Barrington Public Library is happy to welcome Michael Pekala to the Main Floor Gallery and Wesley Van Leer to the Jennifer English Gallery.
Main Floor Gallery
Artist: Michael Pekala
Michael is an artist who primarily paints on stretched upholstery fabric with acrylic paints. He always looks for ways to incorporate the fabric’s pattern and texture into his work, which often infuses the piece with a sense of whimsy and wonder.
Inspired by nature, wild-life and lighthouses, his artistic journey started with pen and ink before slowly evolving into acrylics on fabric. The son of a furniture upholsterer, Michael was surrounded by bolts of his mom’s upholstery fabric at a young age, this familiarity led Michael to experiment with fabric as his “canvas.” The patterns to him are like clouds in the sky; he’ll stare at them and think, “What do I see?” as a way to jumpstart his creative process.
Jennifer English Gallery (second floor)
Artist: Wesley Van Leer
I was inspired to curate a photography show as a part of my senior project because of my personal passion for photography. I became interested in it when I took the photography elective in my sophomore year, and it ended up being my favorite hobby. In fact, the teacher of that class is actually my mentor for my senior project.
