The 17th Annual Rogers Park Neighborhood
Artists of the Wall Festival

Together We Art was the theme for the 17th Annual Rogers Park Artist of the Wall Festival held on Saturday, June 19 & 20, 2010. The yearly festival and art contest invites professional and amateur artists alike to put their talent to the test, painting a long wall of concrete benches overlooking Lake Michigan at Loyola Park. Prizes of up to $300 are awarded in three categories adult, teen and junior. Pictured below is "Good Art Won't Match Your Sofa" painted by the artists of the Greenleaf Art Center.

The Greenleaf Art Center co-sponsored the event, supping all design for print and advertising materials. GAC also supplied the judges for the competition. Member artists who served as judges were James Basile, Lindsey Darter, Kathleen Deasy, Keeley Hakala, Ditra Henry, Denis and Kathie Paluch and Jan Pappas.

When the art center wall was complete it was hard for viewers not to sit on the big soft looking sofa. Most stopped, relaxed for a moment and took in the scenery from it's cushions. Some could not resist having their dogs sit next to the sleeping cat and snapping pictures of them.

Ava checks out Lindsey Darter's cat Peter.

16th Annual Artists of the Wall, 2009

A Midsummer Day Dream was the theme for the 16th annual Artist of the Wall Festival held on Saturday, June 20, 2009. Pictured above is the wall painted by some of the artists from the Greenleaf Art Center.

The art center supplied all the judges for this years event, and removed our wall from the competition. Judging for the neighborhood event was done on Sunday, June 21 as last minute touches were applied to other entrees. The GAC artists who served as judges were James Basile, Denis and Kathie Paluch, Jeff Strong and GAC student artist Amelia Wisehart.

Kathie (left) and Denis Paluch (right), founders of the Greenleaf Art Center, and Katy Hogan (center), co-owner and founder of the Heartland Café & Buffalo Bar in Rogers Park, chat about the art center's summer classes and workshops on 88.7 FM’s “Live From the Heartland” broadcast on May 29, 2010.

Kathie and Katy, alumnae of Mundelein College (now part of Loyola University), have been living and working in Rogers Park for over 45 years! Nostalgia hit this trio like a ton of bricks, as they strolled down memory lane, recalling all the changes that have taken place on Chicago’s far North side.

Ed Paschke's personal easels donated to Greenleaf Art Center

The art center was recently gifted with three of Chicago's primer artist Ed Paschke's personal easels by Paschke friend and fellow artist Jeffrey Goldstein. We have gratefully place the well used easels on permanent display in the Long Hall Gallery. Also donated are a beautiful book "Ed Paschke a Tribute Show" produced by Jeff Goldstein and members of the Paschke family plus a photo of Ed and Jeff on a trip they made to Paris.