Blue Moon launches season with 5th anniversary celebration

GRAYSLAKE – Blue Moon Gallery kicks off its spring art season with High Five, a new invitational group exhibition debuting at the gallery’s opening reception from 6 to 9 p.m. April 27.

High Five features 24 past and present Blue Moon artists in a celebratory visual feast presenting more than 40 works of fine art. The show commemorates the gallery’s fifth anniversary.

The gallery’s five 2024 Collective Artists also will be showing their latest artwork.

“This month we are super excited to celebrate the fifth anniversary of our opening day with so many gifted artists showing their work with us,” gallery director Kendra Kett said in a news release. “It has been a truly rewarding experience working with so many artists from across northern Illinois, southeastern Wisconsin and all of Chicagoland these past five years and sharing their outstanding fine art with our community.”

Participating artists in the show come from Racine and Kenosha in Wisconsin, DeKalb, Machesney Park, Northbrook and Northfield, as well as all over Lake County. Fine art by Kristin Ashley, Susan Bennett, Marcia Biasiello, Darlene Bock, Joan Bredendick, Maureen Ivy Fisher, Frank Fitzgerald, Tim Flynn, Chet Griffith, Dean Habegger, Janette Hill, Terry Luc, Crystal Marie, Mary Neely, Laura O’Connor, Paul Pinzarrone, Peg Raasch, Jaynanne Ridder, Aruna Sarode, Les Scott, Rebecca Stahr, William Weidner, Sally Wille and Kelly Witte is on display in the gallery’s High Five show through May 12.

“It’s going to be a fun opening night. Chef Andrew Brennan of Veridian Catering will be providing refreshments and our popular fire pit will be roaring for folks to gather around and socialize. Wine will also be served,” Blue Moon Gallery assistant director Keaton Nonnemacher said. “There is free parking in the lots in front of the gallery and on the street behind the gallery.”

The gallery’s five 2024 Collective Artists – Juli Janovicz, Kett, John Kirkpatrick Jr., Ginny Krueger and Matthew Padilla – will be exhibiting new works including acrylic, oil and watercolor paintings, encaustics and drawings. These artists show year-round at the gallery and present evolving collections of works in still life, figurative expressionism, geometric figurative abstraction and abstract genres.

After pushing through the pandemic and other more typical startup struggles, Blue Moon Gallery has become a lively and supportive go-to destination for both artists and art lovers. Kirkpatrick, a Blue Moon member artist since opening day five years ago, said the gallery’s support and professionalism has allowed him to grow tremendously as an artist and the gallery’s members and patrons have become like family.

“Blue Moon Gallery is more than a building,” watercolor artist Janovicz said in the release. “It has become a community of artists and people who celebrate art. The monthly openings continue to generate excitement and new visitors. I am honored to be one of the gallery’s collective artists and have my art on the wall in this vibrant gallery.”

The gallery will be open to the public from 6 to 9 p.m. April 27 and 1 to 4 p.m. April 28. It is open from 1 to 4 p.m. weekends. The gallery also ships artwork to buyers nationwide.

Blue Moon Gallery is located at 18620 Belvidere Road in Grayslake. For information, text 224-388-7948 or visit www.thebluemoongallery.com.