NCI ARTworks in Peru to host reception for trio of artists

NCI ARTworks will host an opening reception from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, May 10, for the art of Collette Yelm, Judith Gosse and Jacqueline Joann at the NCI ARTworks gallery in the Westclox Event Center in Peru.

The opening reception is free, and all are welcome. Artists showcased this month represent a broad range of art forms. Joann is an established fabric artist whose work has been exhibited throughout Illinois. Yelm is well known for high-quality pour-art canvas pieces and unique ceramic work. Gosse is a well-known children’s book illustrator who has branched out into abstract and portraiture.

Gosse is an illustrator and designer who grew up in Princeton (Class of 1969). After art school, she moved to the San Francisco Bay area and enjoyed a career in the creative departments at J. Walter Thompson and Bernard Hodes. As an art director and designer/illustrator, she won numerous awards and led creative efforts for Hewlett-Packard, Apple, Oracle, Cost Plus and Mercy Hospitals in Silicon Valley.

Gosse also worked in Washington, D.C., for several years illustrating for the Department of Defense and the FAA, among others. Gosse moved back to her Midwestern roots in 2018 to become a children’s book illustrator. She has more than four dozen published books to her credit. She raised two daughters who are both artists and now delights in working on art projects with her three creative granddaughters.

Yelm was born and raised in Rockford. She attended Illinois State University, earning a degree in social work. Yelm worked 15 years in mental health and 27 at Perry Memorial as a discharge planner. During her working years, she started to work with acrylics at drip painting. That led to acrylic pouring. After watching many videos, she has discovered her own pouring techniques. Yelm has taught several pouring classes at Prairie Arts in Princeton. She is excited to be included in this art show.

Joann is a textile artist whose background is in design and marketing. She began as a quilter and moved on to fiber art through the years. Her subjects are inspired by nature. She has exhibited in galleries throughout Illinois.