By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
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ROCKFORD — Rockford Public Schools will honor four alumni this spring for their success in the field of fine arts.
This year’s inductees into the RPS Fine Arts Hall of Fame come from the world of theater, design, music and photography. They are Winnie Au, CoCo Ree Lemery, Lon Hoegberg and Peter Bond.
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Rockford Public Schools announced the honorees on Thursday. They’ll be officially inducted during a ceremony on May 10 at the Illinois Bank and Trust Pavilion, 1868 Reid Farm Road.
The awards are meant to both celebrate success stemming from the school district and inspire current students, said Melissa Wolf, the district’s fine arts director.
“These four people are so successful in the field of fine arts that it’s a way to inspire and show students that, yes I can do this when you grow up. Yes I can make a lucrative career out of doing something that I’m really passionate about and that I love,” she said. “We have the tools right here in RPS 205 to help foster that creativity and those passions for our students.”
The Fine Arts Hall of Fame has honored alumni and faculty for their success since 2017. There have been 25 people and three groups or casts honored since its inception.
About the inductees
Here’s a brief biography of each of this year’s Fine Arts Hall of Fame inductees:
Winnie Au | Guilford High School ’99
Winnie Au, a 1999 graduate of Guilford High School, now lives in Brooklyn where she spends her time photographing people, pets, food and aspects of life. Au was a former photographer for the Guilford yearbook team and has now worked with publishes and clients such as Amazon, Airbnb, Billboard, Teen Vogue, United Airlines and Bank of America. She has been featured in showcases around the world and won numerous awards for her photography.
Lon Hoegberg | Guilford High School ’81
Lon Hoegberg is a lighting designer, set designer and sound designer who graduated from Guilford High School in 1981. He also had a more than 35-year career in aerospace electrical engineering with Collins Aerospace. Now retired, Hoegberg still remains involved in local theater. He has given his time and skills to the Rockford theater scene for more than 30 years.
CoCo Ree Lemery | Auburn High School ’07
CoCo Ree Lemery is a scenic artist and designer who has opened hundreds of shows across the country, including projects with Second City Chicago and Warner Bros. The Auburn High School Class of 2007 graduate has worked with clients from Ralph Lauren to Fox Studios and the Adler Planetarium in Chicago. She also launched her own furniture collection and has received numerous awards including recognition from European Product Design Awards, International Furniture Design Association, Pinnacle Awards, International Design Awards, and the NYCxDesign Awards.
Peter Bond | West High School ’74
Pete Bond, a 1974 graduate of West High School, went on to play in the Metropolitan Opera in New York for 28 years before retiring in 2020. He is the author of “The Singing Trumpet,” which is billed as a revolutionary approach to airflow and resonance to give trumpet players greater projection with less strain. He now lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and is still an active freelance musician.
Past inductees
2017: Tom Heflin, Ann Rundall, Marcel Wilson and Kevin Wilson
2018: East High School Class of 1990 cast of “Grease,” Mark J. Adamany, Kathryn Engel-Terasaki and Jake Runestad
2019: Valentino DeCastris, 2004 All City Production of “Oliver,” Jonathon Sleger, Stephen Wallem and Betsy Youngquist.
2020: Los Primos Cardenas, Lisa Frost, Dorothy Paige-Turner and Mario Panagiotopoulos
2021: Valerie Brandt-Soetermans, E. Faye Butler, Nathan Alan Davis, Jill Heinke Moen and Beth Rydberg
2022: Marti Frantz, Eric A. Johnson, Alonzo Russell, Michelle Williams
2023: Bun E. Carlos, Julia Schade
If you go | Fine Arts Hall of Fame banquet
When: 5 p.m. Friday, May 10
Where: Illinois Bank and Trust Pavilion, 1868 Reid Farm Road, Rockford
Tickets: $50
Get tickets: Go HERE
This article is by Kevin Haas. Email him at khaas@rockrivercurrent.com or follow him on X at @KevinMHaas or Instagram @thekevinhaas and Threads @thekevinhaas