Public art celebrating Grayslake, state history unveiled at village hall

Waukegan artist Mary Haas spent much of October and November setting up her easel all over Grayslake and painting the village's iconic buildings and landmarks.

"I painted pretty much every day, except Tuesdays," Haas said.

"I got to meet very kind and interesting people. It was very fun having people stop by; they were interested in the project."

The result of her efforts, a series of small landscapes displayed together to make a collage of the village, were unveiled Friday at the village hall, where they will remain on display outside the council chambers.

The project, titled "From Prairie to Village," was organized by the village and the Grayslake Arts Alliance and coincides with Illinois' bicentennial.

Though the original plan was to paint 20 pieces in total, Haas ended up painting 20 landscapes just of Grayslake in addition to four works that celebrate Illinois' history, including depictions of the Old State Capitol in Springfield.

While that piece and three others honoring the state were done using reference photography, Haas said the Grayslake works were done out in nature, whatever the weather happened to be.

"Those days in the rain were honestly some of my favorite paintings," Haas said. "There is something about that misty atmosphere."

Ernest Schweit, the president of the Grayslake Arts Alliance, said he loves how the project turned out.

"Painting in plein air is a special kind of painting that yields a very special type of artwork," Schweit said. "You can stand there a long time and look at each one; she did a great job."

Schweit said the project was an example of the great partnership between the arts alliance and the village. The village board approved the project and agreed to pay the artist $5,000; the arts alliance did a countywide search to find the right person.

"In the process of putting out the artist call, we talked to a lot of people throughout the county and I think raised the profile of Grayslake as an up-and-coming art center," Schweit said.

Even at the unveiling, Haas' work wasn't quite finished. She painted the holiday scene happening outside the village hall for the arts alliance.

The arts alliance, a nonprofit organization, has grown since it was established two years ago and now has 40 members and puts on four art shows a year. Schweit said the long-term goal is to have an arts center in downtown Grayslake.