Come join us and enjoy the first Local Color Art Show featuring new work from four local artists.
Fridays
November 1–December 20
(Excluding November 29th)
5pm to 8pm
Saturdays
November 2–December 21
12pm to 4pm
LOCATION
The Office of Laura Maychruk Real Estate
911 South Lombard
Oak Park, IL 60304
Get the new year off to a first-rate start by taking a professionally taught French class with l’Institut français d’Oak Park! Learn or improve your French in an encouraging environment with the structure and support you need to (begin to) have meaningful conversational exchanges in French.
Our Winter 2025 classes include:
Classes are limited to a maximum of ten students per section and will take place in the Oak Park Arts District from January 13 through March 20. Register before they sell out!
Invite a friend or family member to join you by giving a gift card to l’Institut français d’Oak Park! Denominations start at $40 and gift cards never expire.
For more information, course descriptions, or to enroll in winter French courses, visit www.frenchinstitute.net or contact Stacy E. Fifer, Ph.D., at [email protected].
Get ready for a fun and festive afternoon at the Art & Wine Walk in the Oak Park Arts District! On Saturday, December 14, from 3-7 PM, sip on curated wines, explore stunning local art, savor tasty small bites, and shop for unique holiday gifts—all while supporting local artists and businesses.
Why You’ll Love It:
Tickets are limited, so grab yours early at: oakparkartsdistrict.com/art-wine-walk.
Celebrate the Season, the Arts and the Community
“This event is about bringing people together to celebrate art, wine, and the joy of supporting local businesses,” says Laura Maychruk, President of the Oak Park Arts District Business Association. “It’s a perfect way to spread holiday cheer while discovering what makes Oak Park special.”
Event Details
Event Sponsors
This wonderful event is made possible thanks to the generous support of local businesses: Anfora Wine Merchants, Byline Bank, House of Heat, Oak Park Apartments, and Publican Quality Bread.
Charming Stops on the Walk
Check in at Laura Maychruk Real Estate Office. After checking-in, you’ll be given one of the locations below to begin your 12-stop walk along Harrison Street: Fat Cat Art Gallery, Dancing Krow Studio, Expressions Graphics, Dima Jewelry Atelier + Boutique, Bead in Hand, Fifty First Street Studio, Purple Sun Arts, Mosaic Counseling & Wellness, Elevate Creative, G&G Home, RC Training & Fitness, Steve Fisher Arts.
Delicious Small Bites Along the Way
Indulge in irresistible small bites from local favorites including Happy Apple Pie Shop, MORA Oak Park, Publican Quality Bread, Taco Mucho, and Trattoria225 as you stroll through the event. Be sure to stop by these fantastic restaurants before or after the walk to enjoy even more of their offerings!
Art for Everyone
The Shopping & Art Walk portion is free and open to the public.For more details and to purchase tickets: oakparkartsdistrict.com/art-wine-walk
Gather friends and family to explore the vibrant creativity of the Oak Park Arts District—this is one holiday event you won’t want to miss!
It’s time for a little Sippin’ & Shoppin’ in the Oak Park Arts District!
Our Second annual Art & Wine Walk takes place on Saturday, December 14, from 3-7pm.
It’s a perfect time to treat yourself to some wonderful wines, magnificent art, delicious hors d’oeuvres and great holiday shopping – all in the historic Oak Park Arts District!
We are thrilled to be partnering with a local gem, Anfora Wine Merchants for this event. Support artists and local businesses all while treating yourself to a fun afternoon out.
Ticket Sales will be $50 and include a wine glass, complimentary tastings throughout the participating locations, a wine tote, box of water, and a bottle of wine to be picked up later at Anfora Wine Merchants!
There will also be small bites, music, and sales throughout the Oak Park Arts District businesses.
Save the Date and Stay Tuned for ticket sales to open up.
Shopping Local never tasted so good.
May is Mental Health Awareness Month and many of the local shops and businesses within the Arts District offer services for enhancing mental health and whole body, mind, and spiritual wellness.
From therapy and counseling to studios specializing in Reiki, meditation, dance, and language learning, along with unique gyms focused on holistic health rather than just toning—many of the businesses here are united by a vision to help individuals achieve wellness.
Check out many of the local businesses in the Arts District to enhance your Mental Health and Well-Being.
Natalie Walks guides clients to identify and release what’s no longer serving them in order to move forward to live a life filled with passion and purpose, shining their inner light on their own life as well as those around them!
Tip from Natalie Walsh: Through our lives we take on the weight of grief, limiting beliefs, physical, mental, and energetic blocks from traumas, past “versions” of ourselves which we become attached to, even when that version is no longer feeling good or bringing us joy! I help clients to clear that and welcome new abundant energy into their bodies, their energy, their homes, their work, and their relationships so they can live the beautiful, purposeful, peaceful life they were put on earth to live! Learn more about Natalie Walsh.
Mosaic believes that there is room for growth in all of our lives. They understand that the fit between therapist and client is essential to success as healing occurs within relationships. They practice from an insight-oriented, collaborative, and individualized approach to meet the unique needs of clients. They offer services for children, adolescents, adults, couples and families. Mosaic therapists work with clients to co-create an empathic and accepting space where they can feel safe while also feeling challenged to work towards change.
Tip from Mosaic: Take a moment for yourself today with the gentle art of journaling. Amidst life’s hustle, it’s important to pause, breathe, and reconnect with your inner world. Carve out some quiet time, grab your favorite notebook, and let your thoughts flow freely onto the page. Nurture your mind, one entry at a time. Learn more about Mosaic.
“Raise Your Vibration” is the theme at Purple Sun Arts. Visit the shop to see a delightful collection of Cicada inspired paintings, artwork, and jewelry that will inspire and help you raise your vibration. The shop offers an immersive arts experience for those who seek purpose and meaning.
Tip from Purple Sun: Try out Cosmic Smashbooking™ and Cosmic Coaching™ with Dr. Ann Viernes, founder of Purple Sun Arts. Her workshops and transformational life coaching sessions helps clients create more purpose and meaning in their lives.
Fifty First Street is a shop and studio for people interested in fostering a creative lifestyle. The studio offers workshops for all ages to learn new visual art skills, find connection with themselves and others, and expand the boundaries of their own creativity.
Tip from Cassie, owner of Fifty First Street: Pop in and check out the ceramics + goods in the store. She encourages you to them in your hands and feel the weight of each piece. These items are meant to be used and loved. Consider a workshop to expand the boundaries of your own creativity! Learn more about Fifty First Street.
Learn More about Health and Wellness in the Arts District
By Kelly Pollock, feature writer for The Buzz Cafe
Laura Maychruk became a real estate agent in 1993. And now, thirty years later, she is achieving a long-realized plan of opening her own brokerage, Maychruk Real Estate, located above Buzz Café at 905 S. Lombard Avenue in the Oak Park Arts District.
Shortly after graduating from college in Pennsylvania in 1991, Laura married her husband Andrew, loaded up a U-Haul, drove to Oak Park, and moved into an apartment. She started looking for a job and landed at the Chicago Tribune. Laura and Andrew eventually bought a house on Lombard Avenue and all was well until Andrew was laid off. “We were freaking out,” said Laura. “We had a $900 mortgage payment and didn’t know how we were going to pay it.”
Laura had grown up around family who were real estate developers which made her think that she could give it a try. “I don’t know what makes me think this stuff. I thought, ‘I know how to cook,’ and so I opened a restaurant,” laughed Laura. “I guess I’m just really confident in my abilities.”
In 1993, you could get a real estate license in a weekend. And so she did. Laura worked with Century 21 and sold real estate during evenings and weekends. “I sold a house a month the first year.” The next several years were busy ones. Laura and Andrew relocated for a time to Washington, D.C., and then they moved back to Oak Park and opened Buzz Café in 1998. Then, the first of the Maychruks’ four children were born. Real estate had to take a back seat to everything else going on in Laura’s life.
By 2005, she was ready to jump back in. Serendipitously, Laura met David Gullo of Gullo & Associates. “I told him that I still had to run Buzz and so the only way our working together would work was for him to move his office above the restaurant and he agreed to do that.” Their affiliation continued until last month when Laura opened her own brokerage, Maychruk Real Estate
When asked why she decided to go out on her own, Laura answered, “My business was growing exponentially. I was ready for something new, but I didn’t want to go to one of the big offices in town. Offices have rules and policies that I didn’t want to hassle with.”
More importantly, Laura said, “Real estate agents are in competition with each other whether they are in the same office or not. Information is extremely powerful. You might know one thing that nobody else knows and that could lead to a sale.” She didn’t want to risk what joining a local office could mean for her business.
While this move to her own brokerage is a big deal for Laura, for her clients nothing will really change. “My territory is hyperlocal. Just Oak Park, River Forest, and Forest Park. I’m an ambassador for this area and I love, love, love this area. I love teaching people about it and sharing my community with them.” Laura stays connected to her clients long after closing. “My clients get to benefit from my thirty years of experience. I know the history of the area and I know what’s going on now. Well after they’ve moved in, my clients text me and ask, ‘Who can I call for this or that?’”
As to the type of clients she is looking for, Laura has no preference for buyers or sellers. “I appreciate both and I like keeping my business even between them because when I’m working with sellers I want to be able to tell them what buyers are looking for. And vice versa, for my buyers it helps to know what sellers are experiencing right now.”
Laura’s life is chaotic, but she loves it. “I get up early, between 4am and 6am. I do emails and paperwork until about 8am when I go to Buzz where I’ve taken on the role of general manager. After the lunch rush, around 2pm, things slow down at the restaurant and I spend my afternoon and evenings meeting with clients and taking them to showings.” She tries to get to bed as early as possible before starting it all over again the next day.
For now, Laura doesn’t plan to bring any other agents into the brokerage. “My plan is just to do the same thing I always do—be the best real estate agent that I can be for my clients,” said Laura. “Show up everyday and work hard. That’s my life in a nutshell.”
Laura and Maychruk Real Estate can be reached at 708-205-7044 or by emailing [email protected].
