A wine and cheese reception will take place for the opening of a new art installation, “Over Fifty: The Portrait Series,” by Robert M. Proce. The event takes place from 2 – 4 p.m. Sunday, May 3, in the Narrow Gallery at the Oak Park Arms, 408 S. Oak Park Ave.
The reception is free and open to the public. The exhibit can be viewed daily from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. through Sunday, July 5, 2015.
Proce will exhibit 46 portraits of people over age 50. The oldest person in his collection is 102 years old.
“I think that what constitutes great art is a break in tradition,” Proce said. “This break should be in a meaningful and substantiated way, a way that explores not only the depths of the human condition but also reaches out to instigate thought and contemplation.”
Not only has he worked as a portrait artist, but as an art director and lettering artist. In fact, he taught at the Institute of Lettering and Design, where he also gave private drawing instruction. In addition, he has worked in the field of costuming and corporate mascot/logo design and construction.
“We have lived in Oak Park for 46 years, raised four children here and also owned two businesses in town,” Proce said. “Joyce and I retired from our business in 2005, and in 2006 I took up painting. I am 75 years old. This is my third solo exhibit, although I’ve been in more than 70 group shows.”
He has shown his work extensively in the Chicagoland area and is represented in private and public collections throughout the Midwest.
Proce studied at the Art Institute of Chicago, the American Academy of Art and the Institute of Lettering and Design. His art affiliations include the Chicago Society of Artists, the Oak Park Art League, the Elmhurst Artists Guild and the Senior Artists Network, Chicago.
Oak Park Arms Senior Living is a rental retirement community which provides senior housing in the form of independent living. Furnished apartments are also available for a short-term stay – a weekend, a week, a month or longer.
Again, the reception and the exhibit are free and open to the public. For more information call 708-386-4040.
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