Built as a dentist’s office in 1870, the second-floor art gallery in Des Plaines’ Kinder Building extracts surprise from visitors. Three pocket-size rooms run riot with wearable art, jewelry, pottery, paintings and toy kits. Leaning toward the whimsical, one-of-a-kind artifacts fill the walls and doorways and dangle in the windows that face the Metra tracks below.
Rhonda Popko presides over the Studio Gallery, which she opened a little more than a year ago. Started as a studio for her own art and craft work, the artist-in-residence since has invited other local artisans to share her aerie gallery. Work from about 25 different artists cohabits the intimate space.
“I don’t like mass-produced things,” said Popko, who teaches art to children and cooking to adults in the Des Plaines Park District. “I like handmade.”
And handmade it is, from her hand-painted silken banners, baby wear, pillows and vests to jewelry to do-it-yourself kits for kids to make doll clothes, kites, finger puppets and kaleidoscopes.
Granted, some traditional oil paintings, greeting cards, watercolors and pottery are on display. But never far away, while definitely “far-out,” are comic sculptures, funky pins and earrings and sprightly clothes.
“I scout art shows for people to feature in my gallery, then I have an opening once a month when I serve hors d’oeuvres and welcome the public,” Popko said. Openings usually are the second Saturday of each month from 1 to 4 p.m.
Prices run from $3 for packs of greeting cards to $500 for a jacket of velvets and brocades. In between are $35 hand-painted silk ties, $20 painted hats that fold into a pouch ($13 unpainted) and $50 for one of Popko’s customized “not-paper” dolls-jigsawed from wood, painted to resemble the recipient, with patterns and felt cloth for clothes.
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The Studio Gallery, 1547 Ellinwood St., Des Plaines, is open from noon to 5 p.m. Tuesday, Thursday and Friday; and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. There will be extended hours on Thursdays for the holidays starting in mid-November. Appointments for visits at other times can be made by calling call 299-1547.
