Save the date for KIDS' MONTH in January 2026! This year's theme will be ART IRL (In Real Life): Artists in the World Around Us.

• FREE art sessions for children in K-8th grade!

• WED. (4-6pm) and SAT. (10am-12pm) in January 2026

• Final Two Sessions! Wed. 1/28 (Graphic Design), and Wed. 2/4 (Music and Sound Design)

• Galesburg Community Arts Center (349 East Main Street)

Sessions kick off Wednesday, January 7th at 4pm! See you there

Save the date for KIDS' MONTH in January 2026! This year's theme will be ART IRL (In Real Life): Artists in the World Around Us.

• FREE art sessions for children in K-8th grade!

• Every WED. (4-6pm) and SAT. (10am-12pm) in January 2026

• Galesburg Community Arts Center (349 East Main Street)

Sessions kick off Wednesday, January 7th at 4pm! See you there

We are very excited to announce that the prospectus + application for GALEX 59 is now LIVE! https://www.galesburgarts.org/galex

GALEX is the combination of the words Galesburg and Exhibition. What began as a regional exhibition has grown into a national competition/exhibition celebrating its 59th year! Open to artists working in all media, this year's juror, RUTH LANTZ, will award over $2,500 in prizes choosing over 70+ works for the exhibition.

🚨 DEADLINE to APPLY: January 17, 2026 at 11:59pm (Central)

✨ OUR JUROR: Ruth Lantz holds an MFA in Visual Studies from Pacific Northwest College of Art and a BFA in Studio Arts from the University of Illinois at Chicago. She has exhibited nationally and internationally, notably at ARC Gallery, Northern Illinois University, Governors State University, Portland International Airport, and Russo Lee Gallery. She has been included in regional biennials at the Evansville Museum, the Freeport Art Museum, and the Rockford Art Museum. Her work bridges the visual language of 19th-century landscape painting with the digital environments of contemporary life.

All applications must be submitted through CaFÉ.
https://artist.callforentry.org/festivals_unique_info.php?ID=16448

Save the date for KIDS' MONTH in January 2026! This year's theme will be ART IRL (In Real Life): Artists in the World Around Us.

• FREE art sessions for children in K-8th grade!

• Every WED. (4-6pm) and SAT. (10am-12pm) in January 2026

• Galesburg Community Arts Center (349 East Main Street)

Sessions kick off Wednesday, January 7th at 4pm! See you there

First GCAC Photo Club meeting of 2026. Free to attend. Bring a few prints or digital files to share with the group!

Save the date for KIDS' MONTH in January 2026! This year's theme will be ART IRL (In Real Life): Artists in the World Around Us.

• FREE art sessions for children in K-8th grade!

• Every WED. (4-6pm) and SAT. (10am-12pm) in January 2026

• Galesburg Community Arts Center (349 East Main Street)

Sessions kick off Wednesday, January 7th at 4pm! See you there

Save the date for KIDS' MONTH in January 2026! This year's theme will be ART IRL (In Real Life): Artists in the World Around Us.

• FREE art sessions for children in K-8th grade!

• Every WED. (4-6pm) and SAT. (10am-12pm) in January 2026

• Galesburg Community Arts Center (349 East Main Street)

Sessions kick off Wednesday, January 7th at 4pm! See you there

Join us for a festive Saturday Morning ArtBar!

REGISTER

Sip on a festive beverage while creating unique industrial ornaments! Join us after breakfast, or feel free to bring your brunch with you.

Grab a friend, get a drink, and let your inner artist out! 21+

$10 per person

Learn the Art of Wet Felting with Jeanne Clark!

REGISTER

Follow along with Jeanne to create a beautiful luminary of your own! Wet felting uses water, soap, wool fibers, and friction.

Class fee includes all materials and instruction. $25 per person.

2025 Merry Market
Saturday, November 22 from 10 AM - 4 PM
Galesburg Community Arts Center
349 East Main Street, Galesburg, IL
Free admission

Join us for our upcoming MERRY MARKET on Saturday, November 22, 2025! Browse original handcrafted artwork by over 20+ regional artists spread across all three floors of the Arts Center. Sip on festive libations from our cash bar, and shop the day away! Support small business & your local makers.

• J. Neal Botanical Papers (paper, cards, ornaments)

• BK Pullen (framed & matted paintings and prints)

• Mary Hildebrand (oil paintings, cards, prints)

• Jeanne Clark (felted wool, winter and Christmas decor)

• Becky Peterson (papier-mache, holiday items)

• Lone Wolf MGM Designs (jewelry & pottery)

• Stacey Miller Art (watercolor)

• Art by Aniteb (paintings, prints, stationary)

• Cyn Elizabeth Studios (stained glass, sea glass art, silversmithing, jewelry, and more)

• My Art Creations (jewelry bead designs)

• June 13 Pottery (pottery: mugs, bowls, plates, ornaments)

• Cerezas (Art by Sheri Lozano)

• Jubilation Ceramics (functional ceramics: mugs, bowls, vases)

• Betsy Zmuda-Swanson (handmade journals, landscape paintings, oil and acrylic)

• Art by Jennifer Jayne (paintings, floral & landscape)

• Cheeta Moon Designs (handcrafted jewelry, silver & bronze)

• Fox Art (paintings, fused glass, painted feathers)

• Off Center Art (jewelry & cards)

• SmithGirl Handmade (journals & bowls made of magazines)

• Sage Lundquist Art (prints, cards, stickers, buttons, tea towels, leather)

• Etcetera - Custom Designs (jewelry, wire-wrapped)

• M&R Doubet Farms (sublimation pieces, cups, keychains, bookmarks, phone cases, skincare + soaps)

• Baskets & More (Woven goods, baskets, vases, jewelry)

Thank you to Brightspeed Fiber for sponsoring this event.

Learn about Typography & Hand Lettering with Ana V. Fleming

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Join us for our Homeschool Art Club! Students have the opportunity to learn techniques and instructions for specific projects—this month students will learn the art of hand-lettering! We are here to provide arts education for the homeschool community and will supply all materials and directions. Bring your family and get ready to get creative at the Arts Center!

Tickets Now Available! Join us for Three Floors of Fun!

TICKETS ON SALE HERE

This year, we invite you to celebrate 17 years of GBOS on all 3 floors of the Arts Center! Start the night off by exploring the building to select your favorite handmade bowl, fill up on a flight of soups, enjoy music, check out the exSOUPbition, participate in the silent auction, and more!

VIB EVENT | EVENING of November 13 | 5-7:30pm

$65 - Early Access - VIB Dinner for 1 Person

Includes first dibs at those Very Important Bowls, a 5-Soup Flight + Bread, enjoy cocktails with Chris — plus, charcuterie, dessert, music, an ExSOUPbition, silent auction, and more! Doors open at 4:30pm.

$50 - VIB Dinner for 1 Person

Includes a Very Important Bowl of your choice, a 5-Soup Flight + Bread, enjoy cocktails with Chris — plus, charcuterie, dessert, music, an ExSOUPbition, silent auction, and more! Doors open at 5pm.

Stay tuned for more details about the evening, plus ticket pickup at GCAC.

Get Centered: Intro to Wheel Throwing

Learn the foundations of wheel throwing in this hands-on beginner class. With personalized, small-group instruction from Janis, you'll get comfortable working on the pottery wheel as you practice centering clay, pulling walls, and shaping basic forms like bowls and cups. No experience is necessary—just bring your curiosity and be ready to get messy!

REGISTER

You will have the opportunity to throw as many pieces as you'd like, but you may only take 1 piece home. Each additional piece costs $10. All finished pieces that are not taken home will be donated to Great Bowls of Soup 2026!

PLEASE NOTE:

• November 5th, 5-8pm — Throwing

• November 6th, 5-7pm — Trimming*

• TBD — Glazing**

*If you cannot attend the Trimming session, you will be charged $10 for staff to trim.

**We will provide more than 1 opportunity to glaze.

Join us for a Saturday Morning ArtBar!

REGISTER

Enjoy a beverage while creating magnificent mini boxes covered in brilliant, crackled eggshells! Join us after breakfast, or feel free to bring your brunch with you.

Grab a friend, get a drink, and let your inner artist out! 21+

Save the Date! Join us for a night of SPOOKY music & art trivia on Saturday, October 25th at the Galesburg Community Arts Center. Doors open at 5pm, and trivia starts at 6pm. Food truck from Smokin’ Willies BBQ.

Tickets available here!

Printmaking Open Studio Certification with Nikki Ponce

Sat, Oct 18 & 25 from 10am-12pm

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$25 GCAC Members / $30 Non-Members

This course is required for independent usage of the Printmaking Studio during Open Studio hours.

Order your business team (3+ people) lunches featuring soup, cookie, bread, and a handmade bowl! Orders due by October 20 for delivery between 11am-1pm on Friday, October 24, 2025.

Spooky Forest Tunnel Books

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Join us for our Homeschool Art Club! Students have the opportunity to learn techniques and instructions for specific projects—this month we'll be making Tunnel Books! We are here to provide arts education for the homeschool community and will supply all materials and directions. Bring your family and get ready to get creative at the Arts Center!

Join us to Piece Together a Collaborative Work of Art!

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Drop in to paint a large-scale community puzzle! The final product will be on display in the brand-new Imagination Station.

All ages welcome! FREE

Printmaking Open Studio Certification with Nikki Ponce

Sat, Oct 18 & 25 from 10am-12pm

REGISTER

$25 GCAC Members / $30 Non-Members

This course is required for independent usage of the Printmaking Studio during Open Studio hours.

Explore YOUR Story with Sallee Wade!

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Sessions run October 16 - December 18, twice monthly on Thursdays, from 2-4:30pm at the Galesburg Community Arts Center.

Register for individual sessions ($35/each) OR bundle all 6 sessions for $180! Limit 12 participants per session. Bring a journal with you!

Twist, Bend, Shape, Move! Create Figures in Wire

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Using wire and mixed media, students will learn about form and proportion in this fun, technique-building class!

Recommended for ages 10+

$10 per child

Join us to Piece Together a Collaborative Work of Art!

REGISTER

Drop in to paint a large-scale community puzzle! The final product will be on display in the brand-new Imagination Station.

All ages welcome! $5 per child.

Part-Collage, Part-Printmaking, Collagraphs Bring Texture, Depth, and Surprise to Every Print!

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Collagraph plates create richly textured prints by layering—and even cutting into—materials like fabric, string, cardboard, and found objects. Explore how various surfaces hold ink to produce bold, dynamic images. This hands-on process is approachable for all skill levels and encourages playful experimentation with texture, composition, and printing techniques.

Senior Studios: Embroidery with Carolyn Seeger & Jasmine Duke

Thurs. Oct 9 from 10am-12pm

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FREE for area seniors (62+). Gather with friends—or make new ones—at the Arts Center for studio fun!

Family members (non-seniors) can pay a $5 fee to attend.

Join us for a very SPOOKY ArtBar this October! Enjoy creating linocuts and sipping on Bloody Marys (…and mimosas!) on Saturday, October 4th from 10am-12pm. $10 per person. Galesburg Community Arts Center.

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Participants are also welcome to drop-in the morning of, while supplies last!

Join us for a FREE opening reception on Friday, October 3 from 5-7pm to celebrate Jenny Chi’s exhibition Renaissance Atlas. On view October 3 - November 15, 2025.