Artist Winifred Godfrey to Speak at ISM Lockport Gallery, First of Sunday Events for New Exhibition

Artist Winifred Godfrey to Speak at ISM Lockport Gallery, First of Sunday Events for New Exhibition

The Leaf and the Page, a new exhibition, opens at the Illinois State Museum Lockport Gallery on Tuesday, October 20, 2009 and runs through January 29, 2010.  In conjunction, the museum is launching a new set of free Sunday Series events, including the popular Meet the Artist talks.  The first program—Sunday, November 8, 2009 at 2:00 pm—features Chicago artist Winifred Godfrey.  This event is free and open to the public.

Winifred Godfrey is best known for her super realistic floral paintings.  This exhibition features Godfrey’s lithographic floral works which bring a modern energy to the long tradition of floral portraits popularized in Europe in the 17^th through 19^th centuries.  Born in Philadelphia and raised on Chicago’s south side, Godfrey’s work focuses on common subjects presented on a grand scale, providing a fresh view of the intricate shapes, texture and translucency of flowers.    

The Sunday Meet the Artist program is part of the Sunday Series.  Each event is held at 2:00 pm on a Sunday each month during the run of the exhibition.  These popular Sunday programs last a little over an hour and limited seating is provided.  There is no admission charge and reservations are not required.

The Leaf and the Page features eleven contemporary Illinois artists who explore plants as conduits between humanity and the natural world.  This exhibition considers the connection between the historic canon of botanical images (the visual vocabulary of leaves, spines, stems, flowers, trunks, branches, and roots), the plant as specimen, and contemporary art practices that imbue the subject with emotive and narrative qualities.  This canon is best defined as art that depicts a plant subject in a way that is both scientifically accurate and aesthetically pleasing.  Some artists employ traditional approaches and materials—print, drawing, painting—while others replicate botanical plasticity in a range of materials from paper to clay to industrial metals.  Artists exhibited are Judith Brotman, Melissa Jay Craig, Stephen Eichhorn, Winifred Godfrey, Dennis Lee Mitchell, Carolyn Ottmers, Olivia Petrides, Rebecca Shore, Eric Wert, Scott Wolniak, and Andrew Young.

During The Leaf and the Page, the Illinois State Museum Lockport Gallery will offer several free public programs that explore the ideas and themes related to the exhibition, including presentations by two of the artists—Winifred Godfrey (November 8) and Andrew Young (December 13)—and a curatorial walk through on Sunday, January 10.  Please call the ISM Lockport Gallery or visit our website for information.  Admission is free.

The Illinois State Museum Lockport Gallery is located on the first floor of the historic Norton Building at 201 West 10^th Street in Lockport, Illinois, and is fully accessible to all physically challenged individuals.  Museum hours are noon until 5:00 pm on Sunday and 9:00 am until 5:00 pm, Monday through Friday.  The Museum is closed Saturdays and State Holidays.  The Museum will be closed Wednesday, November 11 (Veteran’s Day), and Thursday, November 26 and Friday, November 27 (Thanksgiving).  Admission is free.  For information on exhibitions and related programs, becoming a member of the Friends of the Lockport Gallery, directions to the museum, or to schedule a group tour of ten or more, please contact museum staff at (815) 838-7400 or visit the museum online at https://www.museum.state.il.us/ismsites/lockport/.  The Illinois State Museum Lockport Gallery is part of the Illinois State Museum system, including sites in Springfield, Rend Lake, Chicago, and Lewistown.

For more information please contact Jim L. Zimmer, Director or Jennifer Jaskowiak, Curator at 815-838-7440. You can also email them at jzimmer@museum.state.il.us or jjaskowiak@museum.state.il.us.

General Information

Illinois State Museum
Founded 1877
The Illinois State Museum promotes discovery, learning, and an appreciation of Illinois' natural, cultural, and artistic heritage.
General Information: (217)782-7386
Director's Office: (217)782-7011
Interim Museum Director: Michael Wiant
Press Contact: michael.wiant@illinois.gov