'The Common Thread' art show in Waukegan unites artists of different generations
Veteran fashion designer Elizabeth Misunas and fashion design student Jenna Penticoff explore their similarities and differences in “The Common Thread,” a show which is currently open and runs through Aug. 27 at the Undercroft Gallery in Waukegan, sponsored by the Lake County Art League, Lake County Arts Magazine and Christ Episcopal Church.
The exhibit displays the work of Elizabeth Misunas, age 90, a seamstress and artist from Waukegan, and Jenna Penticoff, age 20, a resident of Gurnee who is a student at Savannah College of Art and Design in Savannah, Ga. See how their stories and their art are similar and different, and find the common thread that brings them together at this moment in time.
Misunas started designing and making dresses for her dolls as a child, and as a young woman was making her own dresses. She also became an artist, something that complemented her fashion design skills. As with sewing, she had no formal training, but her father was a weekend painter and she learned by watching him. After World War II, Misunas managed design and production at one of Chicago's many dress factories. Housing was incredibly tight, so she settled for a long train commute from Waukegan. In 1951, she stayed in Waukegan as a wife and mother, and for many years thereafter designed and made “creations for women” locally to supplement the family income. She also sold her art, sometimes working two to three weeks on an oil portrait commission. She found time to become a president of the LCAL, and in 1985 she was accepted as a signature member of the Transparent Watercolor Society of America.
On the flip side, Penticoff has just finished her freshman year at SCAD. She has been very taken with the historic and artistic city of Savannah, and looks forward to studying for a term at the SCAD campus in Lacoste, France. What drives her now is the idea of designing an outfit that would make someone feel truly special. She had that experience herself in her senior year in high school while shopping in Milwaukee when her mom asked her to try on a particular dress, something of a surprise because Jenna would not have picked the dress for herself. This was a nicely tailored, simple black dress with one shoulder.
“It was as though that dress had been made specifically for me,” Penticoff said.
This is a very special memory for her, and it strengthened her interest in fashion. She wants to understand how this moment came to happen, so that she can give back to others what she experienced that day.
“The most telling contrast between these two women is that Jenna is showing a body of her work for the very first time, and can now look beyond a dress here and a painting there and where she has been going,” explained Chris Tanner, co-manager of the Gallery. “Liz, on the other hand, has been displaying her work almost forever, and its maturity is a testimony to where she has been. Both of these women are excited about their journeys. With Jenna, it's about adventure and potential. With Liz, it's about people and places and challenges.”
“The Common Thread” show is free and open to the public. An artist's reception is set for 1-4 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 11, when the two women will meet each other for the first time. Light refreshments will be offered at the reception.
The show can also be viewed during regular gallery hours from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Wednesdays and Thursdays, or by appointment by contacting Tanner at (847) 367-5308. The Church serves a luncheon on Wednesdays. The Undercroft Gallery is located in the lower level of the Christ Episcopal Church, 410 Grand Ave., Waukegan, with entry off Grand Avenue.