Upcoming Events
Weekend Coffee with Kribi at OPAL
OPAL is starting off 2025 with a new community connection and a wonderful partnership with Kribi CoffeeAir Rostery. When you stop by OPAL during our weekend hours (1-4pm) to check out the gallery and see what art awaits, you can grab a free cup of Kribi’s amazing air-roasted coffee.
Painting by Ana Vitek
OPAL Shop
Come shop in person in a new gift shop tucked in the corner of the Carriage House Gallery and filled with original handmade art and objects created locally. Discover new OPAL designs on swag you can wear and use to spread the word about the Oak Park Art League and help raise funds for our beloved organization.
Instructor Spotlight
Jess Howard has been teaching drawing at OPAL for 15 years this January! And we’re all the better for it!
Figure Drawing
Sundays 10am - 1pm & Thursdays 9am - noon
There are now two figure sessions per week for drawing from a live model. These are 3-hour, non-instructional figure drawing sessions. Work on your figure-drawing skills at your own self-directed pace!
Sketches by Christopher Heron
Carl R. Krafft ~ An Artist’s Life
If you’ve been curious about OPAL’s founder Carl R. Krafft and details of his life as an artist, I encourage you to check out the webspace and buy a copy of the book.
UNDER CONSTRUCTION
Happy New Year! OPAL’s first exhibition of 2025 is Under Construction.
This is an open call for recent artwork inspired by new beginnings with a special emphasis on works in progress. Show your process and share something that may feel risky and unfinished.
Please note ~ Opening reception:
Saturday, January 11, 1pm - 4pm
OPAL CALLING!
Ring! Ring!
Check our messages here and see where you can engage at OPAL and make it an even more vibrant art community! As a not-for-profit, OPAL relies on volunteers to help with programming.
2025 Exhibition Schedule
Perhaps you’ve been waiting to see what is planned for the Carriage House Gallery in the coming year? Wait no longer. OPAL has a newly formed Exhibition Committee that has labored over the coming line-up and we hope this selection of calls will give plenty of prompts for art-making and opportunities to share your artwork with the community.
OPAL asks for your support
Please consider donating to the Oak Park Art League this giving season. Our Annual Appeal runs through the end of 2024
You can feel good supporting local art and creatives with a tax-deductible gift to OPAL.
We made it easy to donate online, or you can mail a check, or visit our historic gallery and say hello while you drop off your year-end donation to OPAL. Thank you!
Artist In Residence: Bethany Cordero
OPAL is honored to host multi-media sculptor and Oak Parker, Bethany Cordero as our artist-in-residence through December 2024. You can seen her sculpture exhibit in the gallery through the end of 2024.
LITTLE x LITTLE
This year our Annual Fall Artist Member Exhibition, closes out the year by going small in a big way!
Please note ~ Opening reception:
Saturday, November 30th, 1pm - 4pm
Adopt a Chair
As a way to raise funds for more seating and gallery improvements, OPAL is starting an adoption opportunity for our brand-new chairs. For $25. you can adopt a chair and add your name and website link to the back of your chair!
ART FOR SOCIAL CHANGE: STOP MOTION - The Power of Cartoon & Animation
Juror: Richard Laurent
Cartooning and animation are powerful modes for speaking truth to power, when protest is captioned in a word bubble and dry humor delivers the punch. In honor of Oak Park artist and prolific political cartoonist Keith J. Taylor, this juried national exhibition comes at a fraught time, an election year, and invites artists working in all forms of cartooning and animation to submit works that speak to this moment in human history.
All in for ART ~ Adult Night Out
The Oak Park Art League (OPAL) and By Discovery, After School Art Enrichment Program, co-host an evening of
art-making designed for adults to raise funds for art programming at St. Angela School in Chicago's Austin neighborhood.
New Roof
We are happy to announce that our state grant-funded building renovation will commence in the next week with the tear-off and replacement of our 40-year-old roof. Classes will continue as scheduled but this is your heads-up that work is being done on OPAL. Stay tuned for updates here as the project progresses.
Host your event at OPAL
The Oak Park Art League is a unique space suitable for hosting a variety of events, from birthday, showers, meetings, photo shoots and more. We are now renting OPAL for outside events through Peerspace.
Check out our listing and plan your next event in a beautiful, historic location.
YOUTH SPEAK TRUTH
Join us for the artist reception, held Friday, September 20th, 2024, 7-9pm
Harvest Market Pop-Up
Shop handmade wares, art and more at our Harvest Market Pop-up Saturday October 19, 10am - 6pm.
FEATURED MAKERS
Jill Kramer Chimerapress Studios, Natalie Birholtz Jewelry and Art, Sam Donahue Photography, Isaac Streiff Desmond & Isaac's Little Guys, Jacqueline Lakely JM Lakely Original Artwork, Robyn Leah, My Eye on the World, little press, guacamollie art and accessories, Weldon Artpothecary, Alexander Stockdale & Jessica Fransen, Ted Sowinski Studio Pottery, Coffee from Grow The Earth
Garden of Ghosts
Saturday October 19, 10am - 9pm
Wander our courtyard Garden of Ghosts curated with otherworldy sculpture, shop the Pop-up Harvest Maker’s Market, come for kid’s crafts and costume parade at our ‘Witching Hour’, get spooked up in the Haunted Hayloft plus some surprise guests throughout the day. Don’t forget to get your tickets for a first look ‘Ghost Stories’ Reception
‘It’s a Sign’ installation travels
9/1/24_______UPDATE_________
Our street-facing installation will be traveling and be part of a Harris/Walz campaign event “Kayaks for Kamala” on Sept 22 in downtown Chicago!
Newsletters
IN THE PRESS
Oak Park Art League presents new group exhibit ‘UnderConstruction’, Wednesday Journal
Review: Abandoned Spaces Come to Life at the Oak Park Art League
News: Oak Park Art League receives pandemic relief grant from Landmarks Illinois
Review: The Oak Park Art League’s New Exhibit Is All About Entanglements Pioneer Press