a Katherine Lord Scholarship for art lessons (in the summer of 1956,  between her 7th and 8th grades at Lincoln Junior High School) from the Burpee Museum of Art (now Rockford Art Museum)…a seed sowing experience,

and the first Jessica Holt Purchase Award from Rockford Art Museum (in 1992 while a successful adult artist and advocate in her dreamy skylit studio at 317 Market Street). Her work and inspiration were recognized. 

More about Deborah…

Although the two awards that Deborah received have faded into history, the spirit of the early experience

and established artist recognition will continue for generations.

To honor the life and artistry of Rockford’s own Deborah Newton, and to inspire new young artists and sustain established adult artists, a legacy endowment was established on September 16, 2021 to fund awards that emulate Deborah's own early art making experience and the recognition she received as an adult artist, organizer, and leader. Participation in visual arts is a form of self-expression where the artist not only does "what-they-cannot-do-without" but allows them opportunity to reach others through their work.

The Deborah L Newton Legacy Endowment is held and managed by the Community Foundation of Northern Illinois to serve the Rockford area visual arts community in perpetuity. As the endowment grows, supported by generous donations, so do the annual distributions that fund the awards. The annual distributions from the Endowment to its designated 501(c)3 charitable arts organization — Womanspace of Rockford — enables Womanspace to issue Deborah Newton Awards which provide:

• Art-Making Experience Awards to public, private and/or home-schooled 7th or 8th grade students in the Rockford Area*, and
• Recognition Awards (including possible monetary, purchase, exhibition, or stipend/commission) to active/established adult visual artists in the ROCKFORD AREA*

For the purpose of the Deborah Newton Awards, *ROCKFORD AREA is defined as:

Winnebago to the west, Rockton/South Beloit to the north, Belvidere to the east, and New Milford to the south. See map…

TIMELINE FOR BOTH AWARDS:

• Applications can be submitted anytime up until the 5 PM deadline on:  March 20  (every year)
• Following receipt of applications, the 3 or 5 person selection group (which includes previous award recipients) reviews applications/nominations and recommends/selects a student and adult awardee recipients.
• Recommended/selected student and adult awardees are contacted in June. Names and photographs of accepting awardees are then announced to the public.
• Awardees meet with Womanspace to discuss/determine specifics of award art-making experiences, recognition types, and budget for the year in late July/early August.
• Student awardee participates in experiences and represents Womanspace and the award during Fall and Spring ArtScene (October & April) and possibly other events/exhibitions in the year of their award. 
• Adult awardee participates in exhibitions which may include Fall and Spring ArtScene (October & April) or other exhibits co-arranged with Womanspace in the year of their award.
• Adult awardee, if willing, provides one or more art-making experiences for student awardee during the year of their award.
• Adult awardee, if they and Womanspace are willing (and annual Endowment distribution budget allows), determines a work to be purchased and donated to a Rockford area charitable organization. Work to become part of the chosen organization's art collection and displayed with a placard describing Legacy, Award, artist and work.

THE DEBORAH NEWTON 7th/8th GRADE STUDENT

ART-MAKING EXPERIENCE AWARD

ELIGIBILITY:

• Students currently enrolled (as of annual application deadline date/time) in 7th or 8th grade public or private schools or home-school curriculums within the ROCKFORD AREA*. 

SUBMISSION OF APPLICATION:

Applicant submissions shall be made electronically using the button below. If student needs help, they should seek assistance from parents, home room teacher or other school/homeschool representative.

STUDENT APPLICATION

CRITERIA TO APPLY:

• Meet eligibility requirements
• Have an interest in participating in an art-making experience at Womanspace, other organization(s), with Active Adult Recognition awardee, or other Rockford area visual artist(s). (Describe your interests within your essay)

• Interest in exhibiting your work in Womanspace's Loretta & William Reif Gallery or other art/public venues during the year of your award

• Willing to represent the Award during the year of your award (be photographed, interviewed, etc.)
• Willing to serve on the 3 or 5 person selection group for subsequent award recipient(s)
• Write an essay expressing your interest, motivation, and commitment to receive award
• Submit (as attachments) images of your prior work (noting that no prior experience/classwork is required to apply, so personal creative work outside of classroom/school may also be submitted)
  
• Submit at least two letters of support from your school or homeschooling organization
• Submit electronic application by March 20, 5:00 pm 
• Agree to meet with Womanspace to select desired art-making experiences within limits of annual Endowment distribution budget

ELIGIBILITY:

• Must be (or have been) an active/established visual adult artist (or nominator thereof) within the ROCKFORD AREA*.  Artist must have had a studio or residence (past or present) within the Rockford Area for not less than 12 months prior to application/nomination.

• SUBMISSION OF APPLICATION/NOMINATION:
  

  Applicant or nominator submissions shall be made electronically using the button below.

ADULT APPLICATION

Click here for more details.

CRITERIA TO APPLY:

• Meet eligibility requirements
• Submit images of prior work (as attachments or a link to web site/URL). 3 or 5 person selection group may ask to visit artist's studio.
• Open to having one of artist's works purchased and donated to a Rockford area charitable organization's collection and displayed with adjacent placard describing Legacy, Award, artist and work
• Interest in exhibiting artist's work in the Womanspace Loretta & William Reif Gallery or other art/public venues during the year of the award
• Artist willing to serve on the 3 or 5 person selection group for subsequent award recipients
• Artist willing to represent the Award during the year of artist's award (photograph, interviews, etc.)
• Artist open to offering an art-making experience to the same year 7th/8th grade student awardee
• Letters of support from other visual artists or Rockford area community members are encouraged but not required
• Submit electronic application by March 20, 5:00 pm
• Awardee agrees to meet with Womanspace to determine type of recognition within limits of annual Endowment distribution budget