An exhibition comprised of select oil paintings depicting the Fox River watershed by plein air and studio artist Joel Sheesley — painted over a two-year period in all seasons — from West Dundee to Ottawa where the Fox River joins the Illinois River. Sheesley positions landscape art as a means to deepen our experience and appreciation of nature.  This exhibition is done in partnership with The Conservation Foundation’s Fox River Initiative.

Joel Sheesley, emeritus professor of art at Wheaton College, is a painter whose current work focuses on the landscape. He has been a recipient of an Illinois Arts Council Artists Fellowship, has exhibited work in Chicago galleries and had a solo exhibition at the Chicago Cultural Center. His work has also been exhibited widely in university galleries.

The Conservation Foundation’s Fox River Initiative is an environmental education and outreach program about the Fox River and the Fox Valley. Through “Art of the Fox” the foundation hopes to broaden interest in the health of the Fox River by appealing to the river’s aesthetic value. Original paintings, giclée prints of selected works and an exhibit catalogue of Joel’s work and writings are available for purchase through The Conservation Foundation.

This exhibition is sponsored in part by Geneva Cultural Arts Commission and Geneva Foundation for the Arts.