Gail Chavenelle brings in artwork for Broad Ideas Exhibit. |
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Dear Friends of the Arts, |
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The last 30 days have been an exhilarating time for the Center, in that we have welcomed over a thousand people through our doors in that time. That's a new record for us. Starting with an art opening on January 27, and concluding with a sold-out performance for the classical guitar recital by Marcus DeJesus, we have offered a wide variety of experiences in music, theatre and visual art. I am filled with gratitude for all the artists and volunteers who have participated, and for all of you who have joined us to experience these events. It brings me joy to see so many involved in the arts.
We look forward to another engaging and inspiring month, as Broad Ideas takes the stage and the galleries. Broad Ideas always brings with it an amazingly positive energy--a feeling that we can make a difference and make this world a better place and have fun too. I was contemplating the importance of the arts a few days ago, and came across this quote from Marcel Proust: "Only through Art can we emerge from ourselves and know what another person sees." Through the arts we develop empathy and a way to interact with those who may be different from us in a hundred ways. Let's all keep learning and growing!
Looking forward to seeing you at our sixth year of "Broad Ideas"!
Carole
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Extended Gallery Hours
Extended gallery hours begin on March 16 and will continue through September. The open hours will change from 1 to 4pm to 11am to 4pm, so you will have an additional two hours to check out the gallery exhibits during the warm months. The days we are open remain the same: Thursday through Sunday.
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We grieve the loss of Ronn Toebaas, a longtime friend and brilliant actor and director. Last fall he directed our table reading of "And Miss Reardon Drinks a Little," and had been a featured actor in several other table readings. Ronn and his wife Alice moved to Galena in the late 1980's where they, with Carole Sullivan and Jan Lavacek, founded the Main Street Players Theatre Company, which produced plays for many years. He wrote and directed the "Cemetery Walk" presentations for the Galena Historical Society for the last 16 years. He will be greatly missed. |
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Broad Ideas
Art Opening Reception
Friday, March 3 from 5-7pm
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Friday, March 3rd’s exhibit opening kicks off a month-long, inclusive, feminist celebration of artists, poets, and musicians. Broad Ideas focuses on the power of telling our stories, specifically those that dismantle patriarchy and misogyny. This year’s prompt is “What makes you strong?”
Admission is free, with donations appreciated. Childcare will be provided by Riverview Center onsite at the Arts Center. The public is invited to connect with the artists and take photos with friends at the selfie station. Light refreshments will be available and music will be provided by Raven Rose (Robyn Davis & Ted Williams).
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The exhibit can be enjoyed through March 25, 2023, during gallery hours, Thursdays through Sundays. |
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Artists Mackenzie and Vash Witman,
stand by their pieces at the Broad Ideas 2022 Opening
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Broad Bingo
Wednesday, March 8 from 5-7pm
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Celebrate International Women’s Day with new twist on the classic game of Bingo! Broad Bingo is another activity in the Broad Ideas series of events in March. There will be popcorn and snacks, cash bar and prizes. Free event, with babysitting provided. |
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Teen Storytelling Workshop
Saturday, March 11 from 10am-5pm
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A FREE one day workshop for teens ages 13-15 will be held in the Center’s Theater. The workshop is designed to facilitate the exploration of expressing one’s own unique story through movement, sound, visual arts and spoken word. The prompt of the day is “What makes you strong?” Participants will share their stories with friends and family at the culmination of the workshop at 4:30pm.
A bag lunch will be provided, courtesy of Hawk Valley Retreat and dessert by The Bakehouse. Class is limited to 10 participants.
To sign up, please send an email subject line
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Mina Saba tells her story at
Broad Ideas in March 2022
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Broad Ideas
Songwriters Showcase
Thursday, March 16 from 7-9:30pm
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Enjoy songs from regional women singer/songwriters during a night of memorable music. This powerful concert is always an experience to remember. Join us in an evening filled with laughter, tears, and music full of heart and soul. The stellar lineup for performers includes Jody McGill, Colleen Nielson, Kristina Casteneda, Cassie Beadle, Liliana Asta, Karen Buechele, Robyn Davis, Michele Chillook, and maybe more!
Free event, donations happily accepted.
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Broad Ideas Songwriters Showcase in March 2022 |
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Broad Ideas Spoken Word
Saturday, March 25 from 3-4:30pm
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The Spoken Word Closing is always a soul moving event. Powerful stories and poems shared amongst friends in the sacred space of Broad Ideas brings the month-long celebration to a close. Free event with childcare provided. |
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Broad Ideas Spoken Word Closing March 2022 |
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Regional Artists Gallery
An Eclectic Mix
The Regional Artists Gallery will be available for artists to display whatever content the universe evokes for them for the April / May exhibit. Show us what emerges from total freedom! The drop off dates and times: March 26 1 – 4pm, March 27 10am – 1pm. The opening reception will be Friday, March 31 with the exhibit remaining up throughout April and May.
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Special Exhibit Space
Retrospective of
Tom Cunningham’s Art
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Tom Cunningham chose during his life to not sell his paintings, but preferred to donate or gift them to friends. In his will, he also chose to donate his paintings, but in this case, he wanted the Center for the Arts to sell them so that any proceeds from the sales of his artwork would benefit the Center. We are beyond grateful for the gift of Tom Cunningham's paintings to the Center.
A retrospective of Tom's beautiful artwork featuring landscapes of Jo Daviess County will be held in the special exhibit space. The opening reception will be Friday, March 31 with the exhibit remaining up throughout April and May, with most of the paintings for sale.
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Early Snow on Airedale Ridge, by Tom Cunningham
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April
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16 at 2pm British Coronation Rituals & Pageantry, with Karen Wilson -Learn about the thousand year old Coronation traditions, and consider what might change since Queen Elizabeth's coronation 70 years ago.
- 19 National Arts Honor Society Awards Ceremony
- 20 at 7pm Songwriters Showcase, featuring TBurns and the Parrishes.
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27, 28, 29 at 7pm; 30 matinee at 2pm Dracula, a Comedy of Terrors - No one has ever seen a Dracula this funny! Six actors play dozens of zany roles in a madcap take on this classic story presented as a radio play. Sponsored by Eagle Ridge Realty, Exact Pest Solutions, and Blaum Bros. Distillery.
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Last year when Ann Thomas, a Milwaukee artist, conducted a 2-day workshop on sketching Galena’s architecture, students really enjoyed the class and learned much. She is returning to teach Capturing Galena in Pen and Ink and Watercolor on June 9th and 10th.
Watch the Center’s website for registration information. The class can accommodate up to 10 students. Check out the beautiful artwork of this talented artist on her website:
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Recent Activities
at the Center
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Thank you to all who supported and came to the show! |
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Michael Crawford and Cindy Tegtmeyer during their successful performance of 2 Across.
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Those who viewed "Collective Memory," the regional student art show this past month, were rewarded with honest and innovative artwork that revealed the students themselves. Art students from CTE Academy, Stockton, River Ridge, East Dubuque, Galena and Scales Mound schools participated. Kudos to the students for a job well done! May you continue to express yourselves through art. |
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Audio Described Tour of the Gallery |
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Audible Visions provided an Audio Described (AD) tour of several works in the gallery on Sunday, February 19. The pieces were described vividly and objectively. This allows individuals with visual impairment to experience the visual world, including art. |
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The new space, previously bank teller booths, housed the Color It Neutral exhibit, showing a broad range of content from cows to winter scenes to outer space.
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Stimulating art that significantly brightened our gallery welcomed visitors to the Center in the otherwise dreary winter months. The exhibit definitely inspired some innovative work to start the new year. |
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American Heritage Girls Tour |
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Eight girls from first to 5th grade, along with the American Heritage Girls Troop Coordinator Pam Tindell, visited the Center on Saturday, February 18. As Sandra Evans led them to explore different pieces of art, the girls showed genuine curiosity and offered spot-on comments. What a joy it was to share art with such an engaged group! |
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Our theater was packed for Marcus DeJesus’ spellbinding performance
of Poesias "Poems of a Guitar” on Sunday, February 26.
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Meet the Board
Board Member Matt Carroll
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Born and raised in Galena, Matthew recalls having visited both locations of the previous and current Center for the Arts, the first as a healthcare clinic and the second as a bank where he opened his first account. And now he serves on the Board that has overseen the purchase and conversion from bank to the current Center for the Arts, saying how “honored [he is] to have been on the board during the entire phase of finding and moving into a new Center… I’m humbled I could be a small part of that.” Matthew has served for six years, beginning in 2017. Even though his term will expire in a few months, he looks “forward to helping out in the future any way [he] can and watching the Center grow and flourish as it has since Day One!”
Matthew moved back to Galena 21 years ago after receiving a degree in business management and has been in the hospitality industry ever since. In 2016, he opened Jail Hill Inn in Galena and has been “humbled by the love, support and accolades the property has received since its opening.” He loves to share Galena and all its offerings with his guests.
Reflecting on Galena Center for the Arts, Matthew is impressed that “a town of 3200 residents has such a wide range of year-round programming, exhibits and talent…from the staff, the Board, the artists, the performing artists, and the two - Carole and Jan - that have made this the incredible reality it is! What an inspiration it all is; we should all be proud of this!”
We thank you for your six years of service, Matthew!
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Corporate Spotlight
for March
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Our Corporate Sponsor spotlight for March highlights Willis Computer Solutions, Inc (WCS). WCS is owned and operated by Andy Willis, native of Galena and life long resident of the area. He has been providing information technology services in the Galena area since 1995. WCS offers set up and support of networks, file servers, PC’s, laptops, routers, security, websites, cameras and more for homes and businesses. The Galena Center for the Arts has counted on and appreciated Andy’s generosity, efficiency and expertise in many projects and repairs over the years!
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THANK YOU! To the volunteers, to the generous patrons and to Culver's for always stepping up and giving back to our community. Share Night for Broad Ideas ARTS show raised $307.65! This money helps with scholarships and keeping most of our events FREE.
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GHS Art students showed up and helped out!
Back Row L to R: Emma Duncan, Everett Noble, Chase Dittmar,
Alex Oberbroeckling, Charlie Duncan, Emma Blaum.
Front Row L to R: Kayleigh Folks, Macy Schulz, Reagan Simpson, Claudia Liberg.
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Broads in "big check" photo are Nancy Schuldt and Connie Warnsing |
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- Jenni and Bryan Ackerman
- Lee Adami
- Emma Blaum
- John and Bonnie Cox
- Culver's of Galena
- Chase Dittmar
- Cathy Dorwick
- Jean Dregne
- Dubuque Telegraph Herald
- Emma Duncan
- Charlie Duncan
- Julie Eggleston
- Janet Eggleston
- Cathie Elsbree
- Kaleigh Folks
- Galena Gazette
- Meg Gibbs
- Sheila Haman
- Betsy Hansen
- Mary Carol Harris
- Terri Jackman
- Tom Kirkwood
- Shari Kochman
- Kim Kreiser
- Bonnielynn Kreiser
- Helen Kupetis
- Kathy Leonard
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- Claudia Lieberg
- Susan Lipnick
- Michelle London
- Laurie Mattas
- Paul Murray
- Carter Newton
- Rose Noble
- Everett Noble
- Alex Oberbroeckling
- Marion Roberts
- Sarah Roodhouse
- Brianne Rucks Van Hemert
- Alison Schoenrock
- Nancy Schuldt
- Macy Schultz
- Diane Siese
- Reagan Simpson
- Irene Thraen-Borowski
- Tom Saccomanno and Julie Bruser
- Celia Van Hemert
- Elise Van Hemert
- Dennis and Leslie Waltman
- Connie Warnsing
- Andy Willis
- Sandy and Ken Winge
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Paper towels, kitchen garbage bags
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Time to get involved! We still need greeters for the gallery and volunteers to help with serving at openings, ushering at music and theatre events, garden maintenance, painting, and more!
If you would like to help out as a greeter, please go to
Signupgenius.com and choose the dates you would like to help. It’s not hard, and it’s so much fun to meet other art lovers and show off our wonderful new space. For other volunteer opportunities, email Carole.
Thanks so much!
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Please Donate
Please help us to advance our mission to
elevate and celebrate regional arts and artists.
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To donate online click on This Link, or send your check to:
The Galena Center for the Arts
971 Gear Street, Galena, Illinois 61036
(815) 402-3111
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To join the Galena Center for the Arts YouTube channel:
- click on this link
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when on YouTube, click SUBSCRIBE
- to be notified of new videos, click on the bell icon next to SUBSCRIBED, then click on ALL
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Please forward our newsletter to your friends and relatives. They can click below to receive their own monthly update. Thanks for sharing our news with others! |
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This program is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency. |
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This program is supported in part by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. |
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Don't forget to "Like" the Galena Center for the Arts on Facebook
Have a preferred email address? Please let us know.
Thanks so much for your support of the Galena Center for the Arts!
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Newsletter produced by Dennis Waltman |
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