CGH Medical Center is pleased to present the Summer 2019 exhibition of the healing art gallery, “Spirit of the HeART,” featuring artwork from nearly 50 local artists from The Loft on Main, 112 E. Main Street, Morrison, IL. Art pieces are located in the north hallway between the hospital, 100 E. LeFevre Road, Sterling, IL, and the CGH Main Clinic, 101 E. Miller Road, Sterling, as well as in the display case in the hospital’s lobby.
A wide variety of artistic mediums are on display during the Late Summer 2019 Exhibition, including photography, pottery, wood working, jewelry, and pencil drawings, as well as acrylic, oil, and watercolor paintings, and more. The purpose of the gallery at CGH is to not only be a venue for local artists to exhibit, but also to provide patients, families, and staff with the value of the creative process of art as a healing force.
“It is a great opportunity to be a part of this venture with The Loft on Main, as both an artist and a volunteer,” said The Loft on Main Board member, Rick Brant. “There are so many talented artists willing to share their knowledge and time.”
In celebration of the exhibit, a free, public Wine and Cheese Art Reception, featuring The Loft on Main artists, was held Thursday, August 1, from 5:00 to 6:30 p.m. in the CGH Main Clinic Atrium. This was an opportunity for the public to view the art gallery, meet the artists, ask them questions, purchase artwork, and get more information about upcoming events at The Loft on Main.
Select art pieces were available for purchase, with a portion of the proceeds benefiting the CGH Auxiliary and The Loft on Main. Gourmet cheese and appetizers by Smoked on Third were served, along win brownies and a selection of wines.
Featured local artists for the show include Lloyd Beckman, Marianne Biagi, Sharon Boyles, Theresa Brandon, Rick Brant, Valerie Butcher, Mary Crawford, Jim Cronk, Carol Deibert, Daryl Drennen, Michael Dunbar, Terri Villa Engelkens, JoAnn Frederick, Duane Habben, Andrew Holt, Scott Ide, Dave Johnson, James Johnson, Mary Katos, Adam Kuehl, Phillip Maxfield, Michelle Mendoza, Patrick and Sharon Moore, Yolanda Moreno, David Moshure, Everett Pannier, Fran Plude, Richard Prestley, Leah Richter, Wendy Sanders, Kurt Schmidt, Vernon Schaver, Leland Sedig, Greg Steele, Suzanne Stewart, Joe Stuart, Gary Taylor, Kelli Thompson, Joan Vander Bleek, Sara Vanderkleed, Jan Carleen Villarreal, Ed Wade, Terri Wells, Jimmy Wilson, Charlie Yost, and Sandy Zilz.
The exhibit’s artwork is on loan from The Loft on Main. Opened in December 2017, the art gallery and art education center is housed in a renovated, downtown Victorian property that lies in the heart of Morrison’s nationally recognized Historic District and the recently created Arts, Culture and Entertainment Corridor. It features works by many local artists, as well as a partnership with Woodlawn Arts Academy in Sterling, to provide art classes and private music lessons.
“The Loft on Main has been a great addition to Morrison’s downtown,” said Kimberly Ewoldsen, Director of the Morrison Area Development Corporation. “Not only are we bringing more people downtown to buy art, we are also encouraging more people of all ages to engage in the arts. The Loft on Main is a very beneficial economic development tool….We are just now beginning to see its impact–not only on Morrison, but on the rest of Northwest Illinois as well, by creating collaborative efforts to showcase the arts in this area.”
For more information, call The Loft on Main at 815-772-4005. The gallery is open Thursday, 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and Friday and Saturday, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.