The 21st Regional Juried Art Exhibition at the Freeport Art Museum was a resounding success, showcasing the work of 40 exceptional artists selected from over 230 submissions across the Midwest. This year’s guest juror, Rodrick Whetstone—Assistant Professor of Graphic Design at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville—curated the final selection and awards with a discerning eye. Reflecting on the depth of talent, he remarked, “There are a lot of good hands here,” emphasizing the caliber and craftsmanship present throughout the exhibition.
Guest curator Amy Fairweather introduced Current as the show’s thematic thread—an idea that pulses through the selected works with varying rhythms. “Current speaks through these works in different rhythms,” she notes. From urgency to quiet reflection, from memory to acts of resistance, the exhibition captures the spirit of what it means to create art in this moment.
The result is a dynamic and diverse cross-section of Midwestern artistry—rich in voice, variation, and vision