Upcoming Exhibitions

**ASPIRING ARTISTS 2025**

**April 4th-26th, 2025**
The Freeport Art Museum is pleased to announce the return of the Aspiring Artists show. This exhibition features over 400 works of art showcasing the talent and creativity of students in regional elementary, middle, high schools, and home-schooled students. We also will be showcasing work by our local art teachers in the Contemporary Gallery on the second floor.

21ST REGIONAL JURIED SHOW

Exhibition Dates: May 10th, 2025- July 19th, 2025

This annual competition is open to artists living in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. The Freeport Art Museum's annual Regional Juried Exhibition (RJE) mission is to offer established and emerging artists the opportunity to debut work created in the last two years. Opening on Saturday, May 10, 2025, the show runs through July 19, 2025. As FAM has gained a distinguished reputation for displaying a wide range of contemporary art, this exhibition has become a visitor's favorite. Each year, FAM invites a new juror to select approximately 50 artworks for inclusion, and to give awards for first, second, third place, and honorable mention. Award winners are announced at the opening reception.

OPENING RECEPTION: Saturday, May 10th, 5-7PM

Joan Ackerman-Zimny
Leslie Armstrong
Dan Brinkmeier
Sara Slee Brown
Georgann Castro
Perry Eden
Terri Field
Jeanne Garrett
Charles Gniech
Roger Goodspeed
Lily Evangeline Gregor
Timothy Griffith
Kat Heitzman
Kristine Hinrichs
Kendra Kett
Elizabeth Kindig
Cassidy Kraimer
Cindy Lesperance
Johannah Tomita Martin
Jessica Merchant
Christine B. Miller
George J. Miller
Marcela Okeke
Janelle Omalley
Hannah Patellis
Megan Piunti
Abigail Pixler
C. Maura Poshka
Michelle Rial
Janus Rose
Alexandra Samios Nelson
Nick Schroeder
Katie Schutte
Connie Sherman
Ciel Skal
Charese Smiley
Linda Vietmeyer
Mark Weller
Rodrick Whetstone (he/him/his) is a small-town guy from, northern Illinois, who resides in St. Louis, Missouri. Born in 1977, he grew up the eldest son of five siblings. Rodrick studied and earned a Master of Fine Arts from The University of Iowa in 2012. Rodrick is an Assistant Professor of Graphic Design teaching in the Department of Art and Design at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE) in Edwardsville, Illinois.
Rodrick is a lover of the arts in many of its mediums. Even though he is a graphic designer, his endeavors reach out to fine art, letterpress, silk-screening, animation, and abstracted art made by a wearable movement tracker.
Currently, he is pushing boundaries beyond his comfort level of design to bring attention to social issues. He does this by focusing his concentration on a series of 24 x 36 posters that help bring awareness to police brutality against people of color. Rodrick encourages the public to challenge their preconceived notions, provoke thought, and engage in dialogue. His approach features a combination of striking visuals and bold lettering that communicate the message clearly and effectively. Working closely with his student protégé, Rodrick hopes to have meaningful dialogue on this sensitive issue and stir thought and conversation. He looks forward to continuing to create projects that highlight challenging topics with intentional and powerful visuals.

Past Exhibitions

The Irrepressible Being of Nature - Judith Meyer

Opening reception February 14th / 5 pm to 7 pm

The exhibition runs through March 15th, 2025

The Freeport Art Museum is proud to present the stirring paintings of Judith Meyer. Her works are inspired by nature, social issues, global events, myths, and personal beliefs. Her striking manner of integrating traditional landscape formats with diverse and unexpected elements create poetic and surreal visions.

Join us on Saturday, February 22nd at 1:30 pm to hear Judith Meyer talk about her work and life as an artist. This exhibition is on view from February 14th to March 15th and is dedicated to the memory of Judiths’ friend Kathleen Kline.

Enjoy this video of Judith by Pablo Korona.

2024 BIPOC EXHIBITIONs

Opening reception: Friday, October 25th at 5pm
The Show can be viewed through December 27th

GREÑAPUNK BY EDDAVIEL is a collection of work exploring the African heritage as Afro-Caribbean in the past-present-future, a space where myths, politics and the future merge to create a new universe. Greñapunk is a show where every art form converges to talk about being Afro (Greña) in the future. The artist, Eddaviel, is from the Dominican Republic and has worked with films, advertising, publishers, galleries, museums, universities and cultural centers around the world.

PERSEVERANCE BY DICE WHITE Dice is a 20-year-old artist from Rockford, Illinois, whose current success is a testament to the human spirit surmounting the impact of a mother addicted to drugs, his own psychological distress, and the challenge of homelessness. Dice has found a life in creating art that is boldly expressive, colorful, and complex.

Please check out Events section for upcoming Artist Talks and Workshops

MIDWEST LANDS

Opening Reception: Friday, September 6th at 5PM with Artist talk from 4 - 5 pm

Poetry Reading by Daniel Smith, Saturday, September 7th at 1:30 pm

The show runs through October 12th

Join us on Friday, September 6th, from 5-7 PM for the opening of the Midwest Lands Exhibition at the Freeport Art Museum. This unique visual and literary art invitational focuses on farmland, rural landscapes, and the aesthetics, psychological, and emotional content of these themes.

The exhibition features works by renowned artists Dan Brinkmeier, Barry Roal Carlsen, Ellen Holtzblatt, Tom Linden, Stuart Roddy, and Mark Weller. Their pieces capture the beauty and complexity of rural life.

In addition there will be a number of works by members of the local Momentum Art Guild.

Complementing the visual art, the exhibition includes poetry from Daniel Smith's Poems from the Winter House. Smith's poetry, rooted in a rural heritage, reflects quietly on his love for a spouse, a farm, and a way of life.

Don't miss this evocative and thought-provoking exhibition that celebrates the Midwest's landscapes and way of life. Join us for an evening of art, poetry, and community.

MAG Summer Exhibition
& Mini Masterpieces 2024

Opening Reception: Friday, August 2nd at 5PM
The show can be viewed through August 24th

We are excited to announce that our biennial Mini Masterpieces fundraiser is joining forces with Momentum Art Guild's Summer Exhibition for an extraordinary night of art on August 2nd from 5-7pm at the Freeport Art Museum.

Mini Masterpieces features donated works from talented local, regional, and international artists. Each piece measures 6 x 6 inches or less, making for a unique and entertaining exhibition. During the opening reception, competitive bids for each mini starts at $25, and most works sell before the auction closes at 6:30 pm. Funds raised during this event benefit the museum and its programming.

MAG is a regional organization dedicated to enhancing interest in the visual arts and supporting the development of individual artists. MAG members always deliver an exhibition of pieces that showcase a wide range of amazing talent in our area.

Join us for an evening of art, community, and support for artists and the museum. Don’t miss this inspiring event!