This is a judged exhibition.
Abandoned spaces can evoke feelings from fear to idyllic nostalgia. These places can be artifacts of history, contain traces of earlier life, offer chances to reflect and give shelter or new opportunities for development and use. They can be a testimony to the forgotten and the waste & demise inherent in the endless quest for something new and better. OPAL is seeking artwork that depicts “abandoned spaces” in a representational or abstract fashion. Artists are asked to interpret these unused spaces in their rejected, lost or redefined form. The visual rendering of these environments can contain quiet traces of both early and newfound life, natural and artificial.
Judge: Gretchen Burch
Gretchen Burch is the principal of GB Fine Art and has extensive experience collaborating with collectors, museums, and institutions to manage and maintain their art collections. She started GB Fine Art in 2012 to help clients make informed decisions about the future of their personal property, preparing in-depth, customized appraisals for a variety of needs, including insurance, estate planning, charitable donation, and equitable distribution. Clients have included major collectors such as Tom and Linda Heagy, Mandell and Madeline Berman, and the family of Senator William Benton, as well as important cultural institutions, corporate collections, and financial institutions.
Gretchen first learned the art of appraising at Sotheby’s New York as a Specialist in the American Paintings, Drawings, & Sculpture department. At Sotheby’s, Gretchen participated in bi-annual sales of up to $87 million, handling some of the country’s finest collections including those of Jo Ann and Julian Ganz, the Art Institute of Chicago, and Bank of America. She was not only mentored by some of the best minds in the field, from scholars to dealers to conservators, but also entrusted with the care of museum quality objects from artists such as Georgia O’Keeffe, Norman Rockwell, John Singer Sargent, and Edward Hopper.
Gretchen subsequently joined Leslie Hindman Auctioneers as a lead specialist in the Fine Arts department. Here Gretchen expanded her knowledge of the art market to include European Paintings, Impressionist & Modern Art, Post-War & Contemporary Art, and Fine Prints. While serving numerous private collectors, Gretchen also teamed with institutions such as the Bradley Family Foundation in Milwaukee, Wisconsin to consolidate works from their holdings from the Peg Bradley Collection and raise funds to benefit the Lynden Sculpture Garden.
Gretchen is a Certified Member of the prestigious Appraisers Association of America. She holds an M.A. in Art History from Rutgers University, with a Certificate in Curatorial Studies, and a B.A. in Mathematics and Art History from St. Olaf College, with distinction in both majors.
All mediums will be accepted. (drawing, painting, mixed media, digital/new media, printmaking, photography, ceramics, fiber, glass, sculpture).
Artists submitting film or video, please inquire about our available projection system.
Work shall not exceed 48” in the largest dimension.
All work must be ready to hang. No sawtooth hangers will be accepted.
All work should have been completed in the past three years and not previously exhibited at OPAL. Please bring work to the Oak Park Art League at 720 Chicago Avenue in Oak Park, IL
All work will be accepted into this open call show.
Drop off work: April 28th, 29th and 30th.
Exhibition dates: May 4th - 26th.
Opening reception: May 13th 7-9pm.
Pick up work: May 26th, 27th and 28th
Cost per submission:
Members: $20 first piece, $15 second piece.
Non-members $30 first piece, $20, second piece.