'Only Owls' art exhibit coming to Isle a la Cache Museum

Artwork depicting the wonderful world of owls will be on display at the Forest Preserve District of Will County's Isle a la Cache Museum in Romeoville from Tuesday, Nov. 5, through Sunday, Dec. 29.

The free, all-ages "Only Owls" exhibition features 40 pieces of art in pencil, charcoal, ink, watercolor and woodcut that were drawn from a collection at Woodson Art Museum in Wausau, Wisconsin. Exhibit hours are: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays, and noon-4 p.m. Sundays. The museum is located at 501 E. Romeo Road/135th Street.

"With their mysterious elusiveness and fascinating skill sets and abilities, owls have universal appeal," said Amy Beck, Woodson's marketing and communications manager. "Many artists are eager to observe, sketch, and draw them, and the Woodson Art Museum's collection is especially rich in its depictions of owls."

The exhibition takes a common subject – owls – and interprets it through the works of 30 artists, said Tina Riley, facility supervisor at Isle a la Cache Museum. "The many styles of art showcased in the exhibit will be appreciated by art lovers and nature lovers alike," she said.

This is the perfect time of year to open an art exhibition about owls, said Lynn Kurczewski, the Forest Preserve's director of visitor services.

"Fall is when owls are active mating and nesting," she said. "It's also a time when owls are pretty vocal. The District offers hikes this time of year to bring people into the preserves for a chance to learn about owls and hopefully hear their calls. So we thought the 'Only Owls' exhibition would be a perfect complement to our hikes and provide another experience for visitors to learn about owls."