by Nicole Sankowski | Aug 3, 2020 | Blog
After a necessary pause Expressions Graphics is happy to announce the fourth annual “Her Voice” art exhibition of women printmakers and guest artists, running from August 26 – October 17, 2020. This show will launch the emerging Ground Gallery shared studio space and welcomes women from different art backgrounds to engage and to interact.
Gabriella Boros who has shown her prints, paintings, and multimedia works nationally and internationally will jury the show. Born in Israel, Gabriella immigrated to the United States as a child. Her narratives reflect her European parentage, Israeli childhood and American influences. In 2019 Gabriella had solo shows at the Dittmar Gallery of Northwestern University and at Ze ZigZag Zone in Stockholm, Sweden. She also created a seven-print series for the performance of the Defiant Requiem which showed at The Whitney Gallery of Northern Illinois University.
Expressions Graphics will host opening and closing receptions online, tentatively scheduled for September 11 and October 17. Watch for updates on in-person visits.
www.expressionsgraphics.org
Pictured are the winners of the 2019 “Her Voice” Exhibit: Alex Brightbill, Liz Born, Tia Etu and Deirdre Britt
by Nicole Sankowski | Jun 29, 2020 | Blog
By Kelly Pollock, feature writer for Buzz Cafe
Since COVID-19 was declared a global pandemic in March, every business in the Oak Park Arts District has been affected. Restaurants had to close their dining rooms, shops had to go online, and service businesses had to go virtual. Now that Illinois has entered Phase 4 of Governor Pritzker’s Restore Illinois plan, the Oak Park Arts District is slowly coming back to life, although “business as usual” means something very different than it did just a few months ago.
When restaurants and bars were ordered to close their dining rooms beginning March 17, it was supposed to last only through March 30. The initial two-week closure stretched into April and through to the end of May when outdoor dining with social distancing was allowed. The Village of Oak Park has been working with local businesses to facilitate outdoor dining in nontraditional ways. On Lombard Avenue just south of Harrison Street, MORA Asian Kitchen and Buzz Café now share an outdoor patio that was previously several metered parking spaces.
Retail businesses have also had to adapt. Val’s halla Records at 239 Harrison Street is open again with new safety procedures in place and an option to schedule a 30-minute private access time before or after regular store hours. Says manager Shayne Blakeley, “Not long ago this [pandemic] would have been the ‘death knell’ for the store, but Trevor and Jaxon Toppen and their whole contingent have worked ‘regardless of exhaustion.’ The website looks amazing, the stock is great, and more is on the way!”
Bead in Hand at 145 Harrison Street is another retailer that is thinking of new ways to accommodate customers and stay safe. Customers are asked to schedule an appointment for in-store shopping during regular business hours. Only two people are allowed in the store at one time. Drop-in customers are welcome if there is no appointment scheduled. The staff is happy to pull specific items ahead of time so that customers can spend their appointment time focusing on beads.
Despite the pandemic coinciding with the March grand opening of Studio 928 at 911 S. Lombard Avenue, Cheryl Vargas has continually found ways to make sure that everyone is making “Time for ART!” “Coupled with teaching virtual art classes, to-go kits have been our bread and butter,” says Cheryl. And while she is still offering virtual paint parties, the studio is now open for private in-person parties as well. The parties are limited to ten guests and masks are required. “We have become very popular with companies and small businesses who want to offer their employees a much needed creative break.”
Needing to go virtual hasn’t stopped Gigi Hudson and everyone at The Actors Garden at 909 S. Lombard Avenue from sharing their love of theatre. “We have been doing virtual classes and workshops since March. It has been surprisingly fun and feedback from the families has been great,” says Gigi. They are also running their four-week summer theatre camps virtually. The first session has 50 students working on two musicals that were written specifically to be performed online. “One of the musicals, Through the Screen, was written entirely by our playwright-in-residence Dave Hudson and will see its world premiere with us in July.” Session two begins on July 20 and still has a few spots open.
At L’Institut français d’Oak Park at 11 Harrison Street, everything has gone virtual as well. “Our classes are being taught via Zoom and our students are thankful to be able to continue learning and see their classmates each week,” says owner Stacy Fifer. Conversation Café which is usually held in person at Léa in Downtown Oak Park is also convening via Zoom and people have attended from around the world. Recently, there were participants from Sante Fe, New Mexico; Whidbey Island near Seattle; Montreal, Canada; and Limoges, France. In the fall, L’Institut will use a combination of in-person and online methods to connect with students.
Unfortunately, some businesses weren’t able to survive in “brick and mortar” form due to the pandemic. Jake’s Place Books which opened eighteen months ago at 142 Harrison Street has closed their storefront but will continue as a virtual presence. As Bill Fletcher, a co-owner of Jake’s said, “The store was so small and the virus is so present that we just couldn’t figure out a way to reopen and be safe. We loved being a part of the Arts District community and will consider ourselves a virtual member through our continuing online sales.”
So whether you’re looking to dine, shop, create, or learn, the businesses of the Oak Park Arts District are ready and waiting. Put on a mask, stay six feet apart, and be safe!
by Nicole Sankowski | Jun 15, 2020 | Blog
While the world pressed “pause” during the COVID-19 shutdown, the team at Val’s halla kept spinning behind the scenes. Over the course of the shutdown, the store went virtual with the launch of a well-stocked online store and Vinyl Views – a new email newsletter featuring music recommendations from the store team as well as a great lineup of guest contributors. You can sign up for Vinyl Views here: valshallarecords.com/stay-connected/
“The fun of coming to Val’s has always been about discovering hidden gems and chatting with our store team to share in the love of all kinds of music,” says store owner Trevor Toppen. “With the launch of Vinyl Views and our online store, we’re finding ways to provide some of that same experience in a virtual way, and make it easier for customers to stay connected and participate in our community.”
On May 29, 2020, the brick and mortar store re-opened to customers with a number of new health and safety practices in place, but the online store and Vinyl Views now provide customers a wider range of ways to interact with the store.
Each week, the store sales team (Shayne and Jaxon) each pick 3 albums and share a little bit about why they are recommending them. Additionally, each edition of Vinyl Views features 3 picks from guest contributors who range from seasoned local musicians, to up-and-coming young artists, to nationally acclaimed recording artists.
The store also invites anyone interested in being a Vinyl Views guest contributor to get in touch. Contributing is easy – you simply pick 3 albums and write a few sentences about why you are recommending them.
A subscription to Vinyl Views also ensures subscribers are the first to know when the store acquires exciting lots of used and new merchandise. Plus, subscribers get tips about upcoming happenings such as in-store scavenger hunts, National Record Store Day special offers, special listening events, and the eventual return of live music performances.
“We’re working with a wide range of local partners to plan special events and promotions,” Toppen says. “We are committed to our mission to build an intentionally inclusive and inter-generational community that cultivates a love for all music.”
Don’t miss a beat – sign up for Vinyl Views today and join the community.
by Nicole Sankowski | Mar 31, 2020 | Blog
By Kelly Pollock, feature writer for Buzz Cafe
Cheryl Vargas, the self-proclaimed Creative in Chief at Studio 928, is on a one-woman mission to give everyone permission to take “Time for Art.” Her new studio at 911 S. Lombard Avenue in the Oak Park Arts District will celebrate its grand opening in March and will give budding artists plenty of opportunities to nurture their creative side.
While Cheryl has created art her whole life, she never believed that she could be an artist because “artists don’t make any money and nobody takes them seriously.” It wasn’t until she was enrolled in the graphic arts program at Concordia University and her professor BettyAnn Mocek said to her, “Cheryl, you’re an artist,” that she finally believed in her abilities. “She told me that,” says Cheryl, “and all these things from my past started flashing before my eyes. I suddenly realized she was right!”
While she was in school, Cheryl attended the annual Self Employment in the Arts Conference and learned about “paint and sip parties” for the first time. Immediately, she knew that it was the right business idea for her. After graduating in May 2018, she started pricing supplies and putting together her social media marketing strategy. Her first party was at Bfit Fitness in Oak Park just a month later.
Soon after that, she reached out to Jim Cozzens at Hamburger Mary’s and he hosted her and her parties for almost two years until she decided that “it was time to keep my eyes and ears open to the possibility of opening my own space.” Cheryl ultimately decided to work with a commercial realtor who found the available location on Lombard. “When I walked in the door, I knew it was the space I wanted. I’ve been envisioning a brick wall for two years. The Bitmoji on my website shows me standing in front of one—so the brick wall in the space sold it for me.”
Giving herself and others a permanent place to make time for art is what most excites Cheryl about transitioning from being a mobile artist to one with studio space. “One of my biggest frustrations as an artist is making time for art. If I, as an artist, can’t find time, then imagine everybody else who can’t find time. Art is so important because it nurtures your soul. It’s soul food.”
The new studio will offer lots of options for people seeking a creative outlet. Drop-in painting will be available for $25 for a two-hour session and will include all materials—a canvas, paint, and a brush. When the weather is nice, “painting alfresco” will be available in the garden behind the building. Memberships will also be available for $75 and will include four sessions per month. If someone doesn’t use all their sessions, then they can donate the unused sessions back to the studio, and Cheryl will make them available for teenagers to use free of charge.
For people who can’t stay to paint, “painting to go kits” will be available. These will include materials as well as an image to paint and access to an online video with instruction from Cheryl. And of course, Cheryl will continue to offer the “paint and sip parties” that started it all. Private parties costs $40 per person and require a minimum of fifteen people. All materials are included and BYOB is allowed as long as the event is not open to the public.
The grand opening celebration on March 14 will kick off at 7:00 am with a free creative jazz abstract class for the first 35 people. A ribbon cutting, gift certificates, and drop-in painting memberships for a special introductory price of $40 will round out the event.
Surrounded by her family, Cheryl held a blessing for her new venture shortly after signing the lease. Led by her cousin DaJuan Fondren who is a pastor in Indiana, the group prayed that Cheryl’s hopes for her studio would be realized. “I want this to be a place where people can give themselves permission to take time for art. A place where people feel comfortable and where there is a sense of community.”
Cheryl Vargas and Studio 928 can be found at 911 S. Lombard Avenue where everyone is encouraged to take “Time for Art.” She can be reached at 312-371-9526 or through her website at www.studio928.net.
by Nicole Sankowski | Feb 21, 2020 | Blog
by Kelly Pollock, feature writer Buzz Cafe
When RC Training & Fitness moved to the Oak Park Arts District right before Thanksgiving, they had already thrived for several years in their previous home on Madison Street. They had simply outgrown the space and needed more room. Now with almost double the square footage, Ross Oberlin and the rest of his team at RCTF are ready to take the business to the next level in their new gym at 335 Harrison Street.
Since his days as a high school wrestler in Elmhurst, Ross has always had a passion for fitness. He majored in exercise science at Illinois State University and worked for Special Olympics after graduation. It was then that he realized that he also loved coaching. It was this intersection of fitness and coaching that led him to his vocation as a personal trainer and to the business that he founded—a semi-private training gym that offers an individualized custom training program for each member.
Back when Ross was fleshing out the details of his new business idea, he went to his grandparents’ lake cabin to spend some time alone. One day, he was sitting on the dock watching a man in his early 40’s learn to water ski. As Ross tells it, “Skill acquisition doesn’t happen quickly in middle age and this guy was getting walloped. He was trying his best, but he kept falling. Just as I was getting up to leave, he tried again and this time he did it. He was water skiing! And he let out an involuntary whoop. It was such an expression of joy, of his pride in himself. He was crowing!” That crow struck a chord in Ross and he knew that he had found the name of his new business, RC Training & Fitness (the RC stands for “Rooster’s Crow”), and its mascot, a rooster.
Ross goes on, “He wasn’t the youngest, he wasn’t the first, he’s not going to be the best, he’s not even going to be very good, but he was so proud of what he just did. It gave him a new definition of who he was and what he was able to do.” And that, says Ross, is what the gym is about. “If you’re proud of something you accomplish in this gym, then we’re going to celebrate that with you. It’s about your individual goals. What anyone else thinks about it doesn’t matter.”
Although the concept is his, Ross is quick to credit the success of the business to the rest of his team which includes Operations Manager Abby Resek and coaches James Young and Sydney Stacey. In addition, his wife Michele is “the reason this place exists” and does all the back-end work. Even Ross’s young daughters Lucy and Jojo motivated him when the process of moving to the new space felt overwhelming. “I had a vision of Lucy running on the turf in the back room, and that’s what inspired me when things got hard. It was a special moment when the turf went down and I got to see her do it. It was just how I saw it in my head.”
At RCTF, every member has an individualized custom training program that is designed to meet their goals. The 60-minute training sessions are scheduled online and most people train two or three days per week. Each session has a 1:6 coach-to-member ratio. For those people who aren’t yet sure if the model is right for them, RCTF offers a no-obligation Kickstart Membership for $299. The Kickstart begins with a consultation to discuss fitness goals and then a one-on-one orientation session. “After six weeks of training, we hope you’ve started to see some results, and you’ll have a good understanding of what it’s like to train here. Most people fall in love with our gym and want to join.”
The sense of community that their business model fosters is extremely important to Ross and his team. “We don’t want people to pay for a membership and then not show up. We’ll check in on people who we haven’t seen a while. There is no shame or guilt. We want our members to feel cared for.”
RC Training & Fitness is located at 335 Harrison Street. Training sessions are offered Monday through Saturday at various times of the day. They can be reached at 708-434-5291 or through their website at www.rc-fit.com.
by Nicole Sankowski | Jan 1, 2020 | Blog
By Kelly Pollock, feature writer Buzz Cafe
Growing up in Michigan, Shayne Blakeley loved music. He still recalls the Fisher Price cassette player he carried around when he was a toddler and the goofy version of “On Top of Old Smokey” that it played. After moving to Chicago with the dream of owning his own record store, his life took a momentous turn when his banker heard his story and said, “You’ve got to go meet my friend Val.” It was serendipitous timing since two people gave their notice just as he was starting, and Shayne jumped right into full-time employment. “And the rest,” he says, “is history.”
It’s been almost twenty years since that day, and after struggling to keep Val’s halla Records afloat since Val Camilletti’s death in July 2018, Shayne feared the time had come to shutter the business. But another fateful meeting, this time with Trevor Toppen, altered his plans.
Like Shayne, Trevor grew up in Michigan, but their lives have followed very different paths. Trevor studied accounting at Michigan State University and has owned several businesses. Currently, he lives in River Forest with his wife and two sons and works as a turnaround consultant with Kugman Partners.
So what’s the link that brought these two unlikely friends and business partners together? The answer is Jaxon Toppen, Trevor’s teenage son. Shayne had been managing the store singlehandedly for a year when Jaxon came in to browse one day with his mother. She casually mentioned to Shayne how working there would be Jaxon’s ideal job, and Shayne replied that he could really use some help. “I was pretty overwhelmed by that point. Jaxon started working here, and we immediately developed a great rapport.”
Although Jaxon provided some much-needed assistance in the store, Shayne still faced the enormous task of keeping the business financially solvent. “This time last year, things were going really well, but then the first quarter was a ghost town, and it was looking really bleak.” Shayne explained that Val had somehow managed to scrape by every year, but he didn’t realize how bad things were until she passed away, and “he saw how the sausage was made.”
As Trevor came and went with Jaxon and spent more and more time at the store, he and Shayne got to talking about the current challenges. Because of debt that had been carried over from before Val’s death, Shayne was limited in his ability to buy new stock which in turn led to a reduction in sales since there wasn’t much left in inventory. “Shayne’s hands were tied. It’s miraculous to me how long he kept it going,” says Trevor.
But Trevor was inspired by Shayne’s passion for the business, and the longer they talked, the more he wanted to help. “Val’s halla Records needs to exist. Music is hugely important to my family. It’s been the best influence on both of my sons and if I can enable this store to be a part of our community, then that’s what I want to do.”
With Trevor’s assistance, a new company was formed that purchased the assets and name of the old business. The cash inflow to Val’s estate will ensure that creditors get some of the money owed to them, and Shayne and the “new” Val’s halla Records will get a fresh start. This clean slate has enabled Shayne to restock the store with thousands of dollars of new merchandise. “One of the things that makes me so comfortable about partnering with Shayne is that he’s so inherently conservative with money. We went back and forth many times before he felt comfortable placing such a large order,” laughs Trevor.
So far their collaboration is paying off. Sales were up “pretty substantially” over the last two holiday seasons. “People want to shop here and support the store, and I think we’ve done a good job of having inventory for them to buy,” says Trevor.
With the holidays over, they are laying plans to maintain that enthusiasm during the anticipated first quarter slowdown. Shayne’s vision is to pack the stage as often as possible since live music is always a draw. And Trevor described how they are working to partner with other local businesses and are considering having a dedicated School of Rock section in the store—a cross promotion to benefit them both.
Shayne and Trevor are excited about the future and the possibilities of their partnership. “I’ve dedicated almost half my life to this place. This is what I want to do,” says Shayne. And with Trevor’s help, he’ll hopefully be doing it for a long time to come.
Val’s halla Records is located at 239 Harrison Street in the Oak Park Arts District and can be reached at 708-524-1004. They are open Monday through Saturday from 11-7 (closed Wednesday) and Sunday from 11-5.
