Oregon’s Coliseum Museum presents spring concert and new artists

OREGON – The Coliseum Museum of Art, Antiques & Americana will host its first concert on Friday, April 5.

Matt and Cynthia Gruel, “Hot ‘n’ Cole”, will present a Cole Porter Spring Concert featuring music from one of America’s most beloved jazz/theater composers.

The pair will enlighten listeners with biographical and musical background in an effort to bring a greater appreciation for Porter’s genius. Highlights will include “Too Darn Hot,” “Let’s Do It (Let’s Fall in Love),” “Begin the Beguine,” and many more.

Doors will open at 5 p.m. with music by Ivory and Burgundy followed by Hot ‘n Cole at 6 p.m.

Ivory and Burgundy features local musicians Miles Beske on flute, Andy Eckardt on piano, and David Eckardt on drums.

Tickets are $25 for CMAAA members and $30 for non-members and available by calling the museum at 815-595-5810 or online at www.cmaaa.org/events.html.

The concert is sponsored by Bry’s Antiques.

April Artists

Rich Born is the featured artist for April. Based in DeKalb, Born has a strong interest in photography that began during his childhood days. He works with digital cameras now but does very little post-processing of images in Photoshop.

He also has images printed translucently on glass as well as high-gloss standouts on a metallic surface. Most recently, he has taken up the art of scanography. He has displayed his work in shows at several galleries and has participated in numerous juried shows.

Joy Meyer, from Dixon, will be showing her work in the Taft Gallery during April and May. She earned both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in art and art education from Northern Illinois University.

She taught art for 30 years, the last 20 years at Rock Falls High School. Meyer has enjoyed working in many different media including watercolor, pen and ink, pencil, glass etching, stained glass and silk painting, but the medium she has chosen to specialize in during recent years is acrylic painting.

She has won numerous awards for both her painting and her teaching.

The CMAAA mission is to present art, antiques, Americana and history through permanent and rotating exhibits, workshops, music, theater and more.

Additional information can be found on the website, www.cmaaa.org and Facebook page, www.facebook.com/ColiseumMuseum/