Objects in the collection of DeKalb resident Rodney Borstad.
The NIU Art Museum will present Local Visions: Selections From Area Collections, a diverse exhibition featuring art and objects belonging to local residents.
The exhibition opens Tuesday, January 6, and runs through Saturday, February 21. A public reception will be held Thursday, January 15, from 4:30 to 6 p.m. and will feature a gallery talk by artists, collectors and curators Peter Olson and Michael Bennett beginning at 5 p.m.
On display will be art from the 18th through the 21st centuries, Indonesian textiles, circus posters, antiques, Roseville pottery, record sleeves, vintage toys, folk art and more.
Featured collectors include Mary-Glynn and John H. Boies, Rodney Borstad, Gerald and Cheryl Brauer, Richard M. Cooler, Robert and Christa Even, Sven Oskar Hansen, Barbara Hulseberg, Ronald G. Klein, David McMahon, Molly Carter and David Menard, Jerry D. and Miriam Meyer, Charlie and Dedrie Rudolph, Dan and Virginia Seymour and Jerry and Ging Smith.
“I am fascinated by the way the impulse to collect objects is both universal and highly individual said Bennett. “Each of us, in our own way, asserts our identity by surrounding ourselves with things we love. In a way, the objects become a self-portrait of our aesthetics.”
“We are thrilled to highlight the visual richness of our community, and to tell the personal stories behind the objects,” said Olson. “We hope to embark on a future series of exhibitions, each highlighting a different group of collectors from our community.”
