CALL for ART

What does it mean to be human in this moment and how can art portray this? Through figure and portrait, artists have long explored the complexity of human experience—our vulnerabilities, connections, contradictions, and resilience.

There are changes coming and we have news to share!
Current OPAL members are encouraged to attend to meet the OPAL Board of Directors and Staff and learn what is in store for our 105th year.
Join us for important updates on ongoing projects and share your thoughts. This is a member only event held in person at OPAL. RSVP here

In 2026 we are creating a new series where our creative community can meet, make, connect and share with fellow artists, in the gallery after dark, Thursday evenings, 6-8pm. Check out what’s coming up!

We invite contemporary artists to explore the timeless yet ever-evolving relationship between humanity and the botanical world in BLOOM: Art of Flowers, Foliage & Fruit. This juried exhibition celebrates the diverse ways artists interpret, reimagine, and respond to floral and botanical subjects through contemporary perspectives.

OPEN FOR SUBMISSIONS

Show runs Jan 9, 2026 – Feb 8, 2026

Art has always been a compass for navigating uncertainty. Help us map the territory between renewal and resolution. As we complete another revolution around the sun, we find ourselves at the threshold of new beginnings while carrying the weight of unfinished business.

The Jury selected finalists for the “Of the Moment” Photo contest, hosted by the Oak Park Area Arts Council and the Oak Park Art League, will be on display for two weeks at the main branch of the Oak Park Public Library. Visit the library between January 15th and January 29th and VOTE FOR YOUR FAVORITES. With three different categories to vote for, your vote will determine who walks away with the cash prizes. Voting is free and open to the public!!

Our Winter 2 Adult Class Session
February 8th - March 14th
is open for registration!

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

Please complete the submission form

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.

A Year of Poetry Commemorating 105 Years of Oak Park Art League

In honor of Oak Park Art League's 105th anniversary, we're dedicating 2026 to the art of poetry. Join us for a year-long celebration that bridges visual and literary arts through readings, workshops, and creative collaboration.

Current Micro Show

UNFILTERED
Elaine Luther & Ralph Romero

A weekend-long holiday market Pop-up at the Oak Park Art League and will feature local makers selling their creations in our gallery on
Saturday Dec 13 from 10am - 4pm and Sunday Dec 14 from 1-4pm.

Our next talk about an OPAL retreat to Italy and LaRomita is scheduled! Mark your calendars for December 11, 6-8pm for a talk and wine tasting! RSVP

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!

Community Fridge Project & Oak Park Art League unite art and action this holiday season
This Nov-Dec, join us in tackling food insecurity through creativity and community. Our partnership unites artists, neighbors, and changemakers to make a real impact during the holiday season.

OPAL’s Last exhibition of 2025 is an OPEN CALL for food themed artworks in all media!
From the still lives of the Renaissance and Dutch Golden age to the soft sculptures of Claus Oldenburg, or the lush impasto of Wayne Theibaud, food is everywhere in art!  Food is sustenance, it brings us together around a table, it can bring joy or anxiety, it can be factory-farmed or farm-to-table.

The themed exhibition calls for art have been announced! Check out what will be coming to the Carriage House Gallery in 2026.

Come shop in person in a new gift shop tucked in the corner of the Carriage House Gallery and filled with original handmade art and objects created locally. Discover new OPAL designs on swag you can wear and use to spread the word about the Oak Park Art League and help raise funds for our beloved organization.

Join us for an afternoon filled with powerful words and emotional expressions through poetry in response to escalating authoritarian threats and censorship in our nation. Free and open to the public.

Artist Reception & Talk - Sunday November 2, 2-4pm

Terrain Biennial is here and OPAL is hosting two artists, Bethany Cordero and Pia Cruzalegui, with works in our courtyard exhibition space - October 1 - November 15, 2025

Juror: Sheri Rush
Oct 10 - Nov 2nd
ONLINE EXHIBIT CATALOG