Skirting Convention fascinating

PEORIA -- They travelled, they taught, they joined together to promote the arts, and their art; they formed radical societies and created museum-quality art from everything.

That's the message from Lakeview Museum's lovely exhibit, Skirting Convention: Illinois Women Artists 1840-1940.  It runs until Jan. 15, 2012,and is well worth seeing.

The art works themselves are varied and fine: imaginative oils, watercolors, drawings, sculpture on a variety of subjects.  The artists, women in a man's world, were amazing.  They did it all, as the exceptional commentaries beside their works reveal.

Lakeview Museum, at 1125 W. Lake, deserves much credit for creating this fascinating exhibit. Don't miss it.

 -- Elaine Hopkins