OPAL NEWS | APRIL 2025

Dear Members and Friends,

March was full of change everywhere, including at OPAL. Our Gallery & Studio Manager Phoebe, who had been on staff for two years, left to pursue new adventures in the art world.
Within a couple of weeks, we welcomed Michael Cuadrado, our Experimental Painting instructor, who stepped into the role of Programming Coordinator, working primarily to keep our classes and workshops schedule running smoothly.

We had a great turnout at the reception for POSE! our juried Figure and Portrait exhibition, an artist talk, local authors reading and more.
We are excited to host more events in April as well as our new Artist Resident Shanelle Harrison who will occupy our resident space and be offering several workshops between now and the end of June.

Our Spring Artist Member Exhibition, EXPO + OPAL celebrates our 104th Anniversary and there is much more planned in April, so read on to see what’s coming and join in when you can.
OPAL is a welcoming, safe space for everyone to find an artistic escape and connect with a community of artists.
I look forward to seeing you in April.

Sincerely,
Bryan Northup Grayson
Executive Director

UPCOMING

Check out our News page for a calendar view of upcoming events.

Spring STUDIO SALE

April 2-4, online sale
April 5th, 9-11 am in-person shop
The online sale, which will be hosted at www.estatesales.net will include gently used art-making supplies and materials, artwork, and odds and ends, estate sale style, all to fund improvements to the OPAL studio.

Collector’s Circle

Saturday, April 5, 11 am - noon

Collector’s Circle Talk is intended for art enthusiasts, “art curious”, new collectors and artists to start collecting original art.

This talk features River Forest design firm ARTXLAB. They will present a collection, speak about what they do and share tips and answer questions. RSVP

Special Figure Drawing Event

Monday April 7, 5:30 - 9:30pm
Partnering with Registry Of Figure Models And Artists, OPAL offers a special figure drawing opportunity featuring multiple models sharing their favorite poses. Limited to 10 seats for artists, Register for your spot!

Crochet Coral CLUB

JOIN US Sunday April 13, 1-3pm
OPAL invites anyone interested in creating coral-shaped forms out of crocheted plastic to our monthly ‘make something’ meet-ups. The goal is to have a community made plastic coral installation ready to feature in our July exhibition ‘Spiraling’

Storytelling Event

All are welcome to join OPALGA+ on Wednesday April 23, 7-9pm for a special storytelling event specifically featuring our friends in the transgender / non-binary / gender-fluid community.

Friday, April 25, 12:00 - 5:00 PM
Let’s go to EXPO together!
OPAL artists meet up at EXPO Chicago on Navy Pier to experience the show together. Travel and tickets are up to you but we’ll meet at the main EXPO entrance at noon to take in some art together.
RSVP on our Sign up Genius so we know you’ll be joining us.

Artist Talk
The Grand Tour: How Art and Travel in the 18th Century can inspire us in the 21st

Sunday May 4, 1:30pm RSVP

The talk will cover the history of The Grand Tour, a series of routes across Europe travelled by artists and writers during the 18th Century, and draw connections between their experiences and the potential for artists travelling today.

IN THE STUDIO

SPRING 2 is OPEN for registration

First 2 sessions of the month -
CLOTHED Model Figure Drawing

Thursday April 3, 9 am - 12 pm
Model: Isabella

Sunday April 6, 10am - 1pm
Model: Emily

First Sunday and Thursday of each month, OPAL figure sessions will feature a clothed model. Open to teens 12+ as well as adults.

Upcoming workshops

A Spiritual Journey, Painting and Interacting with Trees, a Sensory-Motor Approach
with Dee Grossman

Saturday April 26 10am-3pm

Construction Poetry Workshop
with Cynthia Bruenlin

Saturday, May 3rd, 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM

Instructor Spotlight

Mike Barett Kolasinski is our ever popular Pastel Painting instructor at OPAL! Read more about his practice and his class in this months Instructor Spotlight.

IN THE GALLERY

1st, David Morris | 2nd, Sarah Lovitt | 3rd, Margot McMahon

Congratulations to the judge’s selections!
On exhibit through Sunday April 6

Pick-Up and Drop-off for the next show is
April 5th & 6th, 1-4pm

UP NEXT : 2 0 2 5

What if you were invited to exhibit at EXPO Chicago? What one artwork would you want to show? What is a signature work that you would like to share?

This is what we invite all active Artist Members to bring to exhibit.
The hanging fee is reduced to $15. for one work. Artists must be a current Artist Member to join this exhibition.

This exhibition celebrates the Oak Park Art Leagues’s 104th Anniversary, highlighting member works while aligning with the excitement of EXPO Chicago.

Artist Member - 1 work per member, reduced entry $15.

Exhibition Entry Form

Important Dates

Drop off work: Apr 5 & 6

Exhibition dates: April 11 - May 4

Please note ~ Opening reception:
Saturday, April 12, 1pm - 4pm

Pick up work: May 3 & 4

How small can you work and still maintain your style? Find out! This open call will feature a group of artists who have taken up this challenge. Each artist will have a solo show, but there’s a catch!
The solo show will be in a box gallery that is 12” x 12” x 12” Open for submissions - SUBMIT

AKG Micro Gallery

SOUVENIRS
Nancy Wisti Grayson

Nick Bridge has space to share in his studio at Harrison and Lyman Streets in Oak Park.
For more information, call (708)703-7224 or email abridge@sbcglobal.net.
Email news you want to share for the next Newsletter

ONGOING @ OPAL

Ready, Set, BAKE!

The Oak Park Art League will be at the Oak Park Farmer’s Market, holding a Bake Sale fundraiser on JULY 19, 2025. We are seeking help from our membership to both bake items to sell and help organize the event.

ARTISTS of OPAL Cookbook

OPAL is publishing its first ARTISTS of OPAL Cookbook, planned to be released in November 2025, just in time for the holidays and aligned with our Food for Thought exhibition. We want your recipes and food themed artwork!

OPAL Shop

Come shop in person in our gift shop tucked in the corner of the Carriage House Gallery and featuring original handmade art and objects created locally.

Adopt a Chair

As a way to raise funds for more seating and gallery improvements, OPAL is starting an adoption opportunity for our brand-new chairs. For $25. you can adopt a chair and add your name and website link to the back.

READ MORE

Oak Park Art League

Founded in 1921, OPAL is one of the longest, continually-running nonprofit arts organizations in Illinois, fulfilling its mission by offering high-quality art education, lectures, artist demonstrations, critiques, and monthly exhibitions in our historic gallery.

Our Mission

The Oak Park Art League's mission is to be a welcoming center of artistic inquiry, creative expression and art appreciation in Oak Park and the surrounding communities.

Board of Directors

President: Linda DeViller
Secretary: Maria Gedroc
Treasurer: David Baker
Margot McMahon
Mia Garcia Hills
Ginger Brent
Shira Slack
Barbara McClure

GALLERY HOURS

Thursday & Friday 1-5 pm
Saturday 10 am-4 pm
Sunday 1-4pm
Monday -Wednesday Closed or by appointment

Land Acknowledgement

Each exhibition, program and class associated with the Oak Park Art League (OPAL) takes place on the traditional homelands of the Council of Three Fires - the Ojibwe, Potawatomi, and Odawa -
as well as the Menominee, Miami, and Ho-Chunk Nations.
OPAL recognizes that the region we now call Chicago and Oak Park was the traditional homeland of many Indigenous nations,
and remains home to diverse Native people today. The land we walk was, and remains Native land.

Thank you to our generous sponsors

Oak Park Art League is partially funded by the Oak Park Area Arts Council, in partnership with the Village of Oak Park, the Illinois Arts Council Agency and the National Endowment for the Arts.