Frame by Frame: A Collection of Building Facades by Stephen Curtis Wilson is featured in our second-floor art space now through August 2025. Frame by Frame represents buildings that include local landmarks and hidden gems throughout Central Illinois. 

Wilson is a designer and photographer. Central Illinois has been his frame of reference for a lifetime. His well-seen perspective provides him an intimate, unique notion of the artfulness of this region, quintessentially Midwestern. He was a medical and generalist photographer and writer in the healthcare and library science fields for 36 years. He also cut steel in a foundry for a decade and drove a truck for a time.

“It’s a character-builder,” he says.

Wilson received a BA from the University of Illinois and is an Illinois Artisan for Photography, Illinois State Museum. Artist Helen Frankenthaler said, ‘Every canvas is a journey all its own.’ Wilson agrees and says, “I view my photographs the same way.”

If you are interested in displaying your own work in FDL’s exhibit space, the Arts Advisory Committee invites artists from East Peoria and surrounding communities to submit applications for consideration. Applications are welcome anytime and are reviewed on a revolving basis by the Committee under the guidance of library policy. To be considered, please review the Art in the Library Policy and complete the online application at fondulaclibrary.org/services/fine-arts.

2025 Summer Service Project: Board Game and Puzzle Drive
Help out with this summer’s community project! Visit the Children’s Department to donate new or gently-used board games that will be distributed to District 85 and District 86 schools. Games and puzzles provide students with a uniquely entertaining learning experience as they develop skills in storytelling and problem-solving.

Teen and adult games are also welcome donations. These will be gifted to Tabletop Gamers for Good, a Peoria-based non-profit organization that channels game donations towards supporting other non-profits committed to improving the lives of families and children.

FDL is accepting game and puzzle donations now through August 15. 

Take a Trip With Help from Explore More Illinois
Explore More Illinois provides FDL library cardholders with access to free and discounted tickets, as well as other exclusive offers, to museums, science centers, park districts, theatres, and other cultural venues! 

Easily accessible online, FDL cardholders can access Explore More Illinois by logging in with their library card barcode and password. Once logged in, view currently available offers or search by date, attraction name, or location. 

Some currently participating attractions include:

Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum – Springfield

Chicago Botanic Garden - Glencoe

Chicago Children’s Museum – Chicago

Children’s Discovery Museum - Normal

Discovery Center Museum – Rockford

The Forge Aerial Adventure Park - Lemont

Kidzeum of Health and Science – Springfield

Museum of Science and Industry - Chicago

Normal Cornbelters Collegiate Baseball - Normal 

Peoria Park District PlayHouse Children’s Museum - Peoria

Peoria Riverfront Museum – Peoria

Wheels O’ Time Museum - Dunlap

Explore More Illinois is sponsored by RAILS (Reaching Across Illinois Library System).

For more information about events, materials, or services, please visit fondulaclibrary.org, or call us at (309) 699-3917.