Park Blog

MONTICELLO — Allerton Park and Retreat Center has another artist on site — the 20th of its six-year In-Residence Program. New York-based painter Patrick Neal will spend time creating art as well as talking about his methods during a public talk on April 17.

Neal generally uses oil and watercolor to show his processes in his works, which include a wide range of subjects portrayed in colorful, impressionistic ways.

The painter, who also writes prolifically about art, says he often goes into a session with one thing in mind, only to paint something different. That has him excited about being on site at Allerton through April 19.

“I love this idea of subject matter arising by way of an occasion. I find that exciting about Allerton Park, in a different place outside the confines of your own home or studio that you know very well, and you’re dealing with new terrain and new people,” Neal said.

Neal will show some of the fruits of his in-residence stay — as well as an explanation of his artistic process — at Painting the Four Seasons on Thursday, April 17 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. in the Mansion. The event is open to the public but registration is required here by April 16.  

The east coast artist feels that “everything can be something rich for art,” from staircases near his home to landscapes out in nature. Strengthening that belief was a 2022 residency in Costa Rica, where he painted not only the scenic cloud forests but the cultural components of the country.

His method also incorporates a moment-by-moment attitude.

“It often comes from collecting moments,” said Neal. “I just walk out the door and there are subject matters.”

He also enjoys discussing his art with others like at the upcoming outreach event at Allerton.

“I want to be able to talk to everybody — not so much showing them pretty pictures as much as talking about the artistic process and why I am arriving at these motifs,” he said.

More about Neal and his art can be found on his website.

 

 

 

A substantial lead gift from Joan and Peter Hood will help “get the ball rolling” on improvements in Allerton Park and Retreat Center’s Artisan Village.

Their donation will support programming and long-term facility care for The Farms: An Allerton Folk School, in addition to serving as a contingency to supplement initial construction costs.

The Hoods, who live in Urbana, are longtime supporters of the University of Illinois, where both had distinguished careers. The gift is in memory of Joan’s parents, Marjorie and Frank MacFarlane, for whom the village will be named.

“They loved education and the arts — visual and performing. They were real artisans in the true sense of the word,” said Joan Hood, noting that her dad designed houses and was an early adopter of organic gardening, while her mother loved painting, rug hooking and square dancing.

“They were just creative people and valued education highly, so when we learned about the Artisan Village, it seemed like the perfect thing to do,” she added.

The MacFarlane Artisan Village (MAV), located across from the park’s Visitor Center, already hosts many of the folk school’s courses in The Studio, a Robert Allerton original building that has been renovated to host a variety of classes, including those in fiber arts, painting, birding, natural sciences and more.

Additional buildings in the MAV— one of which can be traced back to the time Robert Allerton began creating the Monticello-area estate in 1900 — will also be repurposed into classrooms, public restrooms, a crafting workshop and more. Construction of an outdoor pavilion and a quad-style walkway between buildings are also included in the plans.

The seven-figure gift from the Hoods is in the form of an endowment, meaning the principal will be invested and interest can be spent each year. Although it will not fund major construction, Allerton Executive Director Derek Peterson said it will “get the ball rolling” by adding impetus to the ambitious plan for the Village.

“It’s not going to pay for the major renovations and construction, but it will give us confidence to move forward and seek additional donors,” Peterson said.

The gift will also provide consistent funds to keep the folk school operating for years to come by supporting public programming and educational outreach for The Farms.

Peterson adds the park has been repurposing structures into programming space for several years, which honors the legacy of Robert Allerton.

“There’s a sustainable aspect to it. In most cases, we are not adding square footage. If we are, it is minimal, so there is little disruption to the environment,” he said.

“The buildings have a certain charm that we don’t want to lose,” added Bridget Frerichs, Allerton’s Associate Director of Advancement. “They were being used — mostly for maintenance and storage — but they can serve a bigger purpose.”

The Hoods previously helped fund the In-Residence program, which has brought 19 artists and naturalists to live and create at the park since its inception in 2020, including current residents Dodd Holsapple, an artist; and musicians Tania Arazi Coambs and Larisa Chasanov.

Peterson said the In-Residence program has been “wildly successful in helping us to grow our community at Allerton.”

Joan Hood said it also gave the couple confidence to add on with the gift to support the Artisan Village.

“Allerton’s been really important to us and we are thrilled with the changes and the vision that Derek has brought. The programming has been amazing,” she said, noting it is also a perfect way to honor her parents.

“We’re glad to have the opportunity to make this gift and to remember my parents in this way.”

Our Executive Director Derek Peterson recently issued a heartfelt thanks to those who make Allerton and its myriad of events possible. In a Dec. 26 video post, he expressed appreciation to staff, donors, volunteers and those who visited the park last year.

“As the year comes to a close and the staff and myself are already looking forward to 2025, I thought I’d take a minute to thank some of those responsible for making it such a great year,” Peterson said.

“First and foremost, I’d like to thank our volunteers — we’ve got a great group of people who come out here and volunteer their time and effort to make the place more beautiful and to make your experience more beautiful, so thank you Allerton volunteers.

“I’d also like to thank all of our donors for the financial support throughout the year, as well as all of you for coming out and using Allerton; that keeps us going and motivates us to do better every time.”

Thank you for taking the time to read our newsletters, perusing our website and for making 2024 such a successful one for Allerton!

MONTICELLO — As fall begins to give way to winter, this is a good time to spot invasive species in yards and forests and try to limit their harm to native plants and wildlife.

For homeowners in Central Illinois, bush honeysuckle — identified by its bright red berries — is a common invasive. At Allerton Park and Retreat Center, European privet (maroon-colored berries) has also been a problem since it escaped from the Formal Gardens decades ago, according to Natural Areas Manager Nate Beccue.

He said invasive plants are easier to spot this time of year because their leaves remain bright green after most plants and trees have shed theirs.

“Bush honeysuckle will not lose its leaves right away. So, if you notice something in your yard is still bright green, there is a good chance it is not native,” Beccue said.

Why should people care? Because invasives can reduce biodiversity in several ways, such as providing too much shade in the spring, stunting the growth of colorful natives like bluebells, spring beauties and other wildflowers.

“Those things all get their start on the ground when the leaves haven’t come out and there is plenty of sunlight,” Beccue said. “But honeysuckle gets its leaves early and can shade the natives.”

Invasive species — which also include, multiflora rose, oriental bittersweet, garlic mustard and the popular burning bush – can take a forested area from a dozen species of shrubs down to as few as one if not addressed.

Allerton crews stay busy cutting down the larger invasive plants, then hold prescribed burns in the fall and spring.

In residential areas there are several ways to handle the issue. University of Illinois Extension Forester Christopher Evans said small plants can be hand pulled, while the larger ones should be cut down and treated with herbicides so they do not grow back.

“It’s important because they can overrun an area. They really just disrupt our native ecosystems,” Evans said. “So if you want to preserve our native plants and keep wildlife value, that’s why it’s important to manage them.”

Additional information on invasive species and how to manage them can be found on the Allerton Park and Retreat Center website and from the University of Illinois Extension.

MONTICELLO — As The Farms: An Allerton Folk School observed its first anniversary in September (of 2024), organizers spent time reflecting on the first year of operation.

And they liked what they saw.

Since its start at the Monticello-area Allerton Park & Retreat Center in September of 2023, participants from 110 communities in Illinois have taken part in more than 200 courses taught by 45 instructors. In all, just over 2,400 enrollments were registered during the first year of The Farms.

Even so, Allerton Senior Program Coordinator Olivia Bunting says she still comes across people who haven’t heard of the folk school, or don’t know what one is. On the park website, The Farms is described as offering classes, workshops, and gatherings focused on art, health & wellness, history, nature & outdoor education, or science.  But Bunting has a simpler explanation.

“I always describe a folk school as a place for community and learning,” she said. “Today’s folk schools borrow from the European foundation of teaching skills that could be used to contribute to society, and has modified it for a modern audience, oftentimes including not only individual classes but multi-day retreats.”

Allerton Associate Director of Retreat Center and Programming Jordan Zech expanded on how The Farms is striving to be an inclusive space, where the focus is “so much more than learning something new.”

“It’s engaging with others in the community, escaping the everyday hustle, and feeling like you are at another place you can call home,” Zech explained. “We hope that being in a ‘classroom’ at Allerton – whether in the historic Mansion, the newly renovated Studio, or outside– you have a positive experience and feel the effects on your mental and physical well-being.”

Students from across Illinois have responded to that sentiment, traveling from a wide geographic area that includes 35 counties and seven other states. As staff looks towards the future and plan for continued growth, they expect the number of students to continue to grow, driving even more tourism to the surrounding area.

“We have already seen an increase in our overnight accommodations in relation to The Farms, and hope that local dining and shopping has been impacted as well,” Zech said. “The Farms is helping Allerton become even more of a destination than it already was, and we don’t plan to slow down!”

As The Farms keeps growing, staff will continue to gather feedback about what subjects people want to learn about, as well as when they want to take courses.

“Fiber classes are big,” Bunting said. “They are getting more and more popular everywhere: sewing, quilting, embroidery, weaving. I think part of the appeal is you can create, but it can also be meditative once you learn it.”

Besides weaving and needlefelting, fiber-centric classes on knitting, spinning yarn and crocheting granny squares are currently being offered at The Farms.

Registration is now open for the Fall Session, offering more than 30 courses until the end of the year. Bunting encourages those who would like to learn a skill and enjoy fellowship with others to sign up for a course.

“I always describe a folk school as a place for community and learning,” she said. “I hope people will come out and support The Farms.”

About The Farms

The Farms: An Allerton Folk School, offers classes, workshops, and gatherings focusing on art, health & wellness, history, nature & outdoor education, or science. All experiences value hands-on, experiential teaching and learning, and are facilitated by and for the members of the community.

See the complete Fall Session schedule here.

About Allerton

Allerton Park and Retreat Center is a 1,500-acre public park located just southwest of Monticello, Illinois. The park features formal gardens, natural areas, nearly 16 miles of hiking trails, sculptures, and a historic 1900-era Georgian mansion/retreat center that hosts conferences, weddings and other events. The Mansion and other park properties also feature 34 rooms available to the public for overnight stays.

Allerton Park and Retreat Center is part the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. The park’s vision is to inspire the community to utilize and value nature, history, and the arts through accessible and sustainable programming, research, and facilities.