Creativity Abounds at Old Town Art Studio

The suite at 1052 Hillgrove Ave. used to be a part of a dentist's office and is oddly shaped. Two alcoves front and back are separated by a small room and a narrow hallway. Empty, undecorated, it might not be entirely clear what could fit here. A one-bedroom apartment? A personal office with a storage area in back?

But it was here that Western Springs resident Mark Tobin saw the potential for a perfect blend of artistic opportunity. The front alcove: a gallery. The back alcove: a painting center. The middle room: Tobin's office.

And the suite: the Old Town Art Studio, one of Western Springs' newest businesses, and the ideal hub for local artists new and seasoned to practice and display their craft.

"I always thought [art] would be just a hobby," said Tobin, who has lived at the corner of Chestnut and Grove since moving from Chicago seven years ago. "But I think Western Springs is the perfect location, perfect community. Hinsdale has their thing, La Grange has their art leagues, and I was wondering why we didn't have more in this town.

"I thought it'd be a good addition to the community. And it has been."

A self-taught artist himself (and an ever-busy father of four,) Tobin opened his studio over the summer, and has since been gathering a small coalition of Western Springs painters and artisans for meetings and for art to display. He gives pre-scheduled lessons to both kids and adults, which strike a balance between painting fundamentals and what he playfully calls "instant gratification"—all students leave each two-hour class with a completed work of art.

Tobin is still in the early stages of finding his studio's identity. "My goal is to get things running this first year, pay rent, and then slowly build a gallery up front, with more equal space between the gallery and teaching," Tobin said of Old Town Art Studio's future. "And I've discovered great new talent in Western Springs, which I didn't realize—there's all ages, male and female."

The potential of the studio exceeds its small size. It can host birthday parties, anything from finger painting for tykes to a tie-dye bonanza. Tobin offers memberships, a way for local artists to be guaranteed gallery space, and speaks of holding single-artist feature exhibitions in the future.

One artist who might be interested is Bob Cosgrove, 82, of Central Avenue, who has had such features before—notably, at the Cincinnati Arts Center in the 1970's—and keeps several dozen of his own paintings in his basement. Cosgrove walked into Tobin's studio earlier in the summer and took to the idea; four of his paintings are now featured in the front gallery.

"I've never had any luck with the galleries in the Chicago area… never had much success with that. [So] hopefully this works," said Cosgrove, whose wife Margery is also an accomplished artist as a quilter. "It's great for the little town, to bring the artists out. There's quite a few artists living here that I didn't really know about."

Another regular face at the studio is Marie Murrell, 46, who lives in the Field Park district of Western Springs, and is known for her commissioned portraits and figures. Murrell says that the Old Town Art Studio serves a variety of functions for an artistic—or aspiring—resident. "It offers a quiet place to paint, people to talk to about my paintings and about theirs, a place to show my work, and a place for my kids to get art lessons," she said.

"Everyone should go visit it, look at the art, and take an art class—adults or kids—and have some fun! Art's all about having fun."

For his part, Tobin is happy to be bring attention to under-recognized local artists—and stresses that his studio is open to anyone seeking an artistic home, whatever their age, fame or skill level.

"It's not really a competition between artists," Tobin said. "I think there's enough room for everybody. [We're] promoting the Western Springs artists, the creativity in town—there's a lot of it, and a lot of people who want to do it but never had a venue for it."