Category: Meetings

Schedules, programs, news.

This Week for the Nature Artists’ Guild

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Artwork from 2024 Holiday Card, copyright Suzanne Wegener

Members of the Nature Artists’ Guild are invited to spend a fun and festive evening with their fellow artists at this year’s holiday celebration, “Jingle & Mingle,” on Thursday, December 4, 2025, from 6 to 8:30.

The Morton Arboretum will provide the beautiful setting, both indoors and out, with a crackling fire in the Founders Room (the historic former library of the Morton family) to greet guests after their short walk through a snowy wonderland (somehow even more stunning after dark) to the Thornhill Education Center.

Fellow members of the Nature Artists Guild will provide the warmth of friendship. After enjoying appetizers and punch in the Founders Room, Guild members will gather in the adjacent Arbor Room for desserts, a raffle of art and nature-related items, and a few fun surprises.

No ticket or RSVP is required, and Guild members can check their emailed invitations for details. This event is reserved for members of the Nature Artists’ Guild and their guests.

Also this week –

December 3, 2025, is the final day for Guild members to register for January’s special exhibit at the Downers Grove Public Library.

December 5, 2025, is the final day for Guild members to register for the annual Holiday Card Exchange.

“Flora” on Display November 7 through 9, 2025 at The Morton Arboretum

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Last Dance, copyright Karen A Johnson. Click here for a sample of “Flora” artwork.

The Nature Artists’ Guild’s special exhibit of small works, “Flora,” will be on display alongside and throughout the Guild’s 2025 Autumn Art Exhibit at The Morton Arboretum from November 7 to 9.

The 2025 Autumn Art Exhibit and Flora will include nearly 250 pieces by more than 70 members of the Nature Artists’ Guild. Flora will feature a display of 8-inch square works inspired by and honoring The Morton Arboretum. The exhibits will take place in the Cudahy Room and lobby, adjacent to the Sterling Morton Library, of the Arboretum’s Administration Building, and are open to all Arboretum visitors at no extra charge.

Also coming soon –

  • The final day for Guild members to submit artwork, articles, or news to Jane Kellenberger for possible inclusion in the winter issue of the members-only publication, the Quarterly, will be November 1.
  • Artwork drop-off for the 2025 Autumn Art Exhibit and Flora will take place on Wednesday, November 5, from 6 to 7:30 pm at the Administration Building of The Morton Arboretum. All pieces must be pre-registered and follow the Guild’s guidelines for subject matter and presentation included in the prospectuses.
  • Blank cards and envelopes will be available at the exhibit drop-off on November 5 for members who wish to use them for the Nature Artists’ Guild’s annual holiday card exchange. Details and a link to register online will be emailed to members soon. (Blank cards will also be available at the holiday party.)
  • This year’s holiday gathering for Guild members, “Jingle & Mingle,” will, according to coordinators, include a “refresh” and a few fun surprises! Invitations and details will be emailed to members soon for this December 4th event.
  • Prospectuses and links for online registration will be emailed to Guild members for two special exhibits being held in January 2026. Artwork drop-offs for these exhibits at the Downers Grove Public Library and the Wheaton Public Library will take place in December 2025.
  • Casual and fun gatherings, Coffee and Art, continue to take place each Wednesday morning at the Visitor Center of The Morton Arboretum. Members and guests are invited to stop by between about 9:15 and 11:30 to sketch and chat with fellow artists.

Autumn Color Coming Soon!

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Image by Cantigny.org, 2025 Autumn Exhibit postcard artwork by Kathy Steere, “Just Leaves by Phil Schorn

The colors of autumn are slowly arriving in Chicagoland, and the Nature Artists’ Guild will be there to welcome them with paints, pencils, paper, and canvas.

Coming in October –

  • Members participating in the 2025 Autumn Exhibit at The Morton Arboretum will need to register online or by mail by October 11. Much more about the exhibit and Featured Artist Kathy Steere to come in the next few weeks. Postcards and posters will be available for members to pick up at the October 2 meeting to share with friends, family, and local businesses.
  • Nature Artists’ Guild members and visitors will continue to meet each Wednesday morning at the Visitor Center of The Morton Arboretum to enjoy the company of fellow artists, as well as the stunning views surrounding them.

Extraordinary Color Pencil by Phil Schorn, October 2, 2025

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Luminous Succulent, color pencil, copyright Phil Schorn

The Nature Artists’ Guild is pleased to welcome artist Phil Schorn to the Thornhill Education Center of The Morton Arboretum for a presentation on the evening of October 2, 2025.

Phil Schorn’s award-winning work has been featured in numerous publications, including Colored Pencil Magazine, as well as in group and solo exhibits. He also shares his talents through demonstrations, workshops, outdoor art fairs, classes, and private lessons.

With the color pencil, I have the ability to create the shape, color and detail that I envision in my art. Color pencil is where I find the most comfort in, where the color and detail truly stands out. My art is realistic but done with an artistic approach. I want the viewer to see more than what they thought was there.
I take what is considered ordinary and make it extraordinary.
 –Phil Schorn

Just Leaves, color pencil, copyright Phil Schorn

The presentation, sponsored by the Nature Artists’ Guild of The Morton Arboretum, will be held at the Arboretum’s Thornhill Education Center on Thursday, October 2, 2025, from 7 until 9 pm. The program is open to all, free of charge, and no registration is required. There will be no charge for parking or admission to the Arboretum for this event. Visitors can let the gate attendant know they are there for the presentation to be admitted and directed to Thornhill.

Plenty of seating and delicious light refreshments will be provided.

Making the Most of Summer with the Nature Artists’ Guild

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White Petunia II, copyright Marge Hall, is included in the Into the Wild exhibit at Hidden Oaks Nature Center in Bolingbrook, IL until August 30.

Despite what we see and hear on the screens and in the stores, we know that summer is far from over and there is plenty of the season left to enjoy. The Nature Artists’ Guild of The Morton Arboretum looks forward to making the most of it!

  • Works by more than 30 artists are showcased in the lovely cool and quiet gallery room overlooking the edge of a forest in Into the Wild, the summer exhibit by members of the Guild at the Hidden Oaks Nature Center in Bolingbrook, IL, until August 30, 2025. (Artwork images coming soon.)
  • Coffee and Art continues each Wednesday morning inside the Visitor Center of The Morton Arboretum. Artists can also head outdoors to gather reference material for their contribution to this autumn’s special exhibit, Flora! No registration is required for these friendly and informal gatherings.

Landscapes in Gouache with Sarah M Johnson on August 7, 2025

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Utah in Fall, copyright Sarah M Johnson

The Nature Artists’ Guild is pleased to announce that their August program at The Morton Arboretum will feature artist Sarah M Johnson and her methods for creating striking landscapes in gouache.

Sarah M Johnson’s career in creating and teaching art includes the use of various media, but on Thursday evening, August 7, 2025, from 7 to 9, she will focus on the many uses of gouache.

Sarah will be demonstrating and explaining the tools and techniques for creating landscapes in two different types of gouache, describing the medium’s advantages for plein air and travel, and sharing examples of her own style, “realism with expressive and painterly elements.”

This program at the Thornhill Education Center of The Morton Arboretum will be free and open to the public. There will be no charge for parking or entrance into the Arboretum for the event, and visitors can let the gate attendant know they are there for the program to be admitted and directed to Thornhill. Plenty of seating and light refreshments will be available, and registration is not required.

A Trio of Nature Artists on June 5, 2025

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Prairie Drought, copyright Todd Serrano

A Nature Artists’ Guild presentation by three talented members will be held on Thursday, June 5, 2025, at The Morton Arboretum and will be open to all, free of charge.

Todd Serrano, whose spectacular drawing is shown above, will be one of three Guild members sharing inspirations, recommendations for tools and supplies, and methods with visitors beginning at 7 pm in the Arbor Room of the Arboretum’s Thornhill Education Center.

Program attendees will have the opportunity to watch three short demonstrations in various mediums, ask questions, learn about the artists’ supplies and tools, and closely view a sample of their artwork. Plenty of seating and light refreshments will be provided.

The program is open to the public, free of charge, and there will be no charge for parking or admission to the Arboretum for the event. No registration or ticket is required, and visitors can let the gate attendant at the Arboretum know they are there for the Nature Artists’ Guild program to be admitted and directed to parking for Thornhill.

Good Things in Store for May and June

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Hidden Prize, copyright Bernadette Hanacek

May and June bring all kinds of good things to Chicagoland! The Nature Artists’ Guild of The Morton Arboretum has plans to celebrate with a field trip, preparations for an exhibit, a program featuring three members sharing their talents, a garden paint-out, and weekly Coffee and Art gatherings.

  • Members of the Nature Artists’ Guild and guests will receive information this week about an outing to the great city of Chicago to visit two museums currently exhibiting nature art. Participants will visit the Ukrainian Institute of Modern Art for Lichen and Coral, a two-person exhibit featuring work by Guild member Sandra Wilcoxon, and Driehaus Museum for an exhibit of work by Rory McEwen, a “20th century botanical master.” Plans for lunch at a nearby cafe will also be shared. Members are welcome to bring guests, and can register here.
  • In late May, members of the Nature Artists’ Guild will receive an email with all the details about, and a link to register for, an exhibit at the Hidden Oaks Nature Center in Bolingbrook, IL. The newly renovated center includes a well-lit area on the second floor of the award-winning building, ideal for exhibiting artwork. Guild members’ artwork will be displayed from July 5 to August 30, 2025.
  • On Thursday, June 5, 2025, beginning at 7 pm, three members of the Nature Artists’ Guild will share their inspirations, insights, tools, and techniques at the Thornhill Education Center of The Morton Arboretum. The program will be open to all, free of charge, and admission fees to the Arboretum will be waived for the event. More details soon. Note – The Guild urgently needs a volunteer to supply snacks for this meeting (costs reimbursed by the Guild). Any member who can help should email Terrie McComb or use this contact form.
  • June’s paint-out will be at a private garden blooming with glorious color. Details for the paint-out are being worked out, and Guild members will be the first to know when they are available.
  • Coffee and Art gatherings continue to meet each Wednesday morning (weather permitting) after 9. Guild members, their guests, or any other interested artists are invited to stop by the Visitor Center of The Morton Arboretum. No registration is required (regular gate fees will apply). The Arboretum will be filled with inspiration from which Guild members may choose to begin their “Flora” artwork!

Spring Marches In with a Program, Paint-Out, and Exhibit

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Click on image and right click to download and share.

So much to keep Nature Artists’ Guild members busy while awaiting the wonders of spring!

  • Joel Sheesley will share “conceptual and practical steps” in landscape painting on March 6, from 7 to 9 pm at the Thornhill Education Center of The Morton Arboretum. The program will be open to all, free of charge, with no registration required. (Posters and postcards for the Guild’s Spring 2025 Art Exhibit at The Morton Arboretum will also be available for attendees to take home and share with friends, family, and local businesses.)
  • A paint-out at the Jurica-Suchy Nature Museum will take place on the morning of March 6, beginning at 9:30. Coffee and Celia’s homemade muffins will prepare artists for a lovely morning of sketching and painting. Drop-ins are welcome, but registration ensures being contacted with updates.
  • The final day for Nature Artists’ Guild members to register for the 2025 Spring Exhibit is only one week from today. Members will need to register online or by mail by Saturday, March 8, 2025 to be eligible to participate. Last year’s Spring Exhibit attracted more than 1300 visitors!

Joel Sheesley – Methods, Understanding, and Meaning in Landscape Painting on March 6, 2025

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Kline Creek Sunrise Moonset, oil on canvas, 16 x 20″, copyright 2019, Joel Sheesley. Click on image for more.

The Nature Artists’ Guild welcomes celebrated artist Joel Sheesley to The Morton Arboretum on the evening of Thursday, March 6, 2025 for a presentation on his “painting methods, conceptual understanding of, and sense of meaning in landscape painting.”

Learning the Land/Stewarding Beauty: Conceptual and Practical Steps with Joel Sheesley will begin at 7 pm on March 6 at the Thornhill Education Center of The Morton Arboretum.

Examples highlighting Joel’s extensive studies of and experiences in painting landscapes with meaning, often in natural areas surrounding Chicago, can be found on his website, as well as in his book, A Fox River Testimony.

All are invited to attend this free program, sponsored by the Nature Artists’ Guild. There will be no charge for admission, parking, or entrance into The Morton Arboretum for this event, and no registration is required. Visitors can let the gate attendant know they are there for the presentation to be directed to the Thornhill Education Center.

April Pool, Great Western Trail, oil on canvas, 12 x 24″, copyright 2020, Joel Sheesley