All are welcome at the Oak Park Education Foundation's student Art Start exhibit on Saturday, May 22, from 12-4 pm, at 200 Harrison Street in Oak Park. The exhibit is part of the Oak Park Arts District's What's Blooming on Harrison event. This year's event highlights the work of "Emerging Artists."

Come by and enjoy the display, which will include quilts, a mural, "stained glass" designs, paintings and stitchery. Children are invited to participate in our "Make Your Own Masterpiece" activity table, raising money for OPEF, for $5/artist. In addition, the Oak Park Education Foundation will host a juice & cookie reception for student artists and their fans from 2-4 pm.

OPEF's 6th annual student art show/auction, hosted by Fly Bird, was again a smashing success! Thank you to Fly Bird, a design-oriented gift shop at 719 Lake Street in Oak Park, to our talented District 97 6th graders from both Julian and Brooks middle schools who created beautiful ink paintings of birds, their creative and dedicated art teachers, and all of you who bought their work! All proceeds from the auction benefit OPEF's Art Start program.

Click here to see photos from the auction display at Fly Bird by Oak Park photographer Paul Goyette.

OPEF's 16th annual William C. Staszak Award Dinner was our most successful fundraiser ever, netting more than $55,000 to fund Vex Robotics, Geared Up, Art Start, Global Village and Architecture Adventure in the District 97 public schools.

The evening honored Jan Pate, CEO of the West Cook YMCA and Trustee of the Village of Oak Park. OPEF also named Fly Bird, with owner Julian Nash, as our Business Partner of the Year. The wildly popular live auction was hosted by award-winning filmmaker, artist, attorney and Oak Park dad Mike Cramer.

Click here to see photos from the dinner.