Greetings OPAL Community!

First things first, HOUSE of OPAL was a great success! Thanks to all who attended, donated time, talent and money to our first fashion fundraiser event! If you missed it, there are some moments we captured to share here or check our instagram.
We set a goal of raising $15,000 and we surpassed that! Thank you!

Nothing is slowing down after the runway!

Terrain Biennial starts today and Friday the 3rd there will be an Open House from 5-9pm at West Cook Y featuring an exhibit of Antonia Ruppert’s work and more. Our Juried Abstract Exhibition opens on October 11.

Check out the rest of our latest news, upcoming exhibits, events and classes below. OPAL is your gem!
Your membership, class registrations, art and shop purchases and donations or sponsorships helps keep OPAL going.
Please join us and share our events with your friends.

Sincerely,
Bryan Northup Grayson
Executive Director

W O R K S H O P S

Memorial Arts Workshop: Creative Rememberance Through Personal Shrines with Dave Palomares
Saturday, October 18th, 10am - 4pm

This mixed-media workshop guides participants in creating personalized memorial art installations honoring deceased loved ones. Drawing artistic inspiration from the global remembrance traditions, participants apply techniques like paper crafting, textile integration, image transfer, and sculptural elements through guided hands-on learning.

Seeing Deeply with Kathleen Fischer
Saturday, October 25th, 1pm - 4pm

Photography isn’t just about equipment – it’s about vision. Seeing Deeply is a workshop designed to help artists of any discipline develop fresh potential and new perspective behind the lens. Through practical exercises, visual challenges and composition techniques participants are encouraged to break out of old habits and create images that are unique and alive.

The Art of Line with Jan Zhou
Saturday, November 1st, 12pm - 4pm

Awaken creativity. Strengthen your seeing. Building a lasting connection between hand, mind, and heart through the simplicity and elegance of line. In this mindful drawing workshop, you will explore how line alone—without shading or complex techniques—can express your form, movement, energy, and emotion.

There is still time to see the current exhibition and bid on original works donated to help support OPAL. The show closes Sunday October 5

UP NEXT :

Chicago Public Library Censors Art Exhibition

Curated and organized by Sara Peak Convery “We Are Not Done Yet,” an art exhibit at the Austin-Irving Branch of the Chicago Public Library was suddenly removed on September 18th by the city's Library Commissioner after two city employees complained. The Branch Manager and the exhibit’s organizer were not contacted before the early removal. The exhibit, installed on July 5, 2025, was supposed to run until September 27, 2025. It featured 16 artists expressing views on the country after the recent election covering topics like politics, global issues, fascism, and culture.
Support free speech, Sign the petition

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.