Woodstock Professional and Business Women

Dedicated to community service and the elevation of standards for women in business and their professions

About WPBW

Art Tour - Sept 6th

Artist & Sponsorship Opportunities available

The Woodstock Professional and Business Women welcome you to sponsor the 11th Annual Autumn Art Tour to be held Saturday, September 6th, 2025 from 10am to 5pm. The Autumn Art Tour showcases the exceptional art and fine crafts produced in the region. This free self-guided tour features work from artists throughout beautiful downtown Woodstock, where visitors can experience and purchase a wide range of original work. Artists have an opportunity to connect with the community and share how, why and where their art is created!

This growing event is a fundraiser for WPBW with proceeds used to award scholarships for adult women seeking to further their education or professional training in the D200 area, as well as the $500 Angela Burden Award which is donated to the “Woman of the Year”s charity of choice. Past recipients include Turning Point, CASA, Home of the Sparrow, and the Land Conservancy of Mchenry County, Operation Wild Horse and most recently the D200 Education Foundation.

Your generous sponsorship has a direct impact on our community!

Become a Sponsor

Artist Application

About WPBW

Woodstock Professional and Business Women have been an active part of the Woodstock-area community since 1931. This dynamic group of women has been involved in numerous community projects, along with giving businesswomen in the community a forum for support and education. The group honored its first Woman of the Year recipient in 1975 and presents this award annually. In 1976, after several years of fundraising—spearheaded by the late Woodstock Mayor and WPBW member Frances Kuhn—the group provided the funds to build a replica of Woodstock’s original 1873 Springhouse, which stands today in the Woodstock Square. Additionally, each year, the WPBW awards Frances Kuhn Scholarships to women who reside in Woodstock School District 200 and are returning to school for a degree or to learn additional skills. As a supporter of the annual Christmas Clearing House, WPBW makes a substantial cash donation and volunteers to pack bags. Funds for all programs are raised through WPBW’s annual Woodstock Autumn Art Tour and the Woodstock Men’s Fashion Show.

Become a Member

Scholarships

Frances Kuhn Scholarship

The Frances Kuhn Scholarship is awarded to women from the community, over the age of 22, who have expressed a desire to return to school in order to begin or further their careers in the business or professional fields.

To qualify:
1. You must be 22 years of age or older
2. You must live within the School District 200 boundaries in Woodstock

The scholarship may be used for tuition, books, or other expenses related to your ongoing education. Award monies provide up to $2,000 to the recipient.

The woman receiving the scholarships will be guests at the May WPBW meeting to receive their scholarship funds. They will also be awarded honorary membership to WPBW for the current membership year. Past winners of the scholarship are welcome to help at the Autumn Art Tour and other WPBW events to assist in providing this scholarship for other worthy students in future years. Best of luck to all those who apply!

2024 Scholarship Winners

a. Cass Creighton - Special Education currently pursuing a degree in Education at
Northwestern
b. Alondra Flores - Currently working at MCC, an undergraduate degree at UIC, now
pursuing a Masters in Public Administration.
c. Jeannine Ryan - Currently an Art Teacher at Harrison School in Wonder Lake, pursuing a
Masters in Art Education.

Application

Events