Each month's 1st Sunday figure session is our designated Clothed model session, allowing younger artists access to live models to gain more skill. Open to teens 12+ as well as adults.

OPAL’s artist residency program began in May 2024 and is once again open for proposals through November 1, 2025.
Visit Artist Residency page for more details, past resident projects and a portal for residency submissions.

Our Fall I Adult Class Session is open for registration!
The Oak Park Art League is offering 12 classes this session, including exciting new classes and some favorite instructors and courses that have been on break over the summer (or longer) return.

During OPAL’s Fall Fundraiser HOUSE of OPAL, the work by Oak Park Art League members on the gallery walls will create a rich backdrop of creative expression, epitomizing OPAL’s mission and reflecting our unique artistic community.

Oak Park Illinois Film Festival & the Oak Park Art League

September 11-14, 2025

Experience Three Days of Art, Fashion & Film in the Heart of Oak Park

Join us for an unforgettable cultural celebration featuring the best of visual arts, fashion, and cinema right in Oak Park, Illinois. This vibrant weekend showcases the creative spirit that makes our community truly special.

This is where you will find all the opportunities we come across or that come in especially to be shared with the OPAL artist community.

OPAL is honored to host Shanelle Harrison as our artist-in-residence April through June 2025, and back as the curator for OPAl’s August exhibition, Stories from the Soul.

JOIN US!
OPAL invites anyone interested in creating coral-shaped forms out of crocheted plastic to our monthly ‘make something’ meet-ups. Our final maker’s meet-up is June 15!

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. There are a few options now and you can sign up to exhibit at

• West Cook YMCA

• Prairie Title

• Print Innovation Lab Pop-Up

Please complete the submission form

Our next talk about an OPAL retreat to Italy and LaRomita is scheduled! Mark your calendars for OCTOBER 12, 2pm
RSVP here

The Oak Park Art League has partnered with La Romita School of Art in Umbria Italy to form a group artist retreat in summer 2027. Currently we are sharing this opportunity and gathering interested artists who would like to learn more join in this exciting art adventure!

Stop by to see Distorted Lens, Betty Kim’s camera obscura installation in our residency space, now through Sept 28.
You also have the chance to take a digital photography class with Betty in our upcoming class session!

We are always open to enhancing our garden courtyard, especially with works of art!

Check out what has landed and stop by to see the sculptures in OPAL’s courtyard garden.

Thank you!

The Oak Park Art League at Oak Park Farmer’s Market, held a Bake Sale fundraiser on JULY 19, 2025. We are grateful for the help from our membership to both bake items to sell and help organize and work at our tent the day of.

Catalina Gongora is an artist and educator from Colombia, South America. Catalina loves teaching and interacting with the community, she is passionate about helping others express their feelings through art.

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’re launching this call for recipes now and the deadline to submit will be in late summer 2025.

Happy Independence Day! This is how we parade!

Join us walking !

How small can you work and still maintain your style?  Find out!

We look forward to meeting many Oak Parkers at our booth at this year’s Day in Our Village, Sunday June 1!

Help us represent OPAL. Sign up for a slot here

Tony Armendariz is our Watercolor instructor at OPAL! Read more about his practice and his class in this months Instructor Spotlight.

Our next Open Critique is May, 29, 6-8pm

Anyone can bring in a single piece of their own artwork and get feedback from fellow artists.
Artists participating in this critique are expected to bring a piece of artwork to discuss.