OAK STREET ART
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    • Luca Cruzat (printmaking)
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    • Darby Ortolano (ceramics)
    • Cathy Schmidt (leather)
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Community

Oak Street Art in the Community

Check out this brief visual history of Oak Street Art in the community, and see next section for recent highlights. We aim to serve our community through advocacy, education, and practice.
In May 2019, Oak Street Art was given a Good Neighbor award from WSIU! See full citation here, including a brief interview with a few group members. ​
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RECENT HIGHLIGHTS
Oak Street Art in the Community

2020

  • April 25, 2020   Fifth Annual Oak Street Art Fair!  (CANCELED due to pandemic)
  • March 2020   Art lesson (with Oak Street Art printmaker Luca Cruzat and friends) for second-grade students at the General John A. Logan Attendance Center.  (CANCELED due to pandemic)
  •  February 26, 2020  Art lesson (quilt square maps with Oak Street Art metalsmith Sue Gindlesparger and friends) for second-grade students at the General John A. Logan Attendance Center.
  • February 9, 2020  Current and former Oak Street Art members enjoyed an afternoon at WSIU radio's One Region, All Neighbors - Neighborly Award reception on the Southern Illinois University campus. We love our beautiful new award medallion. Thanks, WSIU! 
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Photo credit: George Mendez
  • ​​ January 22, 2020   Art lesson (paper collage windows with Oak Street Art stained glass artist Stephanie Dillard and friends) for second-grade students at the General John A. Logan Attendance Center.
  • January 7, 2020   Art lesson (stamped leather key chains with Oak Street Art leather artist Cathy Schmidt and friends) for Jackson County 4-H students.

2019

  • December 6, 2019  For the second year, Oak Street Art members will be leading local children in making their own ornaments as part of the Murphysboro Hometown Christmas celebration at the Murphysboro Youth and Recreation Center.
  •  November 20, 2019  Art lesson (leather medicine bag with Oak Street Art leather artist Cathy Schmidt and friends) for second-grade students at the General John A. Logan Attendance Center.
  •  October, 2019  Art lesson (pinch pots developed by Oak Street Art ceramic artist Darby Ortolano and friends) for second-grade students at the General John A. Logan Attendance Center.
  •  October 4, 2019  Open house at new Oak Street Art headquarters as part of Murphysboro’s First Friday celebration in the Logan Historic Arts Neighborhood.
  •  September 6, 2019  Open house at the new Oak Street Art headquarters (401 S. 16th St., “the Jones House”) as part of Murphysboro’s First Friday celebration in the Logan Historic Arts Neighborhood.
  •  July, 2019   Oak Street Art was given a WSIU “Good Neighbor” award! According to WSIU, this award “recognizes those who make a positive impact in the community.”
  •  June 11, 2019   Oak Street Art artists (Cathy Schmidt, Sue Gindlesparger, Shirley Krienert, and Luca Cruzat) led children in making Father’s Day gifts at the Murphysboro Youth & Recreation Center. Leather artist Cathy Schmidt designed the project for children to create personalized leather key chains as gifts.
  • May 2, 2019  At the Jackson Growth Alliance revitalization project’s Artist Visioning Session, Oak Street Art was represented by Luca Cruzat, Darby Ortolano, Cathy Schmidt, and Shirley Krienert.
  •  April 27, 2019   Fourth Annual Oak Street Art Fair on Oak Street between 15th and 17th Streets. Children’s Art Tent with 4 hours of structured projects.
  •  April 10, 2019  Second grade classroom (Gen. John A. Logan Attendance Center) art lesson: Picasso selfie project led by Oak Street Art metalsmith Sue Gindlesparger and Oak Street Art leather artist , Cathy Schmidt. Project conceived by Oak Street Art painter Rachel Ensor. 
  •  February 27, 2019  At the Jackson Growth Alliance Town Hall meeting, Oak Street Art was represented by Shirley Krienert, Cathy Schmidt, and Ann Fischer. 
  • February 20, 2019  ​ Second grade classroom (Gen. John A. Logan Attendance Center) art lesson: Adinkra cloth stamping with Oak Street Art metalsmith Sue Gindlesparger, with assistance from Cathy Schmidt and Shirley Krienert.

2018

  • December, 2018   Oak Street Art sponsored a child for the John A. Logan Attendance Center angel tree
  • December, 2018   Oak Street Art painter Rachel Malcolm Ensor juried regional high school art competition at Cedarhurst Center for the Arts in Mt. Vernon, Illinois.
  • November, 2018  Oak Street Art donated a gift basket of art supplies for Sallie Logan Public Library silent auction.
  • November 30, 2018   All 7 Oak Street Art members worked one-on-one with almost 200 children to create their own tree ornaments for the Murphysboro Hometown Christmas celebration: https://bit.ly/2Q0u3r8
  • November 13, 2018   Second grade classroom (Gen. John A. Logan Attendance Center) art lesson: Making pinch pots with Oak Street Art ceramic artist Darby Ortolano, with assistance from Oak Street Art fiber artist Shirley Krienert: oakstreetart.com/blog/darby-ortolanosecond-grade-pottery 
  • November 3, 2018   Oak Street Art was pleased to set up a table at the Women’s Center fundraiser at the Old Feed Store in Cobden, with a portion of sales going directly to the Women’s Center: oakstreetart.com/blog/oak-street-art-joins-womens-center-fundraiser
  • October 6, 2018   Three Oak Street Art members participated in the General John A. Logan Museum event, A Woman’s Work Is Never Done. Cathy Schmidt hosted a table of Oak Street Artists’ work for sale, Rachel Malcolm Ensor gave a lecture on African American folk quilting, and Shirley Krienert held an embroidery demonstration: https://bit.ly/2VzIE2Q.
  • October 23, 2018    Oak Street Art leather artist Cathy Schmidt and Oak Street Art fiber artist Shirley Krienert taught children to make dreamcatchers at STEAM night by 4-H at the Murphysboro Youth & Recreation Center: oakstreetart.com/blog/steam-nightdreamcatchers 
  • October 4, 2018   Second grade classroom (Gen. John A. Logan Attendance Center) art lesson: Making dreamcatchers with Oak Street Art leather artist Cathy Schmidt, with assistance from Oak Street Art fiber artist Shirley Krienert: oakstreetart.com/blog/second-gradesmiles-with-cathy-schmidt
  • October, 2018  Oak Street Art painter Rachel Malcolm Ensor judged a scarecrow decorating competition at Mileur Orchard.
  • May 28, 2018   Oak Street Art printmaker Luca Cruzat held an open studio day, with a special print (“Wildlife”) made for the General John A. Logan Museum sesquicentennial Memorial Day celebration: oakstreetart.com/blog/2018-memorial-day-openstudio-wildlife-with-printmaker-luca-cruzat.
  • May 14, 2018   Oak Street Art ceramic artist Darby Ortolano brought the Oak Street Art Selfie Station to the Murphsyboro Youth and Recreation Center for Murphsyboro Family Vacation Night: oakstreetart.com/blog/se lfie-station-murphysborofamily-vacation-night 
  • April 21, 2018   Third annual Oak Street Art Fair! Children’s Art Tent with 4 hours of structured projects and an all-day children’s mural: oakstreetart.com/blog/2018- children 

Connect

We love hearing your comments, questions, and ideas.
  • Drop us a line at oakstreetart1@gmail.com 
  • Like/post on our Facebook page (@oakstreetart)
  • Instagram @oakstreetart1. Also follow hashtags #oakstreetartgroup, #oakstreetartfair, and #oakstreetart

More Art in Our Community

  • Southern Illinois Tourism events calendar and Facebook page
  • Southernmost Illinois Tourism Bureau events and information
  • Art-related organizations and businesses at ShopCarbondale.com
  • Arts organizations list at Jackson Growth Alliance
  • Friends of Murphysboro Facebook page
  • City of Murphysboro visitor information and events calendar

Explore Local Art Organizations

  • Carbondale Community Arts
  • Southern Illinois University Craft Shop for classes, supplies, and space to make your own art
  • Southern Illinois University Museum
  • River to River Visual Arts Association
  • Black Sheep Fiber Guild
  • ​Shawnee Hills Pottery Trail
  • Southern Glassworks
  • Southern Illinois Metalsmiths Society​
  • Let us know if you have ideas for other groups to be linked here.

Learn About Art

General Resources

  • Samples of popular current art from Demilked.com
  • Explore art across time and space: The Met's interactive Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History
  • Interactive timeline of African American art from the Smithsonian
  • ​​​​Free video and audio: Art and art history podcasts from the National Gallery of Art
  • News in the art world from ArtNews and ArtNet 

Ask Us Anything!

  • We love talking about art, so please feel free to ask us anything. Email oakstreetart1@gmail.com or contact us individually from our artist pages.

Getting Started

  • Photography: Ann recommends advice and encouragement from the wonderful Eric Kim: "100 Photography Tips for Beginners." For a little more technical approach, see Photography Life's "Photography Tips for Beginners."
  • Resources for other art media coming soon. 

Ways to Help

  • ​You can donate using PayPal at www.paypal.me/OakStreetArt, and it will come to us. Thank you!
  • You can mail a check (made out to Oak Street Art) to 1515 Oak Street, Murphysboro, IL 62966.
  • Other ideas? Please send them along! 
Website feedback?
  • Home
  • Art Fair
  • Community
  • Events
  • About Us / Artists
    • Luca Cruzat (printmaking)
    • Stephanie Dillard (stained glass)
    • Sue Gindlesparger (metals, jewelry)
    • Darby Ortolano (ceramics)
    • Cathy Schmidt (leather)
  • Blog
  • Untitled