Thanks so much to everyone who came out for the 2019 Holiday Art Sale by Oak Street Art and Friends. 

We had a fantastic time in the Logan Historic Arts Neighborhood of Murphysboro, Illinois, and loved meeting so many nice people last weekend (November 16-17, 2019). What a great turnout! Please see artist list, photos, and Murphysboro Times story below.

Special thanks to Michael Jones and the General John A. Logan Museum for use of the building and for so much great support throughout the year!

Thanks to everyone who came out for Murphysboro’s (first of 2019) First Friday Art Walk / Open Studios & Museum night! In the new Oak Street Art headquarters (photo below), we had a steady stream of visitors all evening. We love our great southern Illinois community and are proud to be a part of the Logan Historic Arts Neighborhood.

Visitors came just to look, talk, make new friends, enjoy munchies, and even to buy some local art by our members (jewelry from Sue Gindlesparger, ceramics from Darby Ortolano, weaving/textiles from Shirley Krienert, leather from Cathy Schmidt, and photography from Ann R. Fischer).

See map below for additional sites of September's First Friday, including the individual studios of Oak Street Art members Luca Cruzat and Rachel Malcolm Ensor, as well as the General John A. Logan Museum, Pat's Prairie Garden, and GeekBetty Vintage and More. 

Onward to next month! Hope to see you for the second First Friday on Friday, October 4, from 5 to 8 p.m.

​In a multidisciplinary activity combining literature and art, two second grade classrooms at the General John A Logan Attendance Center created dream catchers under the instruction of leatherwork artist and Oak Street Art member Cathy Schmidt (pictured below in white Oak Street Art apron).

The students worked very hard on their individual projects.  The smiles  below show their enjoyment, pride, and success in creating art!    

The participating teachers have agreed to head up the Children’s Art Tent at the annual Oak Street Art Fair in April 2019.  Keep checking back for more details on art activities in these classrooms.     

More dreamcatcher fun: Cathy and Shirley have been busy! 

As part of Oak Street Art's mission to nurture connections between art and our community, two artists from the group participated in the recent STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math) event at the Murphysboro Youth and Recreation Center.  

Cathy Schmidt (leatherwork) and Shirley Krienert (fiber and mixed media) led participants in the creation of their own dream catchers. The event was well attended. Check out some sample work below!

More dreamcatcher fun: Cathy and Shirley have been busy! ​

A few weeks before the 2018 Oak Street Fine Arts Fair, we spent a fun morning talking with reporter Chanda Green as Byron Hetzler snapped photos. 

We loved the new feature story, Collective Souls: Oak Street Artists Nurture the Connections between Art and Community. Pick up a copy of the (beautiful, full-color, glossy) magazine where The Southern Illinoisan is sold, and see Chanda's story and Byron's photos online at the Life & Style website here. ​

We are so grateful to the organizations and businesses supporting the 2018 art fair coming up Saturday! (See links below the graphic.) Event RSVP here. 

Yes, yes, yes! Come out to Oak St. in Murphysboro on Saturday, April 21, for our 2018 Fine Arts Fair, 10am to 5pm. Highlights:

Feel free to download and share the poster below, and please remember to RSVP via our Facebook event page. ​

Beyond the scheduled projects, we will have drawing supplies available during these times, so kids can add to an ongoing Children's Mural. 

RSVP for the fair at www.facebook.com/events/138503296972475/. 

Feel free to download and share the poster below!

Things are shaping up! 

Please remember to RSVP via our Facebook event page.