We are a group of art lovers and learners (not art professionals), women and men, who, for over 60 years, as either the Village Community Associates or as our present Village Arts Associates, have gathered to appreciate and learn about the works of artists who work in various genres and styles. Although we have been centered in eastern DuPage County and western Cook County, our membership extends well beyond those areas. We welcome all new members who would like to join us in our ongoing enjoyment of the world of art.
Village Art Associates History
Village Arts Associates, Inc. was established in 2018-19 in order to continue the activities of our branch of the Community Associates of the Art Institute, which had been established in 1956 and disbanded by the AIC in 2018, as it chose to no longer support the Community Associates program across the Chicagoland area. So with our determination to continue with the programs, learning and socializing we all had loved over the many years, our group, centered in the DuPage/West Cook area, worked diligently both to establish a new organization, Village Arts Associates, Inc., and to continue offering the same quality of art encounters to our membership.
VILLAGE ARTS ASSOCIATES 2025 – 2026 PROGRAMS
This first program of the 2025-2026 year was a presentation on Chesley Bonestell, sometimes referred to as the “Dean of Astronomical Artists”. His artwork depicts planets, stars, and spacecraft. Throughout history humankind has fantasized the mystery and wonder of what lies beyond the earth. Astronomers studied the skies, authors penned space adventures, but only a handful of artists portrayed space. American artist, Chesley Bonestell 1888-1986 was integral and essential to creating our nation’s vision of space both in film and for the future American space program.
Our next programs: Queen, lover, mother, outcast, victim, survivor: Meet the six wives of Henry VIII as presented by Martina Mathisen of Edu-tainment Living History in this one-of-a-kind program. We discovered compelling truths about these remarkable women from an intriguing time in history. These fascinating women led equally fascinating lives-apart from the manner in which they ended. Martina artfully interweaves tales of power, personality, and politics. Do these six famous wives deserve their popular labels?
Our Christmas program was: Behind the Scenes at Marshall Field’s Holiday Traditions
Amy Meadows, Designer, Educator, Speaker
Visual Merchandising & Retail
The February 2026 program was: Japan and the World: Impressionism, Modernism, and Contemporary Currents, presented by
Lucas Livingston, Creator and Host of Ancient Art Podcast. Lucas delved into the intricate interplay between Japan and the Western world, highlighting their mutual fascination and influence during the second half of the 19th century. Turning to the 20th century he discussed notable developments in Japanese prints and painted folding screens, showcasing Japan’s artistic evolutions and interactions with global modernist trends.
Our March 2026 program was a joint program with the Far West and West Suburban art groups. Art Historian Jeffrey Nigro wove together a compelling presentation on the lives and works of women painters from the 17th through the 20th centuries. Josefien Stoppelenburg and Stephen Alltop offered music by female composers and contemporaries of the featured painters.
Our final program on Art Deco was held in May and presented by Kathleen Skolnik, Art and Architecture Historian, an author and educator at Roosevelt University. She has previously enlightened us on the Art Nouveau movement.
VILLAGE ARTS ASSOCIATES 2024 – 2025 PROGRAMS
Art historian Kathleen Murphy Skolnik took us on a trip around the world to illustrate how the Art Nouveau movement was expressed in different countries. She showed us the characteristics of the style in the beautiful detail in paintings, advertisements, furniture and architecture.
Forty-plus members traveled to the University of Chicago for a docent-led tour of its Institute for the Study of Ancient Cultures. This gem of a museum houses artifacts from early civilization, from crude clay figures of man, through the development of tools, to more recognizable pottery, glass and beads. Visitors engaged in a journey of man’s origins in galleries devoted to ancient Egypt, Nubia, Persia, Mesopotamia, Syria and Anatolia. Following the museum tour, we headed to “Chinatown” for a delicious family-style lunch at Ming Hin.
Kathleen Baum, retired Department Head of the Jewelry and Metals Program at College of DuPage, gave an informative talk on diamonds. She explored the meaning of diamonds and discussed why they cost so much. The fabulous history of this gemstone is filled with stories of power and desire.
Margaret Farr, PhD, examined Georgia O’Keeffe’s creative output from her early charcoal abstractions through her late-career explorations of pottery.
Village Arts Associates joined Far West Art Associates and the West Suburban Art Society at College of DuPage for a lecture by Jeff Nigro, accompanied by musicians. The program featured Greco Roman Sculptures as part of the Art Institute of Chicago’s Torlonia Collection Special Exhibit.
In the 1960’s, thousands tuned in every week to watch Julia Child demonstrate the art of French cooking on television. Actress and scholar, Leslie Goddard, Ph.D., brought the iconic French chef to life.
VILLAGE ARTS ASSOCIATES 2023 – 2024 PROGRAMS
Village Arts Associates started the year by touring Unity Temple. Unity Temple is Frank Lloyd Wright’s only surviving public building from his Prarie period. Limited by a modest budget and an urban site, Wright created an innovative design and used unconventional materials to produce one of his most sophisticated accomplishments of his early career.
Jeff Mishur’s “Art of Gustav Klimt” program was enjoyed by all. Jeff places Klimt within the art historical context of the late 19th century Symbolist movement.
VAA members heard a fascinating presentation by Sarah Boyd Alvarez about the Newberry Library. She discussed several of the collections which ranged from Shakespeare’s First Folio to Indigenous art. One of the examples of Indigenous art she showed was “Ledger Art” where artists would reuse discarded business ledgers to create pictorial stories.
Debra Mancoff gave an excellent presentation on “What Makes a Work of Art a Masterpiece”. Our members enjoyed an engaging discussion of how masterpieces came to be and why they still impact us today.
The Irving Sisters performed showing their passion for educating audiences on the rich history of beloved tunes. We learned about the songs, the composer lyricists and the performing groups that made them famous.
Village Arts Associates 2022-2023 Programs
Village Arts Associates enjoyed a wide range of art experiences this past year. We moved in time from the 19 Century to today. The mediums were painting, fabric, glass, photography, music, theater, and bus.
The VAA’s Iowa trip was a fascinating study of the state’s many art treasures. From museums to artists’ studios to beautiful landscapes and towns, the group was introduced to new and memorable experiences.
We heard excellent presentations from our favorite art experts Margaret Farr and Jeff Mishur on 19th Century women Impressionists and the modern story telling in the fabric art of Faith Ringgold.
At the Chicago History Museum, we were treated to a detailed account of Vivian Maier known as “the mysterious nanny photographer” whose work chronicled our own people and architecture in Chicago.
Jamie Pastman was an amazing one-man musical that showed the progression of music throughout the world.
Our final meeting was Leslie Goddard portraying Louisa May Alcott. We all were amazed how she took us to that time and how much we didn’t know about the beloved author.