Looking Forward to the 2026 Autumn Art Exhibit and ‘Fauna’ Display at The Morton Arboretum

Mouse, copyright Nicolette Metz, will be included in the “Fauna” display of small works during the 2026 Nature Art Exhibit at The Morton Arboretum.

Nature Artists’ Guild members are busily adding final touches to their artwork as they look forward to participating in the upcoming 2026 Nature Art Exhibit and “Fauna,” an accompanying display of small works, at The Morton Arboretum from November 13 through 15.

Visitors can look forward to a reception with light refreshments, multiple daily artist demonstrations, themed gift baskets to be raffled, hand-painted ornaments for sale, and the enjoyment of viewing over 200 works of nature art by more than 60 Guild members.

The event is open to all Arboretum visitors, and no extra fee or registration is required. The reception will be held on Friday evening from 5 to 8 and is open to all at no charge.

A sample of artwork images will be coming soon! (Participating artists can email images of up to two pieces of their exhibit artwork and up to three pieces of Fauna artwork to Denise Fisk for inclusion in upcoming website displays.)

Featured Artist of the 2026 Autumn Nature Art Exhibit at The Morton Arboretum, Terrie McComb

Winter Whimsy, copyright Terrie McComb. Click on the image to learn more about Terrie and her artwork.

The Nature Artists’ Guild of The Morton Arboretum is pleased to announce the Featured Artist for its 2026 Autumn Art Exhibit, Terrie McComb.

The 2026 Autumn Nature Art Exhibit will showcase numerous works by Terrie, in addition to nearly 200 pieces by approximately 60 other Guild members, at the Cudahy Room of The Morton Arboretum from Friday, November 13 through Sunday, November 15, 2026. A reception, open to all, is also being planned for Friday evening from 5 until 8.

From the Treasure Box, copyright Terrie McComb

Nature can often be amazingly resilient, but heartbreakingly fragile. To me, there is amazing truth in both. Telling the stories and revealing the secrets of these incredible creations can build a community to cherish and preserve them. – Terrie McComb

Much more about the reception, fundraising items, demonstrators, and samples of exhibit artwork coming soon!

Important reminder for Guild members – the final day to register for the 2026 Autumn Art Exhibit or the 2026 display of 8 x 8 artwork, Fauna, is this Saturday, October 17.

“Rooted in Observation” Opens August 8, 2026, in Bloomingdale

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 galleries for 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.

The Gardens at Ball, August 4, 2026

The Gardens at Ball, photo credit Hoerr Schaudt

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.

Fauna of The Morton Arboretum

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.

(Click here for samples of artwork from last year’s “Flora.”)

A Talented Trio of Nature Artists at The Morton Arboretum on June 4, 2026

Everyone is invited to The Morton Arboretum on the evening of June 4, 2026, at 7 pm for a free program featuring three talented members of the Nature Artists’ Guild!

Each year, the Guild invites three of its artists to share their sources of inspiration, their methods, and their list of favorite materials with the audience as they demonstrate their processes.

This year, the Guild will welcome visitors to the Thornhill Education Center of The Morton Arboretum on June 4, 2026, at 7 pm for a program featuring Terrie McComb sharing techniques for using colored pencil on Mylar film, Marge Hall working in oils, and Kumie Kim demonstrating watercolor.

This free event, sponsored by the Nature Artists’ Guild of The Morton Arboretum, will be open to the public. Visitors can enter the Arboretum free of charge by letting the gate attendant know they are there for the program, and they will be directed to free parking for the Thornhill Education Center. No registration is required. Plenty of seating and free light refreshments will be available.

Pondside Dancer, colored pencil on Mylar Film, copyright Terrie McComb
White petunia, oil, copyright Marge Hall
Oriental bittersweet, watercolor, copyright Kumie Kim

Nature Artists’ Guild’s 2026 Spring Exhibit Went Swimmingly!

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 –

This sample of exhibit artwork images (and information about contacting the artists) is also available by clicking here.

Nature Artists’ Guild Featured in Local Magazine

Glen Ellyn’s recent issue of their Stroll magazine features an article about the Nature Artists’ Guild! This lovely article highlights the upcoming exhibit this weekend, and includes insights and artwork by Guild president, Lisa Kanellos, and other members.

Thank you, Stroll! We hope your readers enjoy learning about the Nature Artists’ Guild of The Morton Arboretum.

The 2026 Spring Art Exhibit at The Morton Arboretum Opens Friday, April 17

Poster artwork by 2026 Spring Featured Artist, Cheryl Holz. Poster design by Jane Kellenberger.

The 2026 Spring Art Exhibit by members of the Nature Artists’ Guild will be held this weekend, Friday, April 17 through Sunday, April 19, at The Morton Arboretum. More than 200 works of art by approximately 70 Guild members will be displayed.

Throughout exhibit hours, 10 to 4 daily, visitors can also enjoy interacting with members of the Nature Artists’ Guild demonstrating their work in various media (schedule listed here), and raffle tickets will be available for beautiful themed gift baskets. (Admission to the Arboretum will be required, but there is no additional charge to attend the exhibit.)

Friday evening’s reception, from 4:30 until 7, will be open to the public, completely free of charge. No registration is required, and there will be no charge for admission to the Arboretum or the exhibit for this reception. Complimentary light refreshments will be offered, and wine and soft drinks will be available for purchase. Reception visitors can let the Arboretum’s gate attendant know they are there for the reception to be admitted and directed to free parking for the exhibit.

The following small sample of exhibit artwork gives a preview of the variety of media, subject matter, and artistic styles that visitors can expect to enjoy. Click here to see the full versions. (More images to come, soon after the exhibit closes.)

Artists Creating Art, April 17 through 19 at The Morton Arboretum

The Nature Artists’ Guild is proud to present the following schedule of demonstrators for the upcoming 2026 Spring Art Exhibit at The Morton Arboretum this April 17th through 19th.

In addition to enjoying over 200 works of art by more than 60 Guild artists, including Featured Artist, Cheryl Holz, Arboretum visitors will have the opportunity to watch and interact with the following members as they demonstrate and discuss their methods, materials, and inspirations.

Detail of Spring Reflections, copyright Patty Koenigsaecker
Detail of Sovereigns of the Sky, copyright Dan Danielson
Detail of Poppy, copyright Mark Scherer
Detail of Seabird, copyright Lia Liu
Detail of Water Lily, copyright Cynthia Boudreau
Detail of Two Scarlets, copyright Lindsay Sandbothe

A sample of artwork by many more participating artists and details about Friday evening’s reception (open to all) coming soon!