We are so thankful for all the businesses that have donated!
Some of the Raffle and Giveaway items during May 19 Art in a Bottle Wine Tasting Gala Take a gander at some of the fun items you could find in your hands by the end of the evening. We are receiving new donations every day and will add them as we get them. We have the following to tempt you:
LOCAL BUSINESS ITEMS
Bare Skin Spa – Dixon: A Balanced Beauty Facial ($95 value)
Stone Bridge Running – Dixon: Two $10 gift cards
Somkit Restaurant – Dixon: $50 gift card
Premier Rental – Dixon: $50 gift card and an art piece
Meet the juror and demonstrator for this year’s IWS show
Beth Shadur of Highland Park, Illinois, is the 39th Illinois Watercolor Society National Show juror and demonstrator. The show runs April 28-May 28, 2023, at The Next Picture Show (TNPS) in Dixon, Illinois. Shadur is set to demonstrate her watercolor technique during the show’s opening reception on May 6, 1-4 p.m.
Shadur is an artist who has exhibited widely in solo and group exhibitions in the United States and abroad, including at the Art Institute of Chicago; the Drawing Center in New York City; the Hudson River Museum in Yonkers, NY; the Butler Institute of Art in Youngstown, Ohio; and at the Colorado Springs Art Museum, Colorado Springs, CO.
Shadur has created over 150 large public murals as public, private and community art projects in both the United States and Great Britain. She was an Artist-in-Education for the Illinois Arts Council in Chicago, IL. She has taught and served as a visiting artist at many colleges and universities, including Northwestern University, Evanston, IL; Northeast Missouri State University, Kirksville, MO; and as a visiting artist and scholar at Paradise Valley Community College in Scottsdale, AZ.
Shadur’s work appears in many publications, books, and catalogs, including Twentieth Century Watercolors, Abbeville Press; The Special Unit, Barlinnie Prison, Its Evolution Through Art, Third Eye Centre, Glasgow, Scotland; Community Murals: The People’s Art, Associated University Press, NJ; and Art and Cartography, Art Institute of Chicago. Her mural work in Barlinnie Prison, Glasgow, Scotland is included in the archives of the Peoples Palace Museum in Glasgow.
“Sky Drama,” Watercolor on Yupo, 11″ x 13″ | Beth Shadur
An educator
Shadur has lectured widely on community arts in both the United States and abroad. She has curated numerous national exhibitions, including the ongoing ‘The Poetic Dialogue Project,’ which has traveled throughout the United States. Collaborative Vision: The Poetic Dialogue Project, featuring collaborative works by pairs of poets and artists, was exhibited at the Chicago Cultural Center in January-April 2009, and will travel to various university galleries.
In 2006, Shadur presented at the International Conference on Arts in Society in Edinburgh, Scotland, and her Poetic Dialogue Project was published in the International Journal on Arts In Society. Shadur has been awarded numerous Ragdale Fellowships and is a Thomas Watson Fellow from Brown University; from 2004-6, she served as Executive Director of ARC Gallery, Chicago. She participated in the Cool Globes Public Art Project in Chicago in 2007, and in 2008, was Artist-in-Residence at the Burren College of Art in Ireland through a Governor’s Award for International Arts Exchange from the Illinois Arts Council.
In 2009, she participated in ArtPrize, Grand Rapids, MI. In 2013, Shadur was a fellow at the Leighton Artist Colony at the Banff Centre for the Arts in Banff, Alberta, Canada. In 2016, she was awarded a residency at the Harfnarborg Art Center in Harfnarjardur, Iceland. She is currently working on her National Park Project, partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council, creating works that are traveling throughout the state of Illinois.
Since 2012, Shadur serves as the Gallery Director at Prairie State College in Chicago Heights, IL. In 2016, she was appointed to the Board of Trustees of the Illinois State Museum. In 2022, she was appointed to the Board of the National Watercolor Honor Society. Her work is owned in many private and public collections.
For three years in a row, the in-person awards presentations had to be canceled. The first two years, it was COVID. This year, Mother Nature decided to send miserable, stormy spring weather.
Never fear. The judging went on anyway. Mary Jo Schuneman, a long-time local art educator, was this year’s judge. Just below is a listing of our award recipients. Congratulations to all of our talented local artists.
People’s Choice
The only award not shown at the time of this writing is the 2023 People’s Choice winner. Visitors are encouraged to visit The Next Picture before April 14 to cast a ballot for their favorite piece. The show remains on the gallery’s walls until April 22. Come in and vote!
UPDATE: People’s Choice is the same as our Best of Show, Matt Jagitsch.
Best of Show AND People’s Choice | “Don’t Breathe” by Matt Jagitsch
…and the winners are
Myrtle Walgreen Best of Show Award “Don’t Breathe” by Matt Jagitsch
Phidian Past President’s Award “T. To J.P.” by Kitto
Roger Brown and Iva L. Gamel Memorial Award for Best American Scene “Let’s Dry the Corn” by Julie Young
Robert Crowson Memorial Award “Tramp Olay” by Elizabeth Jahn
Lesage Memorial Award for Realistic Style “White Hollyhocks” by Karen Tucker
Ann Roe Memorial Award for Best Pencil or Pen & Ink “Scarred Orange and Blue Bottle” by Elizabeth Coss
Jane Marshall Award “Storyville” by Dan Bowman
Beverly Weber Memorial Award “Old Truck” by Jerry Scheffler
Roxy Hey Memorial Award for Best Floral “White Dahlia #2” by Karen Tucker
Ruth Wood Davis Memorial Award Watercolor “Yellow Hi-Flyer” by Craig Carpenter
Lucile Warner Award “Great Uncle Paul” by Jerry Scheffler
Myra Nichols Memorial Award “Slide” by Elizabeth Jahn
Marie L. Helin Memorial Creativity Award “Shay’s Cat, Pan” by Amy Bailey
Mary Helen “Mame” Cooper Award “Two on Two After School at Hefty’s” by Craig Carpenter
The Telegraph Award “UNITY Carpeted in Colors of Pink and Gray” by Shirley Guay
KSB Hospital Award “Lavender Abstract” by Jayne Rose
Caryl Crawford Fleming Memorial Award for Best Nature Subject “Whisper” by Dale Tulk
Ronald Reagan Presidential Award for Best Regional Scene “Iowa Sunset” by Perry Paliga
Mary Ann Ferolo Award “What a Wonderful World” by Betty Predmore
The Next Picture Show Award “No Show” by James Hey
HONORABLE MENTIONS
“T. To J.P.” by Kitto
“Our Hero: Uncle Ray” by A. Elizabeth Anderson-Hall
Thanks to advocacy efforts by a statewide coalition led by Arts Alliance Illinois, the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) will distribute a historic $50 million in grant money to assist businesses, non-profit organizations, and sole proprietors in the creative sector that have struggled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Application portal opens Apr. 5
The DCEO Illinois Creative Recovery Grant application portal opens on Wednesday, April 5. If you operate in the creative space, we encourage you to visit illinois.gov/b2b for details on eligibility guidelines and more information on how to apply.
Arts Alliance Illinois is your go-to resource for support and tools you need for a successful grant application, including a help desk launching next Monday, 3/27, webinars, and more.
The Next Picture Show welcomes the 2nd Art in a Bottle Gala on Friday, May 19. This event combines patrons’ support for the arts and a fine glass of wine (or two, or three).
THE EXHIBIT RUNS FEBRUARY 24-MARCH 25, 2023 On Friday, Mar. 3, Amy Sikyta, TNPS executive director, presented the awards for this year’s Shades of Gray art exhibition during the artists’ reception. Jeff Paul Thompson, a professional sculptor, served as the guest judge for this exhibition.
Discover Dixon, in collaboration with The Next Picture Show (TNPS), is excited to announce a unique opportunity for young artists in the community. This program is a fundraising event that will help beautify the downtown district while providing exposure to local businesses, families, and organizations.
Drop into TNPS with the kids either March 18 or 25.
TNPS is hosting two sessions for students from K through 12th grade to come and design their masterpieces–March 18 OR March 25. Feel free to drop-in either day between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. We close up at 4 p.m., so drop in at least an hour before then. TNPS supplies all art materials. Students may submit more than one entry.
THEME | “Draw what Dixon means to you”
Discover Dixon and TNPS are encouraging all students interested in participating to submit their artwork by April 5. The artwork needs to reflect any aspect of Dixon that the student enjoys. All submissions must be turned in to TNPS at 113 W. 1st Street.
“We are thrilled to be able to offer this opportunity to young artists in our community,” said Matthew Lenox, Marketing Director for Discover Dixon. “It’s a chance for them to showcase their talents while supporting a great cause.”
Kids’ art on the streets of Dixon
The banners will be hung throughout the downtown area, showcasing the artwork of the young artists in our community.
For more information about Dixon’s Downtown Banner Program or to learn more about the upcoming event, please get in touch with Discover Dixon at 815-284-3361.
Amy Sikyta takes over as Executive Director at TNPS
“In the short time I have been at The Next Picture Show, I have already recognized what an invaluable resource this organization is by offering art, culture, and a sense of community. I am excited to help continue this legacy.”
The Next Picture Show (TNPS) has turned over the executive director role from Philip Atilano to Amy Sikyta.
For the past 12 years, Sikyta has worked in the Advancement Office at Pinecrest Community in Mt. Morris, holding a few different roles, most recently as Director of Advancement. There she planned and executed all aspects of many fundraising events and oversaw marketing and community relations. In addition, she worked closely with the Village of Mt. Morris for several years, managing their website and social media. Working at a small non-profit allowed her to think creatively, cultivate relationships, develop excellent multi-tasking skills, and the ability to handle many different projects. Sikyta is eager to bring these skills to TNPS.
THE EXHIBIT RUNS JANUARY 13 – FEBRUARY 18, 2023 On Friday, Jan. 20, Philip Atilano, TNPS executive director, presented the awards for this year’s 18th Regional Survey of Art exhibition during the artists’ reception. Heather Shore, a professional artist, and art educator, served as the guest judge for this exhibition.
The Next Picture Show (TNPS) is pleased to announce the beginning of its Artist in Residence program. Glenn Bodish of Dixon, IL, has been announced as the first Artist in Residence at TNPS. Bodish has been provided a studio space on the upper level of The Next Picture Show in the Jane Edgar Gallery. He will have the studio space for three months, rent-free.
“For the Love of Chrome” by Glenn Bodish
Bodish was born and raised in the Allentown area of Pennsylvania. He holds an MFA in painting from the University of Montana, a BFA in painting from Southern Oregon University, and an Associate degree in Commercial Art from Luzerne County College in Nanticoke, PA. He is currently Sauk Valley Community College’s Professor of Art and Gallery Director.
“It is my goal to use the space to continue exploring my creative work and share some of my knowledge with artists, patrons, and visitors. I am committed to hosting several events during my residency,” said Bodish. “First, I would like to schedule a studio tour and an artist’s talk about my creative work. Also, I would like to offer a free community lecture on one of my research projects related to the history of art and a demonstration or workshop in one of my studio specialties.”
“Consequences Of Buying Into A Hype Reality” by Glenn Bodish
“I am incredibly excited to have an Artist in Residence program in place at TNPS and to have Glenn Bodish as the first artist,” said Philip Atilano, executive director of TNPS.
As an artist himself, Atilano states that artists seek residences in desirable locations rich in history, culture, and scenery. Dixon is such a place. Atilano plans to rotate artists every quarter and attract artists nationally and internationally to Dixon.
The Artist in Residence studio will be available for public viewing starting mid-November during gallery hours. Hours are Tuesday – Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Presentations and workshops will be announced later.
