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.

The store and gallery will be CLOSED October 17th through October 26th for VACATION! We will resume normal hours on Thursday, October 27th. Looking forward to seeing you when we return!

 Growing up, Kyle Wolfe was always attracted to visually charged toys, video games, comics, and pop culture objects from the past. With a natural talent for art, he cultivated his artistic talent and curiosity that lead to a career not only as a multimedia visual artist, but an art educator.
    On Friday, October 14th Wolfe brings his extraordinary visual, interactive new works to the Kortman Gallery in an exhibit he calls, “Imaginary Friends.” The opening receptions, coincide with this year’s ArtSene weekend on Friday, October 14 from 5-9pm and  and Saturday, October 15, 4- 9pm.
    Wolfe’s imaginative, innovative exhibit includes painting with acrylics or oil, on recently rediscovered found objects from his past like skateboards, shoes, and even telephone. His attraction to comics, video games and the visual culture of his youth is also the inspiration for digital and print work that will also be featured in this exhibit.
    “My approach to creating has always been evolving,” says Wolfe. “I’m at point in my career where I feel the freedom to create in any way that moves me. This show has given me the opportunity to let go of control and express myself in multiple media utilizing anything that inspires me to become my canvas.”
    Since his personal relationship to the imagery of pop culture was such an important part of his early life, he relates to his newly created visual images as his “imaginary friends.” Some of his art makes references to known characters like Pac-man, Muppets characters, etc. while other creatures in his eye-popping, colorful works are pure fantasy.
    Many of his pieces will include an interactive QR code along side that will enhance and engage the viewers experience.
    “This is going to be a fun and entertaining exhibit for all ages,” said Doc Slafkosky, Kortman Gallery director. “This is not just paintings on the wall. You will have a great time exploring the imagination and creative spirit of this expressive and inspired artist.”
    This is Kyle Wolfe’s second solo exhibit in the Kortman Gallery. His first show in 2010 featured digital works called “A Thousand Words” creating images from visual fragments he created on the computer. Wolfe, a graduate of Northern Illinois University, teaches art in the Rockford Public Schools at Roosevelt High School.
    “Imaginary Friends,” new works by Kyle Wolfe opens Friday, October 14th from 5 to 9pm and Saturday, October 15th from 4 to 9pm upstairs in the Kortman Gallery, 107 North Main Street in Downtown Rockford. His exhibit will run through November 12th. J.R. Kortman Center for Design & Kortman Gallery are openTuesday to Friday, 11am to 6pm and Saturdays, 11 to 5pm. For more information visit www.jrkortman.com of phone 815-968-0123

Margret Hynes, John Lamar, and Marilynn Lamar have well established themselves in the Rockford arts community as accomplished artists. The three artists approached the Kortman Gallery with the idea of curating an exhibit featuring local artists creating works of art with an erotic theme…a subject rarely explored in the local art scene.

 The historic downtown Elk’s Lodge #64, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, has been selected as the new addition to the hand-painted Rockford Landmark Ornament Collection for 2021 at J.R. Kortman Center for Design.
    The building, which stands on the corner of North Main and Jefferson Streets, was built in 1913 and designed by the successful and influential Chicago architect Lawrence. P. Buck.
    “The beautiful and endangered downtown Elk’s Club is not only a local landmark, but is is one of America’s treasures,” says Doc Slafkosky, co-owner of J. R. Kortman. “The building’s architecture is definitely  inspired by the Arts and Crafts movement that took place around the turn of the 19th to 20th century.”
    The Elk’s Club ornament image was based on a painting by Rockford artist Rebecca Downing Pelley who was inspired by a 1920’s vintage post card of the building.
    Also added this year in the Landmark collection is a new edition of Symbol sculpture by Alexander Liberman,
    “The Rockford “Symbol” in Sinnissippi Park along the river is by far the best selling ornament of all other buildings and places that have been made  into ornaments since we started commissioning them back in 1997,” said Jerry Kortman. “It really has become Rockford’s definitive landmark!”
        Besides the Elk’s Club and the new Symbol, other ornaments in the collection include  the Rockford Armory, which is also a National Landmark along with two different ornaments of the Coronado Performing Arts Center.
    Rockford Landmark Ornament Collection also includes the Embassy Suites Hotel, Prairie Street Brewhouse, East and West High Schools, St. Anthony Church, two views of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Laurent House, a special edition of Memorial Hall, the Beattie Park Gazebo, the Faust Landmark Building, the “Y” Log Lodge, Burpee Natural History Museum, Anderson Gardens, and Midway Theater Building.
       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.

 Merchandising collectibles has been an integral part of the entertainment industry for decades. Iconic images appear on everything from T- shirts to lunch boxes. 
    The art world has become no exception to this concept. Images of great works of art appear on a myriad of souvenir merchandise by artists like Picasso, Van Gogh, Basquiat, Monet, and Haring, to name a few.
    Kortman Gallery takes this idea of merchandising images of fine art as an inspiration for a new exhibition called “Pillow Talk: Souvenirs of Art,” a holiday group exhibition opening Friday, November 19th. The show presents original works of art along with their images reproduced on toss pillows. Twenty-six accomplished artists from Rockford and beyond are featured in this unique exhibit.
    “A toss pillow makes a great ‘canvas’ for fairly accurately reproducing an image,” said Kortman Gallery director Doc Slafkosky. “The pillow becomes not only a unique keepsake, but a functional object that can be a cool home accent.”
    Artists were invited to submit an existing piece or create a new work for this show.
    “I usually work in ceramics,” says artist Lynn Fischer-Carlson. “The invitation inspired me to create a new abstract painting that I thought would look cool on a pillow”
    Rockford artist Drew Eurek, who creates paintings on large canvasses, submitted a piece for the exhibit. A detail of the large painting was captured and reproduced on a pillow.
    “I’m really excited to be a part of this exhibit,” said Eurek. “It’s always intriguing to see your work applied to another medium and see it with a new and different perspective.”
    “It’s always fun & interesting to see images of great artists like Picasso on mugs, calendars, plates, watches, playing cards, and yes, pillows, making fine art images widely accessible souvenirs” says Slafkosky. “So we thought it would be cool to present works of art by great local artists seen in the Kortman Gallery on pillows!”
    “Being retailers,  museum gift shops have always been of particular interest to us…the blending of art & commerce…and has even influenced our buying for our store,” said Jerry Kortman co-owner of J.R. Kortman. “So this exhibit suits our store and gallery concept perfectly.”
    Participating artists include Zoa Ace, Stephen Warde Anderson, Kelvin Candie, Lynn Fischer-Carlson, Molly Carter, Jesus Correa, John Deill, Ingrid Dohm, Drew Eurek, Brian Hierstein, Lisa Jimenez, Carrie Johnson, Etsuko Kobayashi, R. Scott Long, Jenny Mathews, Robin McCauley, Valerie Olafson, Isabella Onrubia, Rebecca Downing Pelley, Louis Recchia, Cherri Rittenhouse, JoanLee Stassi, Joe Tallman, Brett Whitacre, Kyle Wolfe, and Betsy Youngquist.
    Kortman Gallery opening reception for “Pillow Talk: Souvenirs of Art,” a holiday group exhibition is Friday, November 19th 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 exhibit will run though January 8th, 2022. For more information call 815-968-0123.

The realms of art & design come together when optician and eyewear aficionado Jamar Holloway curates this unique and “eye-catching” exhibition that explores how art has inspired eyewear and how eyewear design has become art. Works include a variety of media including painting, printmaking, sculpture, jewelry, and optical design collections. Participants in the exhibit include artists from Rockford and Chicago: Candice Johnson, Socorro Mucino, Meryl Morris, Brian Estep, Jesus Correa, Fatherless, Scott Urban, Nick Cashmere, Kevin Johnson, Sean Archer, Tim Gunnell, and Brett Whitacre.  Kortman Gallery opening receptions for “Artistry in Eyewear,” featuring works from artists and eyewear designers, are Friday, October 1st from 5 to 9pm and Saturday, October 2nd, 4 to 9pm, ArtScene weekend.  Kortman 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 exhibit will run though November 13th. For more information call 815-968-0123 or visit www.jrkortman.com.