OPAL NEWS | MAY 2025

Dear Friends and Members,

Welcome, new members and followers who have joined our mailing list and are receiving our newsletter for the first time. Thank you also to our renewing members and loyal students who keep our gallery and studio buzzing with creative energy and artistic exploration.

The Oak Park Art League has continued to offer a valuable, but perhaps under-recognized asset to the community as a “third place.”
In the 1900s, before screens or social media, everyone valued this "third place.” It was different from home and work, but still made you feel welcome. It was a relaxed spot like a barbershop, café, book club, or bridge table, where people connected. There, they shared stories and interests, eased grief, and fought loneliness.
Today, we often substitute this need with endless scrolling on our devices. Instead of more life-hack reels Instagram, perhaps we really need to find (and support) our "third place." I hope OPAL can be that place for you.

OPAL is officially 104 years old! And it got a special gift to mark the occasion, our very own page on Wikipedia!
This is something I’ve wanted done for quite awhile and I thank Dave Palomares for volunteering his expertise and time to publish our page.

Our Spring Artist Member Exhibition, EXPO + OPAL, also marks this impressive milestone. EXPO was great, but it’s over. However, you can still see wonderful artworks by some of our Artist Members through this Sunday, May 4th, and vote for your favorite piece for our People’s Choice Award.

There is much more planned in May and the coming months, so here are some key dates to mark on your calendars and participate, volunteer or support us at these events. Thank you!

Save the Dates

Day in our Village - Sunday June 1st, find us in Scoville Park, 11am - 4pm where we meet Oak Parkers and share our mission with fun activities. Follow the link to sign up to help

Oak Park July 4th Parade - Last year we had a small but mighty group walking to represent OPAL. Join us this year! Follow the link to sign up to walk with us!

Farmer’s Market Bake Sale - Saturday, July 19. We are seeking help from our membership to both bake items to sell and help the day of this fundraising event.

FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 12, 7-9pm
Category is: “Come as Your Art!”
OPAL artists have thrown many costume parties in the past 100 years, so let’s get dressed to express!
The evening will include small bites
and beverages, music, a fashion runway show, silent auction of one-of-a-kind wearable art fashion accessories and more!
Tickets available soon!

With your participation and support, the Oak Park Art League remains a welcoming third space for everyone to find an artistic escape and connect with a community of artists and art enthusiasts. I look forward to seeing you at OPAL.

Sincerely,
Bryan Northup Grayson
Executive Director

UPCOMING

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

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

Presented by La Romita School of Art
Sunday May 4, 1:30 pm 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 traveling today.

Artist In Residence: Shanelle Harrison

OPAL is honored to have Shanelle Harrison as our artist-in-residence April through June 2025.
Shanelle Harrison is a contemporary narrative artist and wreathmaker renowned for her innovative Print-Craft fusion techniques and evocative wreath-making. Look for upcoming workshops led by Shanelle.

Artist CV and Headshots- Professional Development Series

With Shanelle Harrison and
Bryan Northup
Book a 30 minute slot which includes a one-on-one 20 minute consultation with OPAL Resident Artist Shanelle Harrison on how to construct a well-documented CV. Bring in what you have or get started from scratch.
You will then have 10 minutes to get photos of you with your artwork for a brand new headshot.

IN THE STUDIO

Summer 1 Session is Open for Registration

First 2 sessions of the month -
CLOTHED Model Figure Drawing

Sunday, May 4, 10am - 1pm
Model: Mark

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

UPDATE: Our annual Spring Studio Sale, held at the beginning of April was successful in raising enough money to purchase 6 new easels for the studio! All sales for this event go directly to needed improvements for OPAL’s studio and teaching space. Thank you to all who donated and purchased items!

Instructor Spotlight

Tony Armendariz is our Watercolor instructor at OPAL and we are very fortunate to have him teaching with us! Read more about his practice and his class in this months Instructor Spotlight.

IN THE GALLERY

Pick-Up and Drop-off for the next show is
May 3 & 4, 1-4pm

UP NEXT : 2 0 2 5

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”

Important Dates

Drop off work: May 3 & 4

Exhibition dates: May 9 - June 8

Please note ~ Opening reception:
Saturday, May 10, 1pm - 4pm
Shanelle Harrison, our current resident artist, will be
giving a demo up in the studio during the reception.

Pick up work: June 7 & 8

OPAL Satellite Exhibitions

The Oak Park Art League is once again offering members a chance to display their work outside our main gallery, in local businesses we have partnered with to provide more exposure for artists.

"Encoded Memories" at the Oak Park Main Library, May 2 - 30, 2025
2D and 3D works by artists, Bethany Cordero, Jill Obermaier, Cindy Trim, and curator/artist Betty Young Kim

Art Exhibition Reception: Thursday, May 8, 6:00-7:30PM, Main Library Gallery
Artist Talk: Wednesday May 14, 6:00-7:00PM, Main Library Gallery

The Ukrainian Institute of Modern Art Presents
Lichen and Coral: Algae Symbiosis on Land and Sea
Sandra Wilcoxon & Margot McMahon
Attend a special Crochet Coral Club meet up during her exhibit at UIMA on Saturday June 7.
Seeking a bookbinding artist to help with a project. Interested?
Call 312.593.4770
Email news you want to share for the next Newsletter

ONGOING @ OPAL

Crochet Coral CLUB

JOIN US!
OPAL invites anyone interested in creating coral-shaped forms out of crocheted plastic to our monthly ‘make something’ meet-ups. Don’t miss the extra meeting at UIMA on June 7th

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 late 2025, just in time for the holidays and aligned with our Food for Thought exhibition. We want your recipes and food themed artwork!

Family stARTs

Tell all your friends with kids! The Oak Park Art League offers Family stARTs, a free, drop in youth art making opportunity twice a month for families to create together. The sessions are scheduled on second and fourth Saturdays of each month.

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.