Arts in Action: Opening Reception

May 21 between 6:00 – 9:00 p.m. marks the grand opening of the in-person “Arts in Action” exhibit on display at the Ellwood House Museum’s Visitor Center.

“Arts in Action” is a project developed to explore the history of Black and Latino history in DeKalb County through historical research and a collaboration with contemporary artists. Nine visual artists and five poets were selected for the initial project.

As art offers a means to express complex themes, personal histories, and emotional experiences, the artists provided a way to begin these difficult conversations. During the program, Michelle Donahoe, Executive Director at the DeKalb County History Center and Brian Reis, Executive Director at the Ellwood House will discuss how the two institutions developed the project “Arts in Action” to convey history meaningfully, support artists, and invite analytical discussion.

“We are very excited to invite everyone to this in-person display. The on-line version was powerful, but it is a very different experience to see the artwork in a gallery along with the panels showing some different perspectives about our local history,” explained Donahoe. Reis added, “We hope that this project will continue conversations initiated during the summer of 2020 and contribute to community healing.”

The exhibit will be on display until July 2 at the Ellwood House Visitor Center, 420 Linden Place, DeKalb.

The exhibit is made possible by the generous support of the  DeKalb County Mental Health Board, DeKalb County Community Foundation, Healing Illinois, Illinois Humanities, and Northern Illinois University