured in “Collection,” an art book by published by Doc Slafkosky and Jerry Kortman of their personal collection of art and artifacts. She continues to make art in her retirement from teaching in the art department with the Rockford Public Schools.
    “From Broken to Beauty” featuring new ceramic works by Margret Hesler Hynes will open with a reception on Friday, July 19th , 5:30 to 9pm upstairs in the Kortman Gallery, 107 North Main Street in Downtown Rockford. Her exhibit will run through September 28th. 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 visit www.jrkortman.com or phone 815-968-0123.

The opening event and gallery are free and open to the public. For more information visit phone 815-968-0123. 

Originally pursuing a career path in criminal justice, Rockford artist Braydon Letsinger’s plans changed when he felt called to formally use and pursue his gifts of art-making. As a Studio Arts major, he has created an intriguing body of works that are featured in an exhibition with an equally intriguing title. Letsinger’s “Staring at Strangers: becoming acquainted with humanity through portraiture” opens Friday, June 30th in the Kortman Gallery.
    HIs compelling paintings combine traditional, realistic portraiture with geometric, abstract patterns in conjunction with contemporary materials like holographic film, fluorescent paint, and aluminum panels.
    “All of my work focuses on what I consider to be the most interesting, but most confusing subject – people and their inner workings,” said Letsinger. “For me, portraiture has been a way to break down barriers to more deeply understand others around me, and to begin to connect my viewers with these painted ‘strangers’ who are more similar to them than they realize.”
    Letsinger approached the Kortman Gallery more than a year ago with a portfolio of his work says gallery director, Doc Slafkosky. “The caliber of Braydon’s work showed that he was a serious, and most certainly, talented, aspiring artist,” said Slafkosky. “His unique combination of traditional realist painting with modern, colorful imagery is approachable, while still honoring the painting tradition and keeping his work relevant and fresh.”
    The majority of Letsinger’s somber-faced subjects were fellow students and faculty from Harding University in Searcy, Arkansas, where he completed his arts degree. His captivating work utilizes the combination of classic realistic portraits of these “strangers” with abstract, geometric elements to speak into the character of his subjects and humanity as a whole.
    “Staring at Strangers” featuring paintings by Braydon Letsinger opening reception is Friday, June 30th from 5:30 to 9pm upstairs in the Kortman Gallery, 107 North Main Street in Downtown Rockford. His exhibit will run through September 30th. J.R. Kortman Center for Design & 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 artists Penny McGuire and Summer Wagner capture their images through the lens of a camera. However, their creative energy goes beyond the subsequent photograph. They both reimagine their photographs and create images that offer a unique perspective that defines their art.
    The engaging images from each these photographers will be presented in the Kortman Gallery in “Photography reimagined,” an exhibition opening Friday, February 10th in the Kortman Gallery, Downtown Rockford.
    In her photographs, Penny McGuire is drawn to architecture, landscape and still life images.
    “I started experimenting with different settings on my 12 yr old Sony Cybershot to find different ways to record the images I saw”, says McGuire. “I am drawn to architecture, outdoor art and odd things as they relate to their natural environment and to each other.  Many of my photos are several different photos of the same shot in different modes.”
    Most of McGuire’s images in this show are primarily Rockford-related with a few eccentric still life’s and historic sites around the Midwest artistically enhanced to interject her expressive perspective to the photograph.
    After living in Los Angeles for ten years, the pandemic brought Summer Wagner back to Rockford, where she had spent much of her childhood.   
    Wagner’s images offer an extraordinary departure from what can be seen through the lens of a camera alone. Her photographs are ethereal fantasy of people in romantic, yet provocative settings that she visually creates.
    “My work contemplates the spiritual and psychological threads of everyday life and the blur of poetry that is our society's collective dreamscape,” writes Wagner in her artist’s statement.
    Doc Slafkosky, Kortman gallery director says these two artists were chosen because of the entirely different approaches they bring to photography.
    “Not only do Penny and Summer represent different generations, but their artistic vision also represents a different kind of photographic imagery,” said Slafkosky. They both, in some way, reimagine their photographs, but their style and subject matter are so different, that the contrast makes for an engaging and visually entertaining exhibition.”
    Meet the artists at the Kortman Gallery opening reception for “Photography reimagined,” featuring works by Penny McGuire and Summer Wagner Friday, February 10th from 5:30 to 9pm.  The gallery is located upstairs at J. R. Kortman Center for Design, 107 North Main Street in Downtown Rockford. The exhibit is free, and open to the public. The exhibition will run though April 25th, 2023. For more information call 815-968-0123 or visit www.jrkortman.com.