Each summer, Encore! Mt. Morris hires an artist-in-residence to offer art classes and experiences for students second grade through high school from the area.

This year, Hannah Beach, a recent graduate of Northern Illinois University in art education, offered weekly classes at the Allure of Pinecrest Grove building for second- through sixth-graders, where they created decorated painting shirts, botanical mono-printing, and yarn weaving, among other projects. High school art students assisted Hannah, earning volunteer service hours. They included Kerrie Diaz, Olivia Leopold, Eleanor Guinn, Katy Miller and Lily Griffin.

Hannah also guided junior high art students in creating illusion sidewalk paintings on the campus near Old Sandstone. And Hannah, Lucia Wells, Lily Griffin and Ahren Howey (high school art students) spent countless hours designing and painting Mt. Morris’s first mural in the tunnel at Dillehay Park. The artist-in-residence position was funded this year through the 100+ Women Who Care of Ogle County.

Encore! Mt. Morris is composed of volunteers committed to developing Mt. Morris into a unique, thriving rural and cultural arts destination in northwest Illinois focused on the visual, performing and culinary arts. Learn more at EncoreMtMorris.com.