Monmouth News

LOCAL AND AREA NEWS: Mr. and Mrs. James Brown came down from Kewanee to spend the holidays with Stronghurst friends.

On April 28, 1867, 12 women joined together to form a secret college society for women, not knowing what the future would hold.

Reporter Marty Touchette of the Daily Review Atlas in Monmouth, Ill. writes that 120 pounds of dog biscuits will be sent to military and civilian dogs serving in Afghanistan thanks to a local VFW.

Focusing on the building of the Monsanto Water Utilization Learning Center and moving his family from St.

Meet Your Neighbor J. David Hill, born in Kirkwood on August 22, 1926 and raised on a farm in rural Biggsville, in Henderson County.

The Lincoln Heritage Museum at Lincoln College will soon host a Smithsonian Institution display entitled "Journey Stories." The Illinois Humanities Council has selected six organizations in rural Illinois ...

Special to the Plaindealer Many questions involving the legends and intrigue surrounding David Day, the famous Ouray newspaper editor, were answered Tuesday night at the Ouray County Historical Society's ...

OFTA Honors Amateur Artists

OFTA (Old Friends Talk Arts) will be holding its July meeting in honor of all area amateur artists on Wednesday, July 9th at 10:00 AM at the Buchanan Center for the Arts in downtown Monmouth, IL . The judge for the Amateur Artists Exhibition, Jane Youngquist, and several of the winners of prizes will gather to discuss their work and talk about how they became interested in the arts.

There will be free refreshments available and no admission charge. All members of the public are invited to attend. If you have an idea for an arts program for OFTA, please call Jim De Young at 734-5529 or e-mail him at jdeyoung@maplecity.com. Programming by OFTA is partially supported by grants from the Buchanan Center and the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency.

NEW YORK Yesterday, the publisher of the Review Atlas in Monmouth, Ill., announced that the paper would no longer produce a Monday edition.

The state opened flood disaster recovery centers earlier today in Monmouth, Quincy and Lawrenceville to connect flood victims with state assistance programs.

The Wednesday, June 11, 2008 10:00 AM meeting of OFTA (Old Friends Talk Arts) will offer a special treat when Susan Twomey, the Executive Director of the Buchanan Center, tackles an assessment of her first three months on the job. Her topic is “Where I See It Now.” She will explore where the BCA stands from her point of view and where it might and can go. As she said, “I’ve now had a chance to measure the situation and I think I am ready to share some of my goals and dreams for the future.”

Ms. Twomey brings a strong background of arts, education, and management experience to the table and has already shown that the great strides made to fulfill Grace Buchanan’s vision over the past twenty years can be used to build an even more exciting future. OFTA is honored that she has chosen to share her initial vision for the future with us and invites all members of the community to attend.

OFTA meets on the 2nd Wednesday of each month in the main gallery of the Buchanan Center for the Arts on the public square in Monmouth, IL. Admission is free and refreshments are available. If you have an idea for a program on an arts related topic or wish to talk about your own artistic work, contact Jim De Young at 734-5529 or jdeyoung@maplecity.com. Scheduling opportunities are still available for this fall.

OFTA is partially supported by grants from the Buchanan Center for the Arts and the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency.

Meet Your Neighbor Betty Sterett of rural Biggsville. Betty is employed full time at the First State Bank of Biggsville as a teller/bookkeeper and receptionist.

On Wednesday, May 14, 2008 at 10:00 a.m. Rob and Lori Reed will talk to the members of OFTA (Old Friends Talk Arts) about their artistic philosophy and their work. Their presentation will take place in the main gallery of the Buchanan Center for the Arts on the square in downtown Monmouth, IL

The Reed’s are the gurus behind the Reed Studios, Inc. in Galesburg and have been prominent in the art and design scene there for many years. They have exhibited their work extensively throughout Illinois and Iowa and both have taught at Knox College.

Lori has a B.F.A. in Graphic Design from the University of Illinois and works primarily in collage. She uses paper, tiles, shells, broken ceramics and other found objects in her creations and says that she will often try to “. . . evoke memories from childhood or convey the hint of a story of which the viewer has only fragments.”Rob has a M.F.A. in Sculpture from Oklahoma University and works in both metal and stone. He said in his artist’s statement that ever since he was a child he has been making things and that it gives him “. . . a great kick to build something out of fairly humble materials and make it look nice.”

The Reed’s presentation for OFTA will come just before their new show, “Uncovered, Discovered & Manufactured” opens at the Buchanan Center. That exhibit will run from May 17th to June 14th, 2008 with the official opening reception on Friday evening May 16th from 5-7 p.m.

OFTA( Old Friends Talk Arts) is a gathering, primarily for senior citizens, that features regular second Wednesday of each month programs on the arts. There is no charge for admission, refreshments are available, and all members of the public are welcome regardless of their age. OFTA is partially supported by grants from the Buchanan Center for the Arts and the Illinois Arts Council—a state agency. If you have ideas for programming or wish to get on the mailing list, please contact OFTA coordinator Jim De Young at jdeyoung@maplecity.com

Saturday, March 13th saw an energetic crowd of children and parents descend on the Warren County YMCA to celebrate the joys of a healthy lifestyle from civic awareness and arts participation to good eating habits and exercise. Attendees could do art projects at the Buchanan Center for the Arts and the Warren County Library tables. The Monmouth park district had material available on their summer park programs. The local hospital and police department had booths and entertainment was provided by dance, yoga, and martial arts demonstrations. For more pictures see http://stirringthepudding.blogspot.com

What a marvelous profusion of talent! What an eyepopping display of art by the young students of Warren County Illinois! There are over 700 individual drawings, paintings, photos, and sculptures covering the walls of the Buchanan Center for the Arts in Monmouth from floor to ceiling in this year's Town and Country Art Show.

The work is exciting in itself, but the way in which the viewers of the show respond to the work is even more satisfying. Young and old walk around the gallery with smiles on their faces as they point and "ooh and ahh" at the various items. The littler ones particularly seem to glow with pride as they show their parents or grandparents their own art work on display in a real art gallery for everyone to see.

Gathering the most attention on opening afternoon, as the accompanying photo shows, was the collection of snowman or should we say snowpeople sculptures. For more pictures of the opening visit check out http://www.stirringthepudding.blogspot.com

Cherry Simmons, longtime art teacher at West Central High School, will be speaking to the members of OFTA (Old Friends Talk Arts) on Wednesday, April 9th at 10:00 a.m. at the Buchanan Center for the Arts in downtown Monmouth. Her topic is “The Importance of Art Instruction in the Schools.”

Ms. Simmons is a graduate of Monmouth College, an artist in her own right, and currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Buchanan Center. Her presentation is keyed to support and discuss the fortieth annual BCA Town and Country Art Show which will be running from April 5-May 3 in the main gallery.

It is a given that people who have seen the walls of the Buchanan Center covered from floor to ceiling with over 500 art works by students from area schools are exhilarated by the sight. Art provides many benefits to young and old, but the thrill of seeing your work on display in a real art gallery is one that is very special to children and young people. Ms. Simmons will draw on her years of teaching experience to look at why this might be so and why art training is so important in the overall scheme of quality education.

OFTA was founded to provide stimulating arts related programming for senior citizens, but it is always free of charge to anyone of any age with an interest in the fine or performing arts. Programs occur regularly on the second Wednesday of each month at 10:00 a.m. Refreshments are always served. OFTA is partially supported by grants from the Buchanan Center for the Arts and the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency.

"Traces" is a rolling exhibit featuring the stories of some Midwestern soldiers who were captured and held prisoner by Nazi Germany during WW II.

The bus holding the display will be parked in the south west quadrant of the Monmouth public square (right in front of the Warren County Library and the Buchanan Center for the Arts) from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Tuesday, March 25th and can be viewed at no charge. The visit to Monmouth was sponsored by the Warren County Public Library with grant assistance from the Reading Room Association. The Buchanan Center for the Arts will be offering free refreshments during the time of the stay and a place to rest if there are waiting lines to get into the exhibit.

Over 100 people attended the reception open house that welcomed Ms. Susan Twomey as the new Executive Director of the Buchanan Center for the Arts in Monmouth, IL. Reva Schoenwetter, a harpist from Knoxville, added just the right touch of musical class to the event and the cake was delicious. It was a pleasant afternoon, with finally just a touch of spring in the air. Inside the guests were surrounded by lovely art and a large crowd of fine friends. What more could you ask for? [More photos on stirringthepudding.blogspot.com]

Mary Schuytema, the proprietor of the Chickenscatch Pottery will speak on the topic “The Potter’s Vision” at the March 19, 2008 gathering of OFTA (Old Friends Talk Arts) at 10:00 a.m. in the main gallery of the Buchanan Center for the Arts in downtown Monmouth.

Ms. Schuytema is a long time Monmouth resident and graduated from Monmouth High School (now Monmouth-Roseville). She currently has an exhibit of her handthrown stoneware on display at the Buchanan Center and it can be seen without charge during the BCA’s regular opening hours of 9-5 T-F and 10-2 Sat. Her OFTA talk will comment on some of the pieces in the show and will also discuss how her work has changed through the years.

OFTA is now in its sixth year of operation and features talks or performances by a variety of artists and arts appreciators. The group meets in the mornings on the second Wednesday of each month at the Buchanan Center. It caters primarily to active seniors with arts interests, but invites anyone in the community to participate. Meetings are always free and refreshments are served. If you would like to talk to OFTA or suggest a possible topic, call Jim De Young at 734-5529 or drop him an e-mail at jdeyoung@maplecity.com. OFTA is partially supported by grants from the Buchanan Center for the Arts and the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency.

A community wide reception for Ms. Susan Twomey, the new Executive Director of the Buchanan Center for the Arts, has been scheduled for Sunday March 9, 2008 from 1 - 4 pm in the main gallery of the Center on the public square in Monmouth, IL. Refreshments will be served and all members of the public are invited to stop by to greet her and welcome her back to her old Western Illinois stamping grounds.

The Buchanan Center for the Arts was founded in 1989 by a generous gift from the estate of Grace E. Buchanan, who stipulated that her resources be used to provide “opportunities for education in and enjoyment of the arts in Warren County.” Ms. Twomey is only the third BCA executive director since 1989 and the Board of Directors believe her wide experience in the arts, education, business, and fund raising will carry on the work of former directors Midge Mason and Mike DiFuccia and will also reaffirm the importance of the Grace Buchanan’s legacy for the community.

Please drop by on Sunday, March 9th anytime from 1-4 pm to make sure that our new Executive Director will know the full extent of her community support.