My guest today is Laura Gomel, co-director of 317 Art Collective in Rockford, Illinois.

She grew up in Chicago’s punk rock scene in the 1980s. She met her husband overseas and eventually -- and a little reluctantly -- raised a family here in Rockford.
Lucky for us, Laura Gomel is co-director with Jenny Mathews of 317 Art Collective -- an art gallery, studio space and event space located at 317 Market Street in Rockford.

Together the women are the latest in a series of stewards of the arts who have lived or worked in that building over the last century.

317 Art Collective opened in early January and since then it’s 10 residents and 30 members-at-large have hosted monthly art shows and classes.

On March 12, Laura Gomel joined me in the Register Star newsroom for a conversation about her early years in the Chicago punk rock scene in the 80s and what she’s doing now for Rockford’s creative community.

Read More:

https://www.rrstar.com/news/20190111/new-artists-continue-creative-tradition-at-317-market-st

More information:
Open Studio: 12 p.m. - 5 p.m., Saturdays.
Phone: 815-272-0411
Email: 317artcollective@gmail.com
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