Five to be inducted into Fox Valley Arts Hall of Fame
By Linda Gerardi
Aurora Beacon-News | Feb 14, 2020 at 12:27 PM
Five artists have been chosen for induction into the Fox Valley Arts Hall of Fame, organization officials announced.
Three of the artists are in the performing arts-music category: Patrick Beckman, Kevin Braheny Fortune and Jeffery Hunt. Two of the inductees are in the visual arts-painting category, Vincent Chiaramonte and Joel Sheesley.
Susan Starrett, president of the Fox Valley Arts Hall of Fame, said this year’s artists represent the 10th class of inductees since the nonprofit organization was founded in 2002. Members of the community passionate about the arts submit nominees. Inductees are selected through a formal nomination and review process.
“We have anywhere from 12 to 15 people nominated every two years,” she said. “Their credentials and accomplishments are incredible."
Hunt was humbled by the honor, he said. "My first thought was whether I should be among the list of recipients," said Hunt, of St. Charles. Hunt is the founder and director of the St. Charles Singers, a professional chamber choir dedicated to choral music. The group’s home venue is Baker Memorial United Methodist Church. However, they have performed regionally and have toured internationally. "I am humbled to be included in a list of highly respectable artists. The Fox Valley has a depth of appreciation for the arts," he added. Hunt is an adjunct professor of music at Elgin Community College and director of music at Baker Memorial United Methodist Church in St. Charles.
Braheny Fortune is a jazz music composer and multi-instrumentalist, according to his website. He grew up in Elgin and presently resides in Los Angeles. He is quoted as saying “music is energy.”
Beckman is a pianist and composer. He grew up in Elgin, as well. He currently lives in Freeport. He has been composing piano and vocal music since college and has created numerous works. Beckman studied at the University of Illinois. He was also music director of the Station Theater in Urbana, an off-campus organization for which he composed music for avant-garde theatre, dance and musical groups. In addition to his academic and off-campus activities, he also performed with various R&B groups from Chicago and worked as a studio musician in various studios, according to his website.
Chiaramonte is a portrait artist who currently lives in Campton Hills. He hails from Rockford. He works in oil, pastel and charcoal. He has been commissioned by private individuals and organizations from the world of business, academia, sports, clergy and politics.
Sheesley is a landscape artist and emeritus professor of art at Wheaton College. He is a 45-year resident of DuPage County. His paintings have raised awareness of the importance of the region’s environment, including the Fox River. In 2018, The Conservation Foundation published “Fox River Testimony,” a 155-page catalog of Sheesley’s paintings of the Fox River Valley, according to the Hall of Fame announcement.
The next round of submittals for nominees for the Fox Valley Arts Hall of Fame will be accepted from Sept. 1 to Nov. 1, 2021.