Staff Report

ROCKFORD – Effective at 5 p.m. Saturday, March 14, the Rockford Art Museum will be temporarily closed until further notice, Executive Director Carrie Johnson announced.

All events, classes and programs at RAM are cancelled or postponed.

The move comes after Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s announcement of statewide school closures, and the Rockford Park District’s decision to suspend all non-essential services amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Rockford Art Museum and the Rockford Park District have been following and supporting guidelines and recommendations made by the Center for Disease Control (CDC), Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH), Winnebago County Health Department (WCHD) and the City of Rockford, and will continue to do so until this health emergency subsides,” Johnson said.

The Rockford Art Museum is located inside the Riverfront Museum Park building at 711 North Main St. The building is also home to Discovery Center Museum, Rockford Dance Company and Rockford Symphony Orchestra. Burpee Museum of Natural History is located next door.

President Donald Trump, on Friday, declared COVID-19, also known as coronavirus, a national emergency.