Category: Outside Exhibitions

The Annual Garden Art Festival is All of the Above

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Is it a paint-out in a wonderful location?  Is it an artwork exhibit?  Is it a membership drive?  Yes, yes, and yes!  

Suzanne Wegener and Karen Johnson at the Nature Artists' Guild Information Table at The Growing Place
Suzanne Wegener and Karen Johnson at the Nature Artists’ Guild Information Table at The Growing Place

The annual Garden Art Festival, Saturday, June 25, 2016 at The Growing Place, 25w471 Plank Rd, Naperville, IL  will feature  “local artists, live music, talks and treats in our gardens” from 9 am until 5 pm.  Each year, the Nature Artists’ Guild is invited to host a table where guests can ask questions, pick up a membership brochure, or just talk with one of our members about the benefits of Nature Artists’ Guild memberships.

Meanwhile, Nature Artists’ Guild members are busy in the gardens sketching, drawing and painting.  Members bring their own chairs or standing easels, and set up throughout the vast display area.  While the Nature Artists’ Guild will not have a booth for selling artwork at this event, it is permissible for participants to bring business cards and a few small examples of previous work or a small portfolio for interested visitors to view.

Any members who would like to participate are asked to contact Mary Ann Jimenez as soon as possible.  Mary Ann’s contact information can be found in the Yearbook.  Please click on the highlighted links above to learn more about The Growing Place and the Garden Art Festival.

Only Two More Weeks at Gallery 200

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There are only a few more weeks to enjoy the Nature Artists’ Guild exhibit at Gallery 200, 200 Main Street, West Chicago, IL.  Thanks to all the participating artists, to Sharon Malec, Laurie Alvear and Gary Chipman for doing such a great job hanging the exhibit, and to Gail Diedrichsen for these photos!

The exhibit will continue until March 3, 2016, and gallery hours are Thursdays and Fridays from noon until 8 pm, and Saturdays and Sundays from noon until 4 pm.

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Tonight and Tomorrow!

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Don’t forget that the first Nature Artists’ Guild program of the year takes place this evening, Thursday, February 4, 2016.  JoAnne Laudolff’s upcoming class at The Morton Arboretum may already be sold out, but Guild members, guests, and visitors will still have a chance to see how she creates her oil and cold wax collages.

JoAnne Laudolff with one of her Oil and Cold Wax works
JoAnne Laudolff with one of her Oil and Cold Wax works

The presentation is from 7 until 9 pm at the Thornhill Education Center.  There is no charge for admission or parking for this event, and visitors can just let the gate attendant at The Morton Arboretum know they are there for the Nature Artists’ Guild program.

Tomorrow evening, Friday, February 5, 2016 is the opening reception for the Nature Artists’ Guild at Gallery 200 in West Chicago, IL from 6 until 9 pm.  It is a wonderful opportunity to view some beautiful nature art, enjoy a few refreshments, and support local artists.

Please scroll down to previous posts to read more about these upcoming events.

First Nature Artists’ Guild Exhibit of 2016 Opens February 5 at Gallery 200

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Airborne, copyright Sharon Malec
Airborne, copyright Sharon Malec

Just a few weeks from now, the first exhibit of 2016 for members of the Nature Artists’ Guild of The Morton Arboretum will be opening at Gallery 200, 200 Main Street, West Chicago IL, with an artists’ reception on Friday, February 5, 2016 from 6 until 9 pm at the gallery. All members, friends, family, and art lovers are invited to attend! The exhibit will continue until March 3, 2016, and gallery hours are Thursdays and Fridays from noon until 8 pm, and Saturdays and Sundays from noon until 4 pm.

Sunset, copyright Patty Koenigsaecker
Sunset, copyright Patty Koenigsaecker

Gallery 200 is an artists’ collective, a division of People Made Visible, Inc., which features locally created artwork in numerous media.  The Nature Artists’ Guild is pleased to be invited to the gallery for this special exhibit of nature art.

For more information or to view works by Gallery 200 artists, please click on this link to the Gallery 200 website, or on this link to the Gallery 200 Facebook page.

New Year, New Wonderful Experiences!

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The Nature Artists’ Guild Executive Board members and Committee Chairs will be meeting this Thursday to discuss upcoming programs, paint-outs, presentations, exhibits, workshops, field trips and social gatherings, and we look forward to the schedule for 2016.  Nature Artists’ Guild members are always welcome to forward their ideas to any board or committee members, as events are added throughout the year.

Our busy new Program Coordinator (and Vice President), Sharon Malec, has already scheduled February and March, 2016 programs featuring artists JoAnne Laudolff and Rhonda Nass, and our new Outside Exhibits Chair, Gary Chipman,will be coordinating a Nature Artists’ Guild exhibit for February, 2016 at Gallery 200 in West Chicago, IL (members should have received a prospectus in December 2015).

Check back soon for more details!

Komechak Gallery Tour Next Tuesday, December 8, 2015

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Many Nature Artists’ Guild members were able to catch a glimpse of some of the artwork at the Father Michael E. Komechak O.S.B. Art Gallery at Benedictine University in Lisle, IL while dropping off their own artwork for a group exhibit last year.  What many may not have known is the extent of the artwork collection housed at the university or the history behind it!

From the gallery’s website –

Fr. Michael E. Komechak, O.S.B. Art Gallery

The late Fr. Michael Komechak, O.S.B. spent his life collecting and celebrating the works of others. Over time, he amassed one of the finest art and sculpture collections in the Midwest. The collection, approximately 4000 pieces, represents both fine and applied arts, and is engagingly diverse in its scope of subject and media. While a majority of the collection deals with religious themes, it also has a fair representation of contemporary art and work by well-known artists, but, consists mainly of works on paper and fine art prints.The gallery also boasts a collection of ceramics, drawings, paintings, photography, textile, sculpture, mixed media, folk art and kitsch.
Komechak Art Gallery, Benedictine University.
Komechak Art Gallery, Benedictine University.  Photo credit www.ben.edu/komechak-art-gallery

Members of the Nature Artists’ Guild are invited to attend a behind-the-scenes gallery tour of the collections on the morning of Tuesday, December 8, 2015 from 10 am until noon. Participants should meet at the gallery located on the fifth floor of Kindlon Hall at Benedictine University, 5700 College Road, Lisle, IL promptly at 10 am.  The elevator to the fifth floor is located near the rear of Kindlon Hall in a short hallway to the right (the main elevator near the front entrance does not go past the second floor). Other buildings on the campus will be part of the tour, so comfortable walking shoes and warm outerwear would be advised.

There is no need to RSVP for this wonderful opportunity to attend the gallery tour. Please click on the highlighted links above to read more about the gallery, the collections, or for maps and directions.

Birds in Jeopardy Exhibit Features Some of Our Favorite Artists!

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Birds in Jeopardy, an exhibit of fine art showcasing images of birds that are either extinct or endangered, opens Sunday, November 1, 2015 at the Noyes Cultural Center, First Floor Art Gallery, 927 Noyes Street, Evanston, IL.

Andean Condor, ©Lindsay Sandbothe
Andean Condor, ©Lindsay Sandbothe

The Nature Artists’ Guild is proud and excited to announce that two of our favorite artists, member Lindsay Sandbothe, and Artist in Residence at the Field Museum of Natural History, frequent instructor for The Morton Arboretum art program, and presenter for our guild, Peggy Macnamara, will be featured in this exhibit.  Curated by Sarah Kaiser-Amaral, the exhibition will also include artwork by Kristina Knowski, Maggie Weiss, and others. All participating artists in the exhibit will donate a portion of sales to a local bird conservation organization.

The opening reception will take place on Sunday, November 1, 2015 from 2 until 5 pm at the gallery.  Refreshments will be served and entertainment will be provided by singer Josefien Stopplenburg.  It will be a wonderful opportunity to show support for some great artists as well as for endangered birds.  Birds in Jeopardy will be exhibited until December 1, 2015.

Please click on the highlighted links above for exhibit hours, directions, or more information about the artists.

More Opportunities to Support Fellow Nature Artists This Month

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Nature Artists’ Guild former president Susan Bartlett, and treasurer Nancy Wu will be exhibiting their work at the Woodridge Public Library, Woodridge, IL for the entire month of September, 2015.  An artists reception is coming up this Saturday, September 12, 2015 from 2 until 4 pm.

Karen Johnson's Artwork, Oak Park Conservatory
Karen Johnson’s Artwork, Oak Park Conservatory

Karen Johnson, Nature Artists’ Guild member and instructor for the Botanical Art program at The Morton Arboretum is honored to share her solo exhibition of artwork in a variety of media, titled Inspirational Insects, An Artists’ Journey, at the Oak Park Conservatory, Oak Park, IL.  An artist reception will be held Sunday, September 13, 2015 from 1:30 until 3:30 pm  at the conservatory.

Laurie Alvear’s work will be featured in a solo show at Gallery II of the DuPage Art League, in Wheaton, IL for the month of September, 2015.

If you are in the mood for a road trip, it would be worthwhile to head to the Roger Tory Peterson Institute in Jamestown, NY (near Niagara Falls), where The Society of Animal Artists is presenting their annual exhibit.  Charter member and former president of the Nature Artists’ Guild, instructor for the Botanical Art program at The Morton Arboretum, and last spring’s featured artist, Nancy Halliday is a member of this world renowned group of animal artists, and her Moonlight Snack has been juried into their Art and the Animal exhibition. The exhibit will run through October 25, 2015.  You can spot Nancy attending a lecture by Robert Bateman at about 5:19 on the video of the opening weekend!  

The Roger Tory Peterson Institute, photo credit The Society of Animal Artists
The Roger Tory Peterson Institute, photo credit The Society of Animal Artists

Please click on any of the highlighted links or photos for more information on the artists and exhibits.

Gallery of Nature Exhibit Opens September 16, 2015

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An exhibit of over thirty lovely works of art created by members of the Nature Artists’ Guild of The Morton Arboretum will take place from September 16 through October 26, 2015 at the Gallery of Nature, Wasco Nursery, 41W781 Route 64, St Charles, IL.  Please click on this link to the Wasco Nursery website for directions and hours.

The Nature Artists’ Guild exhibit will open during the annual St. Charles Arts Fest, September 11 through 20, 2015, and is listed on their calendar of events (thanks for the tip, Marilyn Peretti)! The exhibit will be also open throughout the St. Charles Scarecrow Fest, October 9 through 11, 2015.  What a wonderful way to spend an early autumn day – viewing nature art and attending one of these fun festivals in beautiful St. Charles!

An Artists’ Reception will take place from 4 until 6 pm on Saturday, October 3, 2015 at the gallery.  Appetizers and pastries will be served and the event is open to the public.

Please click on any of the highlighted links above to learn more. 

Roses, copyright Evelyn Grala
Roses, copyright Evelyn Grala

The Next Few Months for the Nature Artists’ Guild

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A preview of some of the exciting events coming up this autumn for the Nature Artists’ Guild –

  • The first Nature Artists’ Guild Painting-in-the-Round is scheduled for Thursday, September 3, 2015 from 7 until 9 pm at Thornhill. Please check the previous post for more about this event, which promises to be a lively one!
  • Wasco Nursery, St. Charles, Il, will be featuring the artwork of the Nature Artists’ Guild in their Gallery of Nature from September 16th through October 26th, 2015.  An artists’ reception (complete with appetizers and pastries) will be held on Saturday, October 3, from 4 to 6 pm.  Please click on this link to the Wasco Nursery website for hours and directions.  (Nature Artists’ Guild members who are interested in participating can still return their prospectus until the end of this week.)
  • Whooooo do you suppose will be the surprise guests at the October 1, 2015 Nature Artists Guild program at Thornhill from 7 until 9 pm?  If you give a hoot about finding out, please check back later for more details!
  • Renowned nature artist Wendy Brockman will be teaching the workshop Painting Oaks as part of The Morton Arboretum’s 2015 Visiting Artists’ Series this October. The Nature Artists’ Guild is pleased to announce that Wendy has agreed to do a special presentation for our members featuring her art and techniques on Thursday, October 15, 2015 from 7 until 9 pm at Thornhill.
  • The annual Holiday Exhibition of Nature Art, featuring over 100 pieces of artwork by Nature Artists’ Guild members is scheduled for the weekend of November 7 and 8, 2015, with an artists’ reception on the evening of Friday, November 6, 2015.  The featured artist for this exhibit will be Mary Ann Jimenez.  New this year will be a “mosaic” display of small paintings by members. The prospectus will be sent to members next month.
  • Nature Artists’ Guild members and their guests are invited to gather at Thornhill on the evening of Thursday, December 3, 2015,  for the annual holiday celebration.

More details about all of these events will be announced as the dates approach. Please click on any of the highlighted links for more information.