Applications for submissions will open again in 2025..

the award

The legacy of this celebrated Rockford artist will honor students and established artists

To honor the life and work of Rockford artist Deborah Newton, a legacy endowment has been established by her family to emulate her own early exposure to art when she was in junior high school which planted the seeds for her life as a visual artist, organizer, and developer. Her family believes that participation in visual arts is strongly integral to supporting a positive growth in society, enhancing one’s skill-set, and improving the overall quality of life – no matter what life path one chooses.

The Deborah L. Newton Legacy Endowment fund provides annual funding to Womanspace for awards to inspire and encourage Rockford area 7th and 8th grade students to partake in an art-making experience. Students, regardless of previous experience, will be considered by online application and must simply express an interest in pursuing visual art. In Deborah’s words:

“It should be noted
that artwork done by students is a first experience in creating. It is this first offering that may entice and expand the student into artist. The legacy of this experience is to express, explore…
and do art.”

The legacy endowment also funds periodic awards of recognition to established visual artists active in the local community to use toward the purchase, commission, or public exhibition of their work. Artists may apply themselves or be nominated by any member of the community.

The inspiration for these efforts is to reflect the awards that Deborah herself received as a youth and as an active adult artist - a Katherine Lord Scholarship for art lessons (1956) and the first Jessica Holt Purchase Award (1992). While these two awards have completed their run, the spirit of these rewarding experiences will continue for generations.

Supported by individual and corporate donations, the fund is held and managed by the Community Foundation of Northern Illinois to serve the Rockford area visual arts community – forever.

RECIPIENTS

2023 Lilah Rauh - 7th grade Spectrum Progressive School, Rockford, IL

2024 Mary Sic - 8th grade Emmaus Academy, Rockford, IL

Learn more about Womanspace HERE.

View a short video naming the 2023 (inaugural) award recipient HERE.