Judge: Peggy Dee

In this rendition of OPAL’s annual figure and portrait open-call exhibition, contemporary viewpoints are sought that portray the figure and face, paying homage to this tradition of figure study and life drawing that OPAL has encouraged and sustained for its long history.

Judge’s selections for 1st, 2nd & 3rd place, cash awards.

- An online exhibition of works will be hosted on OPAL's website.

About The Judge:

Peggy Dee received her B.F.A from the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana, and her M.F.A. from Northern Illinois University. She is a working artist and a recently retired professor of painting and life drawing whose work has been exhibited across the Chicago area for more than thirty years. Her current body of work includes both collages and paintings. Her painted figures in interior spaces are at moments of quiet reflection or unraveling. Her collages utilize both realistic and abstracted forms and spaces to suggest narratives which include images of the natural world and the threats of physical and emotional violence. Her visual imagery in both paintings and collages conveys the tension of opposites coexisting such as real/unreal; innocent/ provocative; safe/precarious.

Peggy Dee has taught painting, drawing and life drawing at Northern Illinois
University and taught three levels of painting at Elgin Community College. She has juried and judged art exhibitions and given art lectures, workshops and demonstrations
around the Chicago area. She maintains a studio in her home.

Important dates:

Exhibition dates: February 16 - March 8

Artist’s reception: February 23, 7pm - 9pm