More than 75 works of nature art by members of the Nature Artists’ Guild of The Morton Arboretum will be available for viewing at the Bloomingdale Park District Museum through this Saturday, September 12, 2026.
Where the Garden Leads, copyright Lora Lee Gelles, was included in last year’s Autumn Exhibit at The Morton Arboretum. Click on image for more.
Recent cool evenings are beginning to hint at the coming wonders of autumn, especially the spectacular displays of color. Nature Artists’ Guild exhibits, paint-outs, a program, and a workshop (as well as a selection of classes offered by The Morton Arboretum) will help withexploring and celebrating these wonders.
In just a few weeks, prospectuses for the 2026 Autumn Exhibit at the Morton Arboretum and Fauna, the display of 8 x 8 works honoring the Arboretum, will be emailed to members. (New members who join the Guild before the prospectus due date will be eligible to participate in these exhibits.)
The Nature Artists’ Guild will sponsor a program by oil pastel artist George Shipperly on the evening of Thursday, October 1, at The Morton Arboretum. This presentation will be free and open to the public, and no registration will be required. More details coming soon.
A return of the free workshop for Guild members, Wood Slice Ornaments with Lindsay Sandbothe, will be held on October 10. Registration is required, and only a few spots remain for this popular event.
For those who want to learn a new skill or increase their skills with expert instruction, The Morton Arboretum has updated its schedule of classes to include some old favorites as well as new and unique offerings. These classes are open to all, and registration fees apply.
And for those who just want to drop by to enjoy the wonderful sights and sounds of The Morton Arboretum on a weekday morning without the crowds, the Guild’s Coffee and Art gatherings continue each Wednesday, beginning at about 9:30 in the Visitor Center.
Award-winning artist (and Nature Artist Guild member), Dan Danielson, will be demonstrating his fun and fluid style of watercolor painting at the reception for the Guild’s exhibit, open to all on August 16, 2026, from 2 to 4, at the Bloomingdale Park District Museum.
The free reception for Rooted in Observation: Art Inspired by the Living World, at the museum on Sunday, August 16, will be open to the public from 2 to 4 pm. Refreshments and music provided by the museum, a demonstration by Dan Danielson, and the opportunity to view more than 75 works of art by members of the Nature Artists’ Guild of The Morton Arboretum, will all contribute to a wonderful afternoon!
The exhibit will continue until September 12, and visitors can visit the museum’s website for hours and directions.
Also —
Guild artists will also be demonstrating inside the Visitor Center of The Morton Arboretum during the Arboretum’s 2026 Wine and Art Walk. Everyone is invited to stop by and learn more about the Guild or simply chat with an artist and watch them create between 10 and 4 on Saturday and Sunday, August 15 and 16. (Arboretum membership or a gate fee will be required for entrance to the Arboretum.)
The next Nature Artists’ Guild paint-out will be on the morning of September 3 at the Grand Garden at The Morton Arboretum. Visiting artists are welcome to join Guild artists for this end-of-summer, soon-to-be-autumn event. More details will be coming soon, and registration is recommended.
Registration has begun for the free fundraiser workshop with Lindsay Sandbothe at the Arboretum on October 10, 2026. Space will be limited for this popular and fun event, and the workshop is open to Nature Artists’ Guild members only.
A new Nature Artists’ Guild Facebook Group is now available for members to engage with their fellow artists! Guild members can find the group at Nature Artists’ Guild Facebook Group.
Yellowstone Tree Root detail, copyright Jeffrey Zawada
It’s that exciting pre-exhibit time for participating members of the Nature Artists’ Guild of The Morton Arboretum! They will be dropping off their work today for volunteers to artfully arrange throughout the galleriesfor tomorrow’s opening.
Rooted in Observation: Art Inspired by the Living World will be exhibited from August 8 through September 12, 2026 at the historic Bloomingdale Park District Museum. A reception will be held on Sunday, August 16, from 2 through 4, with music and light refreshments provided by the museum, and a demonstration by talented Guild artist Dan Danielson (details coming soon).
Exhibit attendees should check the museum’s website for directions, hours, and other information before planning their visit.
It’s time for the Nature Artists’ Guild’s annual trip to the display gardens of one of the world’s most renowned growers, Ball Horticultural!
Guild members are invited to attend one of the year’s most anticipated paint-outs at The Gardens at Ball on the morning of Tuesday, August 4, 2026, from 9:30 until noon.
“What began as a row trial garden for seed varieties in 1933 has grown to encompass over 15 acres of display gardens for annuals, perennials, cut flowers and vegetables, including the newest plants from the industry’s leading breeders and marketers.”
The gardens are guaranteed to offer a glorious variety of color and form for Guild artists to capture in their sketches, paintings, or photographs. Space is limited for this opportunity, and registration is required. Coordinator Celia Rodee will contact participants with details, directions, and updates.
A few reminders —
The final day to register for the summer special exhibit at the Bloomingdale Park District Museum is tomorrow, July 27. Members were emailed the prospectus and registration link earlier this week.
The last day to submit announcements, images, and articles for the Autumn Quarterly is this Saturday, August 1. Instructions were recently emailed to Guild members.
The Nature Artists’ Guild will sponsor a program featuring Cynthia Hellyer Heinz on the evening of Thursday, August 6, at The Morton Arboretum. This presentation will be free and open to all, and no registration is required. Details coming soon.
Clockwise: 2025 Quarterly covers, details of artwork by Ann Lamoureux, Linda Hilderbrant, Ann Lamoureux, and Jeffrey Zawada.
Nature Artists’ Guild members have lots to do this July, both indoors and out —
The current forecast is for gorgeous weather on July 23 for the paint-out at the private garden of Guild member Ann Lamoureux. Participants will be greeted with light refreshments and a chance to spend the morning painting and sketching in Ann’s lovely garden of annuals, perennials, and large trees providing cool shade. Registration is required.
When the weather is a little less comfortable, members can spend a few cool hours indoors looking through their artwork or writing a poem or essay to contribute to the Guild’s Autumn 2026 Quarterly. Artwork images and articles can be submitted by August 1, as outlined in the July 18 email sent to members.
Another important indoor activity for members of the Nature Artists’ Guild is completing their registration for the exhibit at the Bloomingdale Park District Museum opening in August. Registration must be submitted by July 27 through the link emailed to members on June 25. Update – registration extended until August 1.
Also beginning indoors, cool and comfortable, are the casual weekly gatherings of Guild members and visitors, Coffee and Art, at the Visitor Center of The Morton Arboretum. All are welcome to stop by any Wednesday morning beginning about 9:30, and possibly move outdoors if the weather is nice. (An Arboretum membership or gate fee will be necessary to enter the Arboretum.)
And finally, it’s back outdoors, on another lovely day of the artists’ choosing, to find a subject to depict in their contribution to the Guild’s 8×8 small works display, Fauna, this autumn at The Morton Arboretum.
Detail of Yellowstone Tree Root, copyright Jeffrey Zawada
The prospectus and registration link were emailed to Guild members on June 25, 2026. Registration can only be completed through the emailed link, not through this website. (Guild members who did not receive the email or have questions about the exhibit should contact Irena Gintilas or Jeffrey Zawada. Their contact information is listed in the Guild’s 2026 Yearbook.)
Rooted in Observation: Art Inspired by the Living World will be exhibited from August 8 through September 12, 2026 at the Bloomingdale Park District Museum. A reception will be held on Sunday, August 16, from 2 through 4, with music and light refreshments provided by the museum, and a demonstration by a talented Guild artist.
The museum welcomes artist demonstrations during its open hours, and the Guild’s special exhibit coordinators, Irena Gintilas and Jeffrey Zawada, encourage members who may be interested in demonstrating to contact them by email. Museum hours are Wednesdays, from 3 to 7 pm, and Thursdays and Saturdays, from noon to 4.
There is no entry fee or volunteer requirement for this exhibit, and the artwork drop-off will be on August 7. Volunteers to help hang the artwork that day would be welcome and can contact Irena or Jeffrey to sign up. Artwork pick-up will be on September 13, and no artwork can be stored. All the details will be included in the prospectus and emailed to members.
Camofrog, copyright Linda Hilderbrant (cropped to illustrate square format of the Fauna project. Click on image for full version).
It’s time for Nature Artists’ Guild members to get started on this year’s small works project honoring The Morton Arboretum!
This year’s theme for our members’ 8 x 8 inch works, to be displayed alongside the Guild’s 2026 Autumn Exhibit at the Arboretum in November, is “Fauna.”
Merriam-Webster defines “fauna” as the “the animals characteristic of a region, period, or special environment.” The special environment for this project is The Morton Arboretum, so inspiration will be diverse and plentiful this time of year!
From the tiniest insects to the largest mammals, all the wild creatures ever found at The Morton Arboretum will qualify as subjects for “Fauna 2026.” (Domestic animals not eligible.)
Fauna 2026 –
A registration form will be emailed to members later in the year.
Guild members can participate by creating up to three works, completed at or inspired by The Morton Arboretum.
Artwork must be exactly 8 by 8 inches and less than 1/2 inch in depth, unframed, and can be in almost any medium.
There will be no exhibit fee or volunteer requirement.
This special display is separate from, but will be exhibited during and alongside, the Guild’s 2026 Autumn Exhibit at The Morton Arboretum.
The next few months will be filled with opportunities for members of the Nature Artists’ Guild to share, sketch, and learn, all while enjoying the company of fellow artists.
The Thornhill Education Center of The Morton Arboretum will be the location for the Nature Artists’ Guild’s trio of artist demonstrations on the evening of June 4, 2026, beginning at 7. Three talented Guild members will share their inspirations, methods, and materials at this popular annual event. The program will be open to all, free of charge, and registration is not required.
On June 11, 2026 (rain date June 12), Anne and Charles Bouchard will share their professionally designed and beautifully updated private garden in Glen Ellyn, IL, with members of the Guild from 9:30 until noon.Guild members can register here for this event, the first of four different private garden paint-outs scheduled for this summer.
Initial preparations for this summer’s Nature Artists’ Guild exhibit at the Bloomingdale Park District Museum have begun, and prospectuses will be emailed to all members next month. The exhibit will run from August 8 until September 12, 2026, and will include member demonstrations and an opening reception. Guild members will have the opportunity to enter work previously exhibited at The Morton Arboretum or juried by email photos.
Guild members can use this busy time of wildlife activity to begin their contributions to this autumn’s special display of 8 x 8 works honoring the Arboretum, “Fauna.” Each member will be eligible to include up to three unframed works, which must be 8 x 8 inches, less than 1/2 inch deep, and inspired by the fauna of the Arboretum. (Examples of last year’s small works display, “Flora,” can be seen here.)
As always, Guild members (and guests) are invited to attend a casual Wednesday morning gathering at the Visitor Center of The Morton Arboretum, Coffee and Art. This friendly and welcoming group of artists spends a few hours each week chatting, sketching, or just enjoying the morning sights and sounds of the Arboretum. No registration is required.
More details about these and more events coming soon!
Sea Turtle, copyright Eva Holy. Please click on the image for a sample of artwork from the Nature Artists’ Guild’s 2026 Spring Exhibit.
The Nature Artists’ Guild would like to congratulate and thank all those involved in the success of the 2026 Spring Exhibit at The Morton Arboretum!
More than 1300 visitors were able to enjoy over 200 wonderful works of art at The Morton Arboretum last weekend, thanks to Exhibit Co-Chairs Alice Wych and Lisa Kanellos, Featured Artist Cheryl Holz,approximately 60 participating members of the Nature Artists’ Guild, and all the volunteers, demonstrators, and Arboretum staff who shared their time, effort, and talents to make the 2026 Spring Art Exhibit so successful.
Following is a small sample of artwork images contributed by Nature Artists’ Guild exhibitors –
Purple Clematis, copyright Donna Falk
Magnolia #2, copyright Donna Falk
Torrey Sunrise, copyright Nancy Roberts Himmes
Sunset Over the Marsh, copyright Nancy Roberts Himmes
Nature Artists' Guild 
