Blue Moon Gallery kicks off 2021 with new exhibit by local artists
Blue Moon Gallery has announced four 2021 Collective Artists - Michael Litewski, Bob Nonnemacher, Leisa Corbett and John Kirkpatrick, Jr. - who will exhibit their creative vision in the gallery year-round this coming year.
The gallery will continue to host monthly artist receptions from 6-9 p.m. on the fourth Saturday of each month, where the community can see the latest offering of contemporary art from the collective artists, as well as monthly guest artists. The next exhibition opens Saturday, Jan. 23.
• Michael Litewski of Zion creates art that examines the impact of societal trends, cultural phenomena, media, and national and world events on the notion of "house and home."
The traditional "house" shape, along with strong color and design, figure prominently in Litewski's 2-D and 3-D compositions. His innovative work is organized into four areas of visual expression: graphite/drawing, painting, three-dimensional assemblages, and resin-filled works.
• Bob Nonnemacher of Gurnee paints on both sides of a canvas using two different techniques. He then cuts the canvas apart and reassembles it using pieces from both sides to create a new abstract geometry.
His works often combine up to 25 colors and more than 200 cut-up pieces of the same canvas, all coalescing into unique and striking visual imagery. Nonnemacher is also known for his deconstructed landscapes and a contemporary approach to iconic Native American portraiture.
• Leisa Corbett of Waukegan has exhibited her oil paintings in commercial and university galleries and juried exhibitions in Europe and the United States. Her pursuit of creative innovation, accomplished through energetic exploration of both the medium and its application on canvas via tools and processes, has resulted in a substantive body of work that is diverse in style, composition, subject matter and execution. She specializes in contemporary landscape, still-life and portraiture.
• John Kirkpatrick, Jr. of Libertyville is drawn to a strong use of color, thick and dramatic brush strokes, and texture to create visual and emotional stories in the human face and body.
His preferred medium is acrylic paint applied to large canvasses, which allows him to work fast and fearlessly, creating vastly expressive moods via fresh, spontaneous creativity.
In addition to exhibiting recent works from these four artists, the gallery will also be exhibiting works from 20 additional regional artists in its first Invitational Group Exhibition titled "We Make Life Beautiful."
The group exhibition is presented as a "thank you" to the many gallery artists and patrons who helped ensure the gallery's survival through the 2020 quarantine and pandemic.
The gallery will be open to the public for the Collective Artist and "We Make Life Beautiful" exhibitions from 6-9 p.m. Jan. 23 and 1-4 p.m. Jan. 24, plus 1-4 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays through Feb. 14. Masks and social distancing are required. Group size may not exceed 10.
Online galleries are also available for viewing at www.thebluemoongallery.com.
The Blue Moon Gallery is at 18620 Belvidere Road, Grayslake. For more information, contact Kendra Kett, director, at (224) 388-7948.