Art Talk – A Classy Gift!

Each year it seems more and more challenging to find the perfect gifts for friends and loved ones. People are downsizing, streamlining, and de-cluttering in an effort to create a “less is more” minimalist environment. No one wants stuff – they already have stuff – too much stuff in fact and they want to unstuff and lighten up. Options then are limited for the gifter. Certainly consumables could work, possibly a box of chocolates or a pound of coffee, but they can seem impersonal. Gift cards for gas or groceries could also work, but studies show that 75 percent of these cards are never redeemed.

Perhaps the Naperville Art League (NAL) can help.

Stop by their Fine Art Center & Gallery from December 10 to December 23 and get inspiration from an exhibit of NAL instructors’ artwork. In this show, themed “Give the Gift of a Class,” traditional art forms of painting as well as collage, dyed and felted fabric and jewelry will be on display and will illustrate a variety of options available. Basic, intermediate and advanced art classes are scheduled for the winter session beginning in January.

And one does not need to be an aspiring or accomplished artist to find a course of interest. A friend that is a fashion hound would enjoy Cynthia Boudreau’s “Shibori Silk Scarf Dyeing Class.” Maybe someone with a new holiday camera would like to explore the fundamentals of photography in Frank Jakowiac’s “Making Sense of Your Camera Workshop.” Snazzy dressers would enjoy learning to make their own Peruvian stitched wire crocheted necklaces as taught by Marita Valdizan.

So before abandoning hope, keep in mind that anyone, any age, looking to learn a new technique, improve a skill or just have fun could benefit from the gift of a class and that an NAL associate is ready to make that happen!

For a complete list of classes, visit www.napervilleartleague.com.

Gallery hours are noon–4PM Wed. through Fri; 10AM-4PMSat. The Naperville Fine Art Center & Gallery is located at 508 North Center Street.

For more info, contact me at (630) 355-2530 or naperartleague@aol.com.