Click here for more details about the exhibit. Please enjoy this preview by clicking on any image for the full version. More images will be shared here after the exhibit, but there is no better way to enjoy nature art than in person on a lovely spring day at The Morton Arboretum!
Registrations for the 2023 Spring Nature Art Exhibit at The Morton Arboretum have been completed, the volunteer schedule is almost full, and the posters and postcards are being shared.
All that is left for participating members of the Nature Artists’ Guild to do is finish their works (and take some photos), prepare them for presentation, and bring them to the Arboretum on the evening of Wednesday, April 12, 2023. (Details about preparing and dropping off artwork are in the prospectus emailed to members on February 20.)
We will also be asking the artists to contribute images of their work to share on this website in the coming weeks. Check back soon for a preview of some of the wonderful art to be exhibited by members of the Nature Artists’ Guild.
Joy Morton shared some thoughts about his vision for The Morton Arboretum with his colleague Professor S.C. Sargent of the Arnold Arboretum at Harvard University in 1921 –
And again in 1924 –
The Nature Artists’ Guild is planning to honor Joy’s Vision with a exhibit this autumn of artwork created at or inspired by Daffodil Glade (originally “the Sargent Plot” or “Sargent Glade”), Joy Path, and Lake Marmo. These areas were all part of Mr. Morton’s original vision for the Arboretum, near his house in an area that he predicted would “ultimately become one of the prettiest parts of the Arboretum.”
A paint-out at Daffodil Glade has been scheduled for members of the Nature Artists’ Guild on Thursday, April 13, 2023 from 9 am until noon (rain date April 20 if required). Participants will meet near the Thornhill Education Center of The Morton Arboretum, enjoy some muffins, and wander off to choose a spot among the daffodils. They should bring their sketchbooks and art supplies, a portable chair, their favorite drink, and plans to enjoy a wonderful morning filled with the sights, scents, and sounds of Daffodil Glade.
Members can let Celia Rodee know they plan to attend by email or by completing this registration form. Celia will have some 8 x 8 surfaces available for members to use or bring home for later use if they plan to participate in the Joy’s Vision project.
The 2023 Spring Art Exhibit by members of the Nature Artists’ Guild at The Morton Arboretum will be open throughout the weekend of April 15 – 16, 2023. A reception for the artists and their guests will occur on the evening of Friday, April 14.
This exhibit will include over 200 pieces of nature art by more than 50 Guild members and will be open to all visitors to The Morton Arboretum.
Please click here to learn more about Featured Artist Patricia Mroczka.
– For the 2023 Spring Art Exhibit by members of the Nature Artists’ Guild at The Morton Arboretum, so we’ve posted above, and on the header, samples of artwork by the Featured Artist, Patricia Mroczka. Patricia, along with more than 50 other members of the Guild, will be displaying over 200 works of nature art on April 14, 15, and 16, 2023. A link for the prospectus will be emailed to members early next week.
– For the spring flowers to bloom, which is why we will have some purchased ones to share and sketch at the next gathering of Coffee and Art on Wednesday morning, February 22, 2023 beginning at 9 am (weather permitting) in the Visitor Center of The Morton Arboretum. Guild members and guests are welcome to stop by and spend a little time chatting, sketching, or enjoying the view.
UPDATE – We will have to wait for the spring flowers after all! The February 22 Art and Coffee gathering has been canceled due to the weather forecast.
– To get moving on the “Joy’s Vision” project, so Celia Rodee has announced a paint-out at Daffodil Glade at The Morton Arboretum in April, 2023, with the exact date and details to be determined (depending on the weather and bloom report.)
There is still time to renew membership or join the Nature Artists’ Guild for 2023 and receive a link to the prospectus for the Spring Art Exhibit.
Beginning in 1922, Mr. Morton began to establish some of the delights of the original 175 acres of his “museum of trees.” Some of those landmarks still exist in much their original state up to 100 years later – Joy Path, Lake Marmo, and Sargents Glade (now affectionately known as Daffodil Glade.)
This year, the Nature Artists’ Guild will celebrate “Joy’s Vision” with artwork created throughout the year at these favored locations of Mr. Morton. Similarly to last year’s Schulenberg Prairie Project, members will be asked to create artwork at, or inspired by, Joy Path, Lake Marmo, and Daffodil Glade.
Much more about this celebration of “Joy’s Vision” coming soon, but those who want to include all four seasons should take note that winter is already half over!
2022 was a busy year for the Nature Artists’ Guild. In-person paint-outs, programs, gatherings, workshops, exhibits, and even a holiday party returned, and our members were ready for it!
Here is a quick look at some images from events, presenters, and guild members throughout the year. For more information about any of the artists or events, please take a moment to scroll back through the posts of 2022.
More than thirty pieces by members of the Nature Artist’s Guild will be exhibited at the Downers Grove Public Library throughout January 2023.
Everyone is invited to stop in and enjoy the exhibit during regular library hours.
Downers Grove Public Library will host an exhibit of works by members of the Nature Artists’ Guild of The Morton Arboretum throughout January 2023. The library has a long tradition of proudly collecting and exhibiting the work of a wide variety of artists, from local to international, within two dedicated gallery spaces. The Nature Artists’ Guild is honored to participate each January.
Links to the prospectus and a library disclaimer were emailed to members on November 21, 2022. All artwork must have been included in a previous Nature Artists’ Guild exhibit and members will need to have renewed their guild membership for 2023 in order to participate. Completed forms must be returned by mail to Gary Chipman, postmarked by Saturday, December 10, 2022 and the artwork drop-off will be on the following Saturday, December 17.
Nature Artists' Guild 