Dr. Bill Bird, Morrison, IL, is CGH Medical Center Vice President, Chief Medical Officer. He shared the significance of The Loft on Main, 112 E. Main Street, Morrison, IL.
My grandma, Tolura Acord, was born in Keithsburg, IL, and lived her entire life in a county even more rural than Whiteside…Mercer County. She was a prolific artist during the 1960s and early 1970s, but, unfortunately, I didn’t know this fact during her lifetime.
After my grandpa, George Acord, died of pancreatic cancer in 1972, Grandma never painted again.
When she later passed away in 1995, my mom and her two sisters found dozens of Grandma’s watercolor paintings, in a little-used bedroom of her home. Although eclectic, these paintings included portraits of Grandpa, distinctive neighborhood homes, round barns, traveling carnivals, and Mississippi River scenes. Grandma’s family now displays much of this artwork in their homes.
Personally, our home in Morrison has many prints and a few of her original paintings….Because of this artwork, I have a connection to Grandma that now continues many years after her passing.
This being said, I felt a connection from the first moment I walked into The Loft on Main as well. Looking at the display cases and walls, I saw artwork created by Vern Schaver, Gary Taylor, Everett Pannier, Sharon Boyles, Leon Lange, and many others, who have been part of my life since I moved to Morrison in 1997. It inspires me when I look around The Loft on Main and take in the artwork of people familiar to me. It makes me feel good, that I can also have a connection with these artists when I walk into that space.
I’ve tended to think of art as something “other” people do. However, as the years go by, it seems to me that art is just a glimpse of the creativity we ALL have as humans. Just like Tolura’s watercolors make art more personal to me, walking into The Loft on Main is great, because it makes me realize that there really isn’t an “other,” when it comes to art. Even here in rural Whiteside County, our artists are real people who live and walk among us.
I encourage you to visit The Loft on Main, see what your friends and neighbors have created, and experience a connection with them through the wonder of art. And, if you’re so inclined, purchase some artwork. Maintain that connection as you walk around your home, just like I do with my Grandma Acord.
