Art is more than just a piece of community puzzle
Originally published April 26, 2015
A community art project that was about seven months in the making has been unveiled at the McCord Gallery & Cultural Center in Palos Park.
According to Lynne Terr, executive director of the gallery and cultural center, 9602 Creek Road, Palos Park Commissioner Nicole Milovich-Walters last year asked McCord Gallery and its affiliated artists to come up with an idea to bring the community together at the annual Autumn in the Park Festival to help mark the village’s centennial. The fest, held in September, celebrates the food, music and art of the community.
Artists Liz Wall and Nancy Hammel brainstormed and decided to use a photo of the historic Bridge over Mill Creek, taken by local photographer Dr. Jim Pavlatos, to be the basis for an art project.
The photo was chosen because “it is an iconic site in Palos Park, and easily recognizable to residents,” according to Wall.
The photo was enlarged to 40 inches by 40 inches, and then divided into 100 4-inch canvas squares. Wall and Hammel also made pencil sketches of the photo on 100 plain canvases to match the grid, drawing each piece individually. A hundred participants, ages 4 through 80, were then given a piece of the artwork, and the sketch, and were given paint, supplies and guidance by the artists to create their own piece of the artwork — making it almost like a 100-piece puzzle.
Wall said using this “grid” concept makes art easier for novices. By working on small pieces, you gain confidence and are able to focus and concentrate. In some of the children’s classes she teaches, she shows students how to use a grid pattern as a guide.
As an art teacher, her background includes graduating from Marycrest College, with undergraduate work concentrating on painting and drawing. She then received her certificate in painting and drawing from School of the Art Institute of Chicago.
Now reassembled, the painting is on display at the McCord Gallery as the highlight of the “American Beauties” exhibit, which celebrates American landscapes. Along with Wall, other featured artists are Reven Fellars, Kathleen Newman, Terry Niccoli and Julie Skoda. These artists have traveled across the country, from Maine to California, painting interiors and landscapes.
The exhibit will run until May 16.
The gallery hours are from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays, according to its website. For more information, call (708) 671-0648.
I was able to stop at the gallery to see the finished project, titled “It Takes a Village,” and it is impressive.
Wall said there were many moving parts involved in putting the project together from inception to assembled piece. Along the way, she had moments where she thought “What did we do?” But seeing the finished product made the many hours it took to complete worth it.
“I couldn’t even get the full effect of it until it was all assembled and hanging on the wall,” Wall said.
The gallery, which relies in part on events for support, is set to host a Kentucky Derby Party, “Hats and Horses,” from 3 to 6 p.m. May 2 at Lake Katherine Nature Center and Botanic Gardens, 7402 Lake Katherine Drive, Palos Heights. Tickets are $75 and include drinks, hors d’oeuvres and live music. Prerace festivities include a best hat contest. Bow ties and fancy hats are encouraged.
Lake Katherine provides the perfect setting for this event. For reservations, call (708) 671-0648 or email office@mccordgallery.org.
McCord is a 501(c)(3) organization, so a portion of the ticket price is tax-deductible.
For more information about exhibits, the “It Takes a Village” art piece, the “Hats and Horses” event or classes at McCord Gallery, visit http://www.McCordGallery.org.