Freeport Art Museum recognized for spreading cultural awareness through arts, education

There was a time when its exhibits at the Freeport Art Museum failed to represent all who call Freeport and Stephenson County home.

Thanks to Executive Director Jessica Modica and her staff, that has been rectified in a prominent way.

The museum just wrapped up its third annual BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) Initiative where this year the works of Stephen Signa Aviles, a Mexican-American artist, and Nicole Davis, a Black visual artist and educator, were exhibited for two months in the museum's main gallary.

Modica said, "Our concentration in the last decade has been on growing our partnerships in the community and really being receptive and responsive to what our community needs are and how the arts can be a part of reaching those needs, or at least being a platform for those things to be discussed."

It's that kind of committed outreach and desire to connect that has endeared the museum to the community throughout FAM's 49-year existence and made it a recipient of the Community Champion Award, presented last month for the first time at the Excalibur and Excelsior awards ceremony in Rockford.

More: Rockford area residents say new Community Champion Awards are a long time coming

The award was presented to four recipients who continue to give back to their communities in Boone, Ogle, Stephenson and Winnebago counties.

The Freeport Art Museum is a not-for-profit private organization that seeks to engage all by presenting exhibitions and cultural events, supporting performing arts and developing art education programming for all ages.

Modica, who has been at the helm of the Freeport Art Museum for the past 20 years, said FAM originated with a small group of artists and about 600 pieces of art and artifacts. FAM's collection now includes more than 4,000 pieces from all over the globe.

"We've always had a strong base of supporters," she said. "People are often surprised by that a little bit because you don't expect that in a small town. But we've had incredible supporters ever since we were founded."

Coming on the heels of the recently completed downtown Arts Plaza, an outdoor stage and civic gathering space at Douglas Street and Chicago Avenue, FAM is now one third of the way to fulfilling it's biggest capital project to date.

Modica said $1 million dollars has been raised toward the $3 million purchase and renovation of the old Kunz Brothers Automotive Parts building located next to the plaza. The two-story 14,000-square-foot brick building will be the future home of the museum.

The museum's current home, the former Harlem Elementary School at 121 N. Harlem Avenue, is a multi-story city-owned building that lacks an elevator.

The new site, a historic two-story building with an elevator, will anchor the bourgeoning downtown Chicago Avenue arts corridor.

While the new museum space will be smaller size, Modica said staff will be able to more readily rotate displays in and out of storage for exhibits.

She also said the renovations will preserve and honor the building's ties to the automotive industry and to the community.

Chris Green: 815-987-1241; cgreen@rrstar.com; @chrisfgreen

This article originally appeared on Rockford Register Star: New award recognizes Freeport Art Museum's community commitment