Southlanders who enjoy art can peruse several works by northeastern Illinois residents thanks to a show in Park Forest.
Tall Grass Arts Association Gallery, which is open from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays, hosts the Morton Arboretum Photographic Society Capturing Nature Photography Exhibit opening day welcoming on Jan. 22 to celebrate the display and offer the opportunity to meet some of the participating artists.
“Tall Grass is a new venue for us. They invited us to exhibit in their gallery based on a virtual exhibit that we had last year,” said Darcy Berg, co-exhibit chair with Mary Mehl for the Morton Arboretum Photographic Society.
“Tall Grass is a beautiful gallery. It’s expansive. To be in an actual gallery where artists exhibit and art is the focus is such an awesome feeling. When you walk in to Tall Grass, you’re just like, ‘Oh yeah, this is cool. There is where I belong.'”
Berg, who won third place for “Not Quite” in the Not Really exhibit devoted to abstraction from last year at Tall Grass Arts Association Gallery, curated Morton Arboretum Photographic Society Nature Photography Exhibit with Claudia Craemer and Debbie Craemer from Tall Grass Arts Association.
“The Morton Arboretum Photographic Society has two exhibits per year and we always focus only on nature,” said Berg, a member of the volunteer-led organization for approximately six years.
“We never allow ‘hand of man’ to be the main focus of the image so that could mean that you can’t take a picture of a bridge in the woods unless the bridge is like a supporting actor in the background.”
Morton Arboretum Photographic Society Capturing Nature Photography Exhibit includes approximately 70 photos of subjects including canyons, forests, glacial ice formations, mountain ranges and waterfalls as well as animals peeking through branches, baby birds, flowers and frosted leaves.
Pieces, which range from 8 inches by 10 inches to 109 inches by 39 inches, include photos taken on film, pictures from digital cameras and images snapped via smartphone.
“There are plenty of landscapes. There are black and white and macro, or close-up, photos and animals, insects and natural occurrences,” said Berg, who displays intentional camera movement digital photos “The First Fate — Clotho,” “The Second Fate — Lachesis” and “The Third Fate –—Atropos” in the show.
“We’re very big into education so we encourage our members to use new techniques. You’ll find abstract nature photos and they are really quite interesting.
“You can spend tons of time just looking at one image and putting yourself in that photography. It is truly beautiful.”
More Top Picks Best Juicer
Morton Arboretum Photographic Society Capturing Nature Photography Exhibit features works by members including Joanne Barsanti, Mark Bates, Berg, Diane Bodkin, Jim Bodkin, Maria Rosa Costanzo, Bill Dixon, Christine Foley, Anita Gielow, Jan Ivaska, David Jagodzinski, Joan Kalmanek and Terry Lee.
Dulcey Lima, Sylvia Ortega Martinez, Mehl, William Miotek, Sheila Newenham, Bonita Palma, Robert Erving Potter III, Lauren Rapinchuk, S. Louis Rathje, Jim Rendant, David Schooley, Dan Schumacher, Dave Sobotka, Sally Strong, Joan Trushin, Daniel Wagner and Chong Wu are also among those exhibiting.
“Our members span the economic horizon from doctors and lawyers to people that are artisans and carpenters. It’s every occupation,” said Berg of Joliet.
“We all come together in one common goal and that’s to learn more about nature photography and produce beautiful art.
“We are self-supportive in that we have workshops that are given by the members and events all over the region. We get fantastic speakers that inspire us to take our cameras out and do things with them that we maybe hadn’t thought about before.”
Morton Arboretum Photographic Society members consist of professional and amateur photographers and include Bloomingdale, Cary, Chicago, Lisle, St. Charles, Woodridge, Quad Cities and Alaska residents.
Monthly meetings are at 7 p.m. on the second Monday of each month (except holidays) in Thornhill Education Center’s Arbor Room at the Morton Arboretum, 4100 Illinois 53. Guests are welcome for the monthly program, which is preceded by a Show & Tell social hour at 6 p.m.
“Get involved with groups whether it’s physical groups or online groups,” said Berg, who is also a fiber artist.
“Get involved in a critique group so you can start to learn the basics and principles of design and know how you can apply those to your photographs to get better photographs.”
Morton Arboretum Photographic Society Capturing Nature Photography Exhibit opening day welcoming
When: 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Jan. 22
Where: Tall Grass Arts Association Gallery, 367 Artists Walk, Park Forest
Tickets: free
Information: 708-748-3377; tallgrassarts.org
Jessi Virtusio is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.