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OPAL office hours: M,W, Th, F from 1-5 p.m. and Saturday 1p.m..- 4 p.m.
Links:
Classes for Kids Summer Schedule 2007
Classes for Adults Summer 2007
TEACHER BIOGRAPHIES
Kathryn Atwood has been teaching piano for nearly 10 years, both in her
Forest Park home studio and also at the Steckman Studio of Music in Oak Park
where her students have consistently received superior marks in the Chicago-Area
Junior Festival. She teaches both traditional and Suzuki methods. She and her
husband John are professional musicians who frequently perform in the area (www.historysingers.com).
Max Bjornson has drawn every day of his life since he could hold a
crayon. He is a student at Columbia College and has participated in several
gallery exhibitions there. His work can be seen in Oak Park as part of the “Off
the Wall” mural project at Terra Incognito. He has also had work displayed at
Chicago Avenue, and Harrison Street as part of the Summer 2005 bench project.
Max has several years of teaching experience working with children at the Oak
Park Park District.
Susan Bjornson has a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Southern Illinois
University in Art History and Fine Arts. She continued her education at the
University of Illinois at Chicago studying graphic design and animation. She
studied watercolor and botanical illustration at the Morton Arboretum. She has
taught for ten years, both adults and children. Her work has been displayed at
the Oak Park Library, Oak Park Village Hall, Oak Park Conservatory, and Highland
Park Community Center. Her work can be seen at Majamas Boutique in Oak Park and
Penny’s Noodles also in Oak Park. Her painting, “Germination” is the current
t-shirt for the Oak Park Public Library. She was the creator “When Pigs Fly,” a
pig displayed this summer on Oak Park Avenue.
The Chicago Mosaic School is the first American Mosaic School of its
kind. This school was founded to fill the void in education in mosaic arts and
inspire and encourage an appreciation for this ancient art form. There has been
an overwhelming response to the mosaic classes, workshops, and exhibitions.
Jackie Dimetros attended the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She
grew up in Tuscany were she apprenticed with several prominent Tuscan artists.
She has painted murals, theatre sets, commercial and residential commission
works. Jackie has exhibited in Italy, Florida, California and in Chicago and
surrounding suburbs. Her preferred mediums are oil, acrylic, watercolor and
pastel. Ms.Dimetros has worked with the Italian Trade Commission interpreting
for several businesses. She has been tutoring and teaching Italian for 25+
years.
Figurative Art League of Chicago is devoted to offering artists from all
over the Chicagoland area, affordable and high quality workshops in everything
figurative. We possess the most accomplished and experienced instructors who
deliver a fresh perspective on figurative art and can guide students of all ages
and skill levels to their desired objective and thoroughly enjoy the time they
spend with us. www.figurativeartleague.com
Nancy Fong earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Studio Arts from
University of Illinois at Chicago. She has been teaching art to children and
adults at Morton College, Triton College, Park District of Oak Park’s Summer
Cultural Arts Workshop (SCAW), After School Arts Program (ASAP), District 97’s
Young Artist’s Workshop (YAW), and The Senior Citizens’ Center of Oak Park and
River Forest. Her adult class painted the horse “Bridle and Groom” for Horsin’
Around the Avenue. Nancy has a painting in Oak Park Public Library’s Permanent
Collection.
Ryan Griffin received his Bachelor of Fine Arts from the School of the
Art Institute of Chicago. He has been creating works of art in both traditional
media, such as oil, acrylic, watercolor, and charcoal: and also exploring the
possibilities of creating work in and for the public space. He has worked as a
volunteer for the Maypole LOT(s) Project, where he assisted high school students
in the designing of a community garden. Recently he has been working as an
artist assistant to Chicago muralist Jeff Zimmerman.
Moira Heffernan was born in Midland, MI and grew up in Brookfield, IL.
She attended Kalamazoo College in Kalamazoo, MI to receive her Bachelors of
Arts, with a double major in both Art & Art History and French, graduating Magna
Cum Laude and with the George Eaton Errington Prize in Art. She has also
expanded her art education through courses taken at the Evanston Art Center,
Illinois State University and L’Ecole des Beaux Arts de Clermont-Ferrand. Her
media of choice is photography, specifically black and white. She spent two
years abroad, the first time as a student in Clermont-Ferrand, France and the
second time as an English teacher in Montpellier, France. She currently resides
in Oak Park and works for an Environmental Services company as a Marketing and
Communications Specialist.
Quincy Hughes is a mother of five and was a pediatric nurse for 25 years,
before she began her career as an artist. She has taught classes through the
Summer Cultural Arts Workshop (SCAW), After-School Arts Program (ASAP), and
Young Artists’ Workshop (YAW), as well as private jewelry making, 3-D art, and
fiber arts classes for adults and children. She has received honorable mentions
for the past two years for a worldwide competition sponsored by E.I. Lily
entitled “Oncology on Canvas”. Her submissions into the exhibition were large
collages made of found objects. The initial exhibition was at the Tate Gallery
of Art in London, presided over by Prince Phillip. The exhibition then toured 40
countries and the U.S.
Marianne Kinzer has worked as a visual artist for 20 years. She grew up
in Germany and received her basic artistic education there, completing her
education in studio arts in art classes in the United States over a period of 10
years. Her work has been shown in Germany and United States, and Turkey, where
she lived for 4 years. She currently has a solo show in Metal Works Gallery in
Chicago called “Wetlands”. Marianne translates natural beauty into art, pointing
to ecological issues and supporting environmental protection.
Kimberly Kurrus has been an artist all her life. She stated drawing and
panting at a young age. She learned to sew her own clothes at age eight. She
took classes from Tom Harris in Evanston, The Evanston Art Center, and at Gay
Riseborough Studios. She studied painting and drawing with the Evanston Art
Center. Kimberly works with beads and is a fiber artist as well as a painter.
She has been teaching young children since 1987, and has a degree in Early
Childhood Education. She worked for the Evanston Art Center in their Artreach
program, and brought meaningful art activities to the after school programs in
District 65 elementary schools. Ms. Kimberly has studied child development
extensively. Her specialty is supporting academic skills through the creative
process.
Bob Kwas began his training with private lessons from H. H. Smithers at
age nine. He later attended the University of Wisconsin/Racine and graduated
from the American Academy of Art in Chicago, where he studied with William Mosby
and Irving Shapiro. Robert has exhibited nationally and has received numerous
awards in area arts fairs and exhibits. He has taught watercolor at the Oak Park
Art League and Creative Illustration at Triton College.
Richard Laurent received his formal visual education at the Institute of
Design. In 1999, Richard painted a fiber glass object for Chicago’s public art
program, “Cows on Parade.” In 2003, he exhibited at the Salon International,
Museum of Contemporary Masters of Fine Art. He is a member of Oil Painters of
America and is also represented by the Fine Arts Building Gallery.
Rachel Lechocki is newly graduated from Columbia College Chicago. She
earned her B.A. in Art History, specializing in Modern and Contemporary and
Non-Western art, also a minor in Cultural Studies. Prior to, she received an
Associated Degree from the College of DuPage in Liberal Arts, where she
exhibited photography and paintings in various student art shows. There too, she
was a member of the Honors Program and developed advertised and produced a
fundraiser fashion show with four other students. During the course of Fall 2006
and Spring 2007 Rachel curated two exhibitions, “Pandemic in Print” and
“Transitions” in Columbia’s Art and Design Gallery. She had essays published in
both catalogues. Rachel is a member of the Art History Society of Columbia
College. This past summer, Rachel was Director of Little S.C.A.W. (Summer
Cultural Arts Workshop) at the Park District of Oak Park. Currently, she assists
with multiple art and dance classes, events and workshops for the Park District.
Pamela Penney has been creating with needle and thread for most of her
life. Pam currently works out of her studio/gallery space on Harrison Street
where she creates unique wearable and decorative arts. She loves the challenge
of combining several materials and techniques into each one-of-a-kind piece. For
over 20 years, Pam has been creating pieces for “art to wear” shows and
commissions. She has also been teaching the textile art skills to children ad
adults for nearly as long. Pam has a Bachelor of Arts degree from Michigan State
University in Interior Design and an Associates Degree in Architecture.
Ann Primack received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Fine Art from
Colorado College as well as a Bachelor of Arts degree in Teaching from the
University of Illinois. She went on to take graduate level classes from the Art
Institute of Chicago and the Appalachian Center for Crafts in Tennessee, among
other places. She continues to work in her studio to create pieces for art shows
and commissions.
Roberta Raymond-Larson, long-time member of the Oak Park Art League,
facilitates Figure Drawing on Sundays at the Oak Park Art League and is
presently at three galleries in Door County: the Paint Box Gallery, Gallery
Five, and Door County Art League Gallery. This year she has taught for
Elderhostel and Festival of Nature.
Carol Richardson-O’Brien comes from a family of artists. She studied fine
arts at the University of Dayton and St. Louis University, and illustration at
Ray College of Design. After college she moved to Europe to paint. She has shown
her work in St. Louis, Missouri, Dublin, Ireland, Chicago, Lake Forest,
Barrington and numerous one man and group shows in Oak Park and Forest Park.
Annually commissioned by the Frank Lloyd Wright Preservation Trust to do
portraits of the homes in the Wright Plus Tour. She works in oil paints,
watercolor, pen and ink, graphite and pastels, and has done over one hundred
commissioned portraits.
Keith Taylor taught cartooning for over a decade with the Park District
of Oak Park and has taught workshops and classes in Chicago at Wright Junior
College, Alcott Elementary School and others. He is current president of the Oak
Park Art League Board of Directors. His cartoons have been syndicated nationally
and his greeting cards have been published internationally. He has a MFA in
printmaking and a BFA in painting from the University of Illinois, Urbana. With
over 30 years of arts-related experience, Keith is a graphic designer,
cartoonist, illustrator, painter, and printmaker dedicated to using humor as a
means of inspiring thoughtful dialogue and action.
Rhona Taylor is Second City trained actress who was a member of the
Playwrights’ Ensemble while at the University of Iowa. As an Artist-in-Residence
for the City of Chicago, she wrote scripts, directed and acted with children.
Rhona currently teaches at Pilgrim Community Nursery School and Intuit Dance on
Harrison St. in Oak Park. She was the creator/coordinator of the After School
Arts Program for District 97 and the Park District of Oak Park. In addition, she
has led theater workshops for children with the Village Players, S.C.A.W. and
the Actor’s Clinic for Triton College’s Junior Theater.
Elizabeth Terrel teaches Voice for the Actor and Acting at University of
Illinois Chicago, Northern Illinois University, and in private practice.
Elizabeth earned her MFA in Acting (Meiser Technique) from Northern Illinois
University and her BA in Theatre Arts with a Performance Emphasis from San Diego
State University (Stanislaviski training). She is an alumni of the Moscow Art
Theatre Intensive Program and has studied a the Hungarian Theatre Institute in
Cluj, Romania. She is a Fitzmaurice voice-work instructor (certification 2008),
certified QEST Practitioner, Illuminate release work practitioner, and the
fonder of Authentic Voice Design. Elizabeth’s performance background includes
musical and straight theatre (receiving three San Diego Patte awards), cabaret
performer, and lead singer for a swing/standards band. She has had a life-long
love affair with the visual arts, and loves to do just about anything that be
done on paper or clay!
Dominic Vignola was born in Chicago. Studied privately with noted Chicago
portrait painter, Joseph Allworthy. Studied art at the Art Students League, New
York with Daniel Greene, N.A. and at the National Academy of Design, New York
with Nelson Shanks. Commissioned portraits and other works hang in numerous
public and private collections in Chicago, New York, Boston, Florida and Italy.
Dominic is a master of the Tonal Impressionist (non-drawing) painting method.
Laura Walsh has a strong sense of color and design which stem from her
many years as a Creative in Retail Advertising for such accounts as Marshall
Field’s, Talbot’s and Nordstrom. Laura’s recent efforts surround her role as a
mother. She has taught many adult and children’s summer classes on Madeline
Island, WI. She also donates her time working with children with special needs,
at some of the area schools. Laura is an Artist Member of OPAL, and has
exhibited works in oils and watercolor in numerous exhibitions.
Christa Wellman was trained as a medical illustrator at Indiana
University and at the University of Illinois at Chicago where she earned a
masters degree. She has taught Human Anatomy for the Artist and Colored Pencil
at OPAL for the past two years. Her work is strongly rooted in drawing, followed
by expression in color by means of oil paint, watercolor and colored pencil.
Christa is an Artist Member of OPAL and a member of the Society of Children’s
Book Writers and Illustrators. Her forthcoming show is slated for June 2008 at
the SIP coffee house in Chicago, which will feature drawings and paintings from
her several backpacking adventures.
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