Blue Moon Gallery celebrates anniversary with new exhibits

Blue Moon Gallery is celebrating its three-year anniversary in April after pivoting and adjusting throughout 2021 and surviving the operational challenges of the pandemic, including mask mandates and capacity limits.

Since opening in April 2019, the gallery has supported over 110 regional artists by extensively promoting their artwork with featured artist and juried group exhibitions, online portfolios, gallery hours, and in-person events, and connecting them to new patrons and art lovers.

"I have been lucky enough to be a part of the Blue Moon Gallery since it opened," said John Kirkpatrick, one of Blue Moon's 2022 collective artists and one of the gallery's founding artists.

"The gallery offers much-needed opportunities for the community to see, experience and connect with local art and artists. It's a beautiful space to gather in and learn about all the amazing art that is being created right in our own backyard."

"We are blessed to work with so many gifted artists these past three years, including oil, acrylic, watercolor and pastel painters; metal sculptors; jewelry designers; woodworkers; collage artists; illustrators; photographers; printmakers; mixed media and assemblage artists; and encaustic and oil/cold wax artists," said Kendra Kett, director of the Blue Moon Gallery.

"We are super excited to offer a warm and friendly space for visitors to connect with artists via high quality and truly beautiful artwork. It has been such a pleasure to see collectors at all levels get to know our artists and choose art that they love to live with."

Despite the pandemic, the gallery had steady attendance at their events and strong sales.

"There is nothing better than the positive uplift that original fine art brings to our lives. We have found that during times of stress, as well as during happy times, people really enjoy experiencing visually interesting and bright colorful art," Kett said. "We have even seen patrons hug and kiss their new artwork. It makes them feel so happy; and us, too!"

For those not in the area, the gallery can ship purchased art nationwide and has shipped to 22 states so far.

Blue Moon is celebrating its three-year anniversary with a new exhibition featuring three guest artists. Gurnee oil painter Susan Schneider's exhibition features oil paintings of Midwestern and Irish landscapes, as well as local flora and fauna.

"Sharing what I feel is peaceful and beautiful is really the most satisfying part of painting," Schneider said.

Guest artists Darlene Bock of Lindenhurst and Janette Hill of Mount Pleasant, Wisconsin, are exhibiting collections of pastel and mixed media paintings. Bock's nationally award-winning paintings feature vibrant landscapes, figurative scenes, and still life. Hill's multimedia abstract work is highly detailed with intricate colorful patterns.

The gallery's five 2022 Collective Artists - Leisa Corbett, Juli Janovicz, Tony Armendariz, John Kirkpatrick Jr. and Michael Bellefeuille - show year-round at the gallery and present evolving collections of works in impressionism, abstract expressionism, contemporary realism and modern genres.

The gallery will be open to the public from 1-4 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays through May 15. Visit the Blue Moon Gallery Facebook page for all the details and updates or visit www.thebluemoongallery.com.

Blue Moon Gallery is at 18620 Belvidere Road, Grayslake. For more information, contact Kendra Kett at (224) 388-7948.