McMurray Art League upcoming events

Sue Levy, Watercolor Spring Colors Series (her LAST workshop) (Tuesday, April 14, 2026)

Tue, 14 Apr 2026 14:00:00 GMT

Sue Levy has announced she is retiring from her many years of teaching for MAL. Don't miss this opportunity to learn from one of our favorite instructors!

A great class for beginner to intermediate watercolor artists!

Designed for those of you who have a desire to paint in Watercolor.
* For those with some drawing ability to those just getting back to painting and for those of you more advanced in painting.

My classes are designed to inspire and help you have a better understanding of:

How to control the water; too little; too much? Learn the tips.
Work Wet and Wet: wet paper and wet brush or dry paper, dry brush?
Values: we will do an exercise using one color to create the values from te very lightest to medium to the darkest values. You will experiment with this.
Brushes: Let's talk about brushwork: how to use round brushes and flat brushes and explore each brush to make special marks. There are flat brushes, round brushes, detail brushes, rigger brushes, angle brushes, and rake brushes to use with watercolor. All of these depend on how much pressure you apply to your paper, how you hold your brush, etc.
Very important are the elements of design and composition to help you create the best in your painting.

We will also explore the beautiful pallette of spring and talk about how to mix paints and how to best achieve luminous color! Much more will be covered as we go along in the exciting way to paint watercolor.

Class Description:

Design and composition and the principles of design.
1- techniques, painting, wet into wet, (wet paper, wet brush), dry into wet (dry paper, wet brush). See how the paint mingles with the water. We’ll do a freeform exercise. No mistakes just plain fun !
I’ll do a demo and you can paint along
2- paper, Arches 140 pound, cold press, 100% rag.
3- pigments, watercolor tube paint or cake or sometime referred to as pan paint.
4- brushes, how to use your brush to get the most from them. Round, Flat etc. brushes.
5- WATER: VERY IMPORTANT: How much water, ratio or % to the paint ratio or %. We will learn value studies by the % of water to the pigment (paint).

Materials List:

Water container can be anything to hold your water
Palette to mix paint. A styrofoam plate works
Board and tape for your paper or you might use a watercolor block.
Paper towels
Palette to mix paint,a styrofoam plate works
Board and tape for your paper or you might use a watercolor block
Paper towels
Watercolor tube or cake/pan paint:

Basic Palette:
Lemon yellow
Cadmium yellow medium
Cadmium red light
Alizarin crimson
Cobalt blue
Ultramarine blue
Cerulean blue
Yellow ochre
Burnt Sienna

This is a limited palette. If you want more colors bring them. If you are a painter already, bring your gear.

See you in April, Come and have fun with Watercolor!

This Watercolor Workshop is a casual class, all questions are welcome. Learn techniques in Watercolor; getting the maximum use of your brushes.

This class is geared toward students interested in learning the wonderful world of watercolor. Some drawing ability is preferred. For beginners to intermediate painters.

Maximum class size: 16
Minimum class size: 4

(Register here for the series or register for 4/7, 14, 21, and 28 sessions separately from the Class Calendar.)

Sue Levy, 4/14 Watercolor Spring Colors (Tuesday, April 14, 2026)

Tue, 14 Apr 2026 14:00:00 GMT

A great class for beginner to intermediate watercolor artists!

Designed for those of you who have a desire to paint in Watercolor.
* For those with some drawing ability to those just getting back to painting and for those of you more advanced in painting.

My classes are designed to inspire and help you have a better understanding of:

How to control the water; too little; too much? Learn the tips.
Work Wet and Wet: wet paper and wet brush or dry paper, dry brush?
Values: we will do an exercise using one color to create the values from te very lightest to medium to the darkest values. You will experiment with this.
Brushes: Let's talk about brushwork: how to use round brushes and flat brushes and explore each brush to make special marks. There are flat brushes, round brushes, detail brushes, rigger brushes, angle brushes, and rake brushes to use with watercolor. All of these depend on how much pressure you apply to your paper, how you hold your brush, etc.
Very important are the elements of design and composition to help you create the best in your painting.

Class Description:

Water container can be anything to hold your water
Palette to mix paint. A styrofoam plate works
Board and tape for your paper or you might use a watercolor block.
Paper towels
Palette to mix paint,a styrofoam plate works
Board and tape for your paper or you might use a watercolor block
Paper towels
Watercolor tube or cake/pan paint:

Basic Palette:
Lemon yellow
Cadmium yellow medium
Cadmium red light
Alizarin crimson
Cobalt blue
Ultramarine blue
Cerulean blue
Yellow ochre
Burnt Sienna

This is a limited palette. If you want more colors bring them. If you are a painter already, bring your gear.

See you in April, Come and have fun with Watercolor!

This Watercolor Workshop is a casual class, all questions are welcome. Learn techniques in Watercolor; getting the maximum use of your brushes.

This class is geared toward students interested in learning the wonderful world of watercolor. Some drawing ability is preferred. For beginners to intermediate painters.

Maximum class size: 16
Minimum class size: 4

(Register here for the series or register for 4/7, 14, 21, and 28 sessions separately from the Class Calendar.)

Laura Sippos, Polymer Clay Jewelry Series (Wednesday, April 15, 2026)

Wed, 15 Apr 2026 22:30:00 GMT

All skill levels

This class is all about play, with a fantastic outcome! Try your hand at some interesting techniques to make polymer clay sparkle and shine, or even look like your favorite crystals or rocks. Students will create at least two jewelry items like earrings, pendants, brooches, etc.

Two week series only. All materials provided, including jewelry findings.

Maximum class size: 16
Minimum class size: 6

MAL Book Club: "The Lost Masterpiece" by B.A.Shapiro (Thursday, April 16, 2026)

Thu, 16 Apr 2026 19:00:00 GMT

Please join Marlene Boas and Jan Pini for the next meeting of the MAL Art and Artists Book Club! Come even if you haven't read the book!

We will meet to discuss "The Lost Masterpiece" by B. A. Shapiro.

Feel free to read the book and add to the discussion. And bring friends and snacks! A voluntary donation of $5 is requested.

Here's Amazon's synopsis:
"In a gripping novel full of plot twists, B. A. Shapiro embeds us in a circle of famous painters in late-nineteenth-century Paris, centering on the anguished Impressionist artist Berthe Morisot—the one woman in their midst who never got her due—and the story of Morisot’s great-great-great-great granddaughter, Tamara Rubin, who has inherited Édouard Manet’s Party on the Seine, a painting that completely upends her life.

When Tamara inherits Party, she discovers a long-hidden family history replete with unanswered questions: How had it been stolen by the Nazis? How had the painting managed to survive three disasters that destroyed every other artwork around it? And most of all, why had she never known about her ancestor, Berthe Morisot? As the painting begins to metamorphose into darker and more terrifying versions of itself, Tamara’s ordinary life is thrown into turmoil. What wounds and resentments plagued Morisot, and to what lengths will her spirit go for revenge?

The Lost Masterpiece is a story of love, adultery, betrayal, family secrets, and the grueling birth of Impressionism, taking the reader on a whirlwind adventure from the streets of Paris in the late 1800s and the studio Berthe Morisot shared with Manet, Degas, and Renoir to the present day. Shapiro brings Berthe’s world to life, tracing her work through generations of descendants and introducing us to a painter as brilliant and original as her male counterparts across 150 years of triumphs, struggles, passions, animosities, and malevolence."

Laura Sippos, Cyanotype Printing (Saturday, April 18, 2026)

Sat, 18 Apr 2026 14:00:00 GMT

All skill levels

An early method of photography, this unique art medium uses sunlight to create a reverse image. In a fun learning environment, students mix the appropriate chemicals, apply them to paper and fabric, and create several pieces of original art. Each student will also have the opportunity to create art on their choice of an apron or a tote bag!

All materials and light snacks provided

Minimum: 6
Maximum: 16

MAL Board Meeting (via Zoom) (Monday, April 20, 2026)

Mon, 20 Apr 2026 18:00:00 GMT

Hope you can attend via Zoom. If not please provide a report we can share at the meeting.

We will use the same Zoom link for every Board Meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85154289446

Sue Levy, Watercolor Spring Colors Series (her LAST workshop) (Tuesday, April 21, 2026)

Tue, 21 Apr 2026 14:00:00 GMT

Sue Levy has announced she is retiring from her many years of teaching for MAL. Don't miss this opportunity to learn from one of our favorite instructors!

A great class for beginner to intermediate watercolor artists!

Designed for those of you who have a desire to paint in Watercolor.
* For those with some drawing ability to those just getting back to painting and for those of you more advanced in painting.

My classes are designed to inspire and help you have a better understanding of:

How to control the water; too little; too much? Learn the tips.
Work Wet and Wet: wet paper and wet brush or dry paper, dry brush?
Values: we will do an exercise using one color to create the values from te very lightest to medium to the darkest values. You will experiment with this.
Brushes: Let's talk about brushwork: how to use round brushes and flat brushes and explore each brush to make special marks. There are flat brushes, round brushes, detail brushes, rigger brushes, angle brushes, and rake brushes to use with watercolor. All of these depend on how much pressure you apply to your paper, how you hold your brush, etc.
Very important are the elements of design and composition to help you create the best in your painting.

Class Description:

Water container can be anything to hold your water
Palette to mix paint. A styrofoam plate works
Board and tape for your paper or you might use a watercolor block.
Paper towels
Palette to mix paint,a styrofoam plate works
Board and tape for your paper or you might use a watercolor block
Paper towels
Watercolor tube or cake/pan paint:

Basic Palette:
Lemon yellow
Cadmium yellow medium
Cadmium red light
Alizarin crimson
Cobalt blue
Ultramarine blue
Cerulean blue
Yellow ochre
Burnt Sienna

This is a limited palette. If you want more colors bring them. If you are a painter already, bring your gear.

See you in April, Come and have fun with Watercolor!

This Watercolor Workshop is a casual class, all questions are welcome. Learn techniques in Watercolor; getting the maximum use of your brushes.

This class is geared toward students interested in learning the wonderful world of watercolor. Some drawing ability is preferred. For beginners to intermediate painters.

Maximum class size: 16
Minimum class size: 4

(Register here for the series or register for 4/7, 14, 21, and 28 sessions separately from the Class Calendar.)

Sue Levy, 4/21 Watercolor Spring Colors (Tuesday, April 21, 2026)

Tue, 21 Apr 2026 14:00:00 GMT

A great class for beginner to intermediate watercolor artists!

Designed for those of you who have a desire to paint in Watercolor.
* For those with some drawing ability to those just getting back to painting and for those of you more advanced in painting.

My classes are designed to inspire and help you have a better understanding of:

How to control the water; too little; too much? Learn the tips.
Work Wet and Wet: wet paper and wet brush or dry paper, dry brush?
Values: we will do an exercise using one color to create the values from te very lightest to medium to the darkest values. You will experiment with this.
Brushes: Let's talk about brushwork: how to use round brushes and flat brushes and explore each brush to make special marks. There are flat brushes, round brushes, detail brushes, rigger brushes, angle brushes, and rake brushes to use with watercolor. All of these depend on how much pressure you apply to your paper, how you hold your brush, etc.
Very important are the elements of design and composition to help you create the best in your painting.

Class Description:

Water container can be anything to hold your water
Palette to mix paint. A styrofoam plate works
Board and tape for your paper or you might use a watercolor block.
Paper towels
Palette to mix paint,a styrofoam plate works
Board and tape for your paper or you might use a watercolor block
Paper towels
Watercolor tube or cake/pan paint:

Basic Palette:
Lemon yellow
Cadmium yellow medium
Cadmium red light
Alizarin crimson
Cobalt blue
Ultramarine blue
Cerulean blue
Yellow ochre
Burnt Sienna

This is a limited palette. If you want more colors bring them. If you are a painter already, bring your gear.

See you in April, Come and have fun with Watercolor!

This Watercolor Workshop is a casual class, all questions are welcome. Learn techniques in Watercolor; getting the maximum use of your brushes.

This class is geared toward students interested in learning the wonderful world of watercolor. Some drawing ability is preferred. For beginners to intermediate painters.

Maximum class size: 16
Minimum class size: 4

(Register here for the series or register for 4/7, 14, 21, and 28 sessions separately from the Class Calendar.)

Laura Sippos, 4/24 Watercolor Spring Happy Hour (Friday, April 24, 2026)

Fri, 24 Apr 2026 22:30:00 GMT

Enjoy snacks and drinks while trying your hand at an art project.

All skill levels are welcome including the absolute beginner. Supplies and light snacks and refreshments are included with the workshop fee.

Of course, happy hour is best with friends, so bring one or two, or come and make a new one! A great date night, too!

Happy hours are the fourth Friday of most months.

Jan. 23, 2026 6:30-8:30

Feb. 27, 6:30-8:30

Mar. 27, 6:30-8:30

Apr. 24, 6:30-8:30

May 22, 6:30-8:30

Minimum: 6
Maximum: 16

Sue Levy, Watercolor Spring Colors Series (her LAST workshop) (Tuesday, April 28, 2026)

Tue, 28 Apr 2026 14:00:00 GMT

Sue Levy has announced she is retiring from her many years of teaching for MAL. Don't miss this opportunity to learn from one of our favorite instructors!

A great class for beginner to intermediate watercolor artists!

Designed for those of you who have a desire to paint in Watercolor.
* For those with some drawing ability to those just getting back to painting and for those of you more advanced in painting.

My classes are designed to inspire and help you have a better understanding of:

How to control the water; too little; too much? Learn the tips.
Work Wet and Wet: wet paper and wet brush or dry paper, dry brush?
Values: we will do an exercise using one color to create the values from te very lightest to medium to the darkest values. You will experiment with this.
Brushes: Let's talk about brushwork: how to use round brushes and flat brushes and explore each brush to make special marks. There are flat brushes, round brushes, detail brushes, rigger brushes, angle brushes, and rake brushes to use with watercolor. All of these depend on how much pressure you apply to your paper, how you hold your brush, etc.
Very important are the elements of design and composition to help you create the best in your painting.

Class Description:

Water container can be anything to hold your water
Palette to mix paint. A styrofoam plate works
Board and tape for your paper or you might use a watercolor block.
Paper towels
Palette to mix paint,a styrofoam plate works
Board and tape for your paper or you might use a watercolor block
Paper towels
Watercolor tube or cake/pan paint:

Basic Palette:
Lemon yellow
Cadmium yellow medium
Cadmium red light
Alizarin crimson
Cobalt blue
Ultramarine blue
Cerulean blue
Yellow ochre
Burnt Sienna

This is a limited palette. If you want more colors bring them. If you are a painter already, bring your gear.

See you in April, Come and have fun with Watercolor!

This Watercolor Workshop is a casual class, all questions are welcome. Learn techniques in Watercolor; getting the maximum use of your brushes.

This class is geared toward students interested in learning the wonderful world of watercolor. Some drawing ability is preferred. For beginners to intermediate painters.

Maximum class size: 16
Minimum class size: 4

(Register here for the series or register for 4/7, 14, 21, and 28 sessions separately from the Class Calendar.)

Sue Levy, 4/28 Watercolor Spring Colors (Tuesday, April 28, 2026)

Tue, 28 Apr 2026 14:00:00 GMT

A great class for beginner to intermediate watercolor artists!

Designed for those of you who have a desire to paint in Watercolor.
* For those with some drawing ability to those just getting back to painting and for those of you more advanced in painting.

My classes are designed to inspire and help you have a better understanding of:

How to control the water; too little; too much? Learn the tips.
Work Wet and Wet: wet paper and wet brush or dry paper, dry brush?
Values: we will do an exercise using one color to create the values from te very lightest to medium to the darkest values. You will experiment with this.
Brushes: Let's talk about brushwork: how to use round brushes and flat brushes and explore each brush to make special marks. There are flat brushes, round brushes, detail brushes, rigger brushes, angle brushes, and rake brushes to use with watercolor. All of these depend on how much pressure you apply to your paper, how you hold your brush, etc.
Very important are the elements of design and composition to help you create the best in your painting.

Class Description:

Water container can be anything to hold your water
Palette to mix paint. A styrofoam plate works
Board and tape for your paper or you might use a watercolor block.
Paper towels
Palette to mix paint,a styrofoam plate works
Board and tape for your paper or you might use a watercolor block
Paper towels
Watercolor tube or cake/pan paint:

Basic Palette:
Lemon yellow
Cadmium yellow medium
Cadmium red light
Alizarin crimson
Cobalt blue
Ultramarine blue
Cerulean blue
Yellow ochre
Burnt Sienna

This is a limited palette. If you want more colors bring them. If you are a painter already, bring your gear.

See you in April, Come and have fun with Watercolor!

This Watercolor Workshop is a casual class, all questions are welcome. Learn techniques in Watercolor; getting the maximum use of your brushes.

This class is geared toward students interested in learning the wonderful world of watercolor. Some drawing ability is preferred. For beginners to intermediate painters.

Maximum class size: 16
Minimum class size: 4

(Register here for the series or register for 4/7, 14, 21, and 28 sessions separately from the Class Calendar.)

Laura Sippos, Intermediate Color Theory (Saturday, May 02, 2026)

Sat, 02 May 2026 14:00:00 GMT

Knowledge of creating and using a color wheel preferred.

Take your art to the next level by expanding your understanding of color theory. This hands-on class will explore the meaning of color, color harmonies, atmospheric perspective, simultaneous contrast, and more.

Dive into the vibrant world of color in this engaging 3-hour workshop designed for artists of all levels. Unlock the secrets of color theory through easy-to-understand concepts, practical applications, and hands-on activities. Participants will explore the color wheel, learn about color harmony, and discover how to mix and apply colors effectively in their artwork. Whether you're an aspiring painter or a seasoned artist looking to enhance your skills, this workshop promises to be informative, inspiring, and a fun way to deepen your understanding of color dynamics. Join me for an immersive experience that will enrich your artistic journey!

All supplies included.

Minimum: 6
Maximum: 16

Laura Sippos, Monotypes: Gel Plate Printing (Wednesday, May 06, 2026)

Wed, 06 May 2026 22:30:00 GMT

All skill levels

Students bring their own gel plate, all other materials provided

Minimum: 6
Maximum: 16

MAL Book Club: "The Indigo Girl: A Novel" by Natasha Boyd (Wednesday, May 13, 2026)

Wed, 13 May 2026 19:00:00 GMT

Please join Marlene Boas and Jan Pini for the next meeting of the MAL Art and Artists Book Club! Come even if you haven't read the book!

We will meet to discuss "The Indigo Girl: A Novel" by Natasha Boyd.

Feel free to read the book and add to the discussion. And bring friends and snacks! A voluntary donation of $5 is requested.

Here's Amazon's synopsis:
"In this incredible story of ambition, betrayal, and sacrifice, an extraordinary sixteen-year-old girl in Colonial South Carolina defies all expectations to achieve her dream.

The year is 1739. Eliza Lucas is sixteen years old when her father leaves her in charge of their family’s three plantations in rural South Carolina and then proceeds to bleed the estates dry in pursuit of his military ambitions. Tensions with the British, and with the Spanish in Florida, just a short way down the coast, are rising, and slaves are starting to become restless. Her mother wants nothing more than for their South Carolina endeavor to fail so they can go back to England. Soon her family is in danger of losing everything.

Upon hearing how much the French pay for indigo dye, Eliza believes it’s the key to their salvation. But everyone tells her it’s impossible, and no one will share the secret to making it. Thwarted at nearly every turn, even by her own family, Eliza finds that her only allies are an aging horticulturalist, an older and married gentleman lawyer, and a slave with whom she strikes a dangerous deal: teach her the intricate thousand-year-old secret process of making indigo dye and in return—against the laws of the day—she will teach the slaves to read.

So begins an incredible story of love, dangerous and hidden friendships, ambition, betrayal, and sacrifice.

Based on historical documents, including Eliza’s letters, this is a historical fiction account of how a teenage girl produced indigo dye, which became one of the largest exports out of South Carolina, an export that laid the foundation for the incredible wealth of several Southern families who still live on today. Although largely overlooked by historians, the accomplishments of Eliza Lucas influenced the course of US history. When she passed away in 1793, President George Washington served as a pallbearer at her funeral.

This book is set between 1739 and 1744, with romance, intrigue, forbidden friendships, and political and financial threats weaving together to form the story of a remarkable young woman whose actions were before their time: the story of the indigo girl."

5/14/26 MAL General Membership Meeting (Speaker Mary Beth Ely) (Thursday, May 14, 2026)

Thu, 14 May 2026 23:00:00 GMT

McMurray Art League general membership meeting in person. The public is welcome!

The speaker is member Mary Beth Ely who will discuss her art.

MAL Board Meeting (via Zoom) (Monday, May 18, 2026)

Mon, 18 May 2026 18:00:00 GMT

Hope you can attend via Zoom. If not please provide a report we can share at the meeting.

We will use the same Zoom link for every Board Meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85154289446

Laura Sippos, Handmade Paper (Wednesday, May 20, 2026)

Wed, 20 May 2026 22:30:00 GMT

All skill levels

My favorite way to recycle is making handmade paper! Learn it all from start to finish in this educational and entertaining workshop. All sorts of random paper scraps and even egg cartons will become fresh paper for you to use in all of your projects. We will even create some seeded paper, which makes a great gift. Join me to learn how to make the magic happen and take home your own handmade paper. You may never throw away your little paper scraps again.

All materials provided

Minimum: 6
Maximum: 16

Laura Sippos, 5/22 Mixed Media Minis Happy Hour (Friday, May 22, 2026)

Fri, 22 May 2026 22:30:00 GMT

Enjoy snacks and drinks while trying your hand at an art project.

All skill levels are welcome including the absolute beginner. Supplies and light snacks and refreshments are included with the workshop fee.

Of course, happy hour is best with friends, so bring one or two, or come and make a new one! A great date night, too!

Happy hours are the fourth Friday of most months.

Jan. 23, 2026 6:30-8:30

Feb. 27, 6:30-8:30

Mar. 27, 6:30-8:30

Apr. 24, 6:30-8:30

May 22, 6:30-8:30

Minimum: 6
Maximum: 16

McDonald Bacon Jam restaurant Exhibit pick up/lunch (Saturday, May 30, 2026)

Sat, 30 May 2026 17:00:00 GMT

Time to pick up the exhibit at Bacon Jam, a new, yummy breakfast-lunch restaurant in McDonald, PA. They would like to showcase local art.

Let's meet for lunch prior to the pick-up at 1:00 PM (even if you're not exhibiting)! The address is 110 South McDonald St, McDonald, PA 15057.

Let's help this new small business venture be successful! They are moving to Washington, PA at the end of April. Stay tuned for our next exhibit plans!

Important dates:

Registration for next exhibit: Date coming
Pick up at the restaurant at 1-2 PM Saturday, May 30

Spring Juried Show registration due 6/4/2026 (Thursday, June 04, 2026)

Fri, 05 Jun 2026 03:59:00 GMT

Register for the juried spring show online here. For links to the Prospectus, Standards, and Inventory Form, click here. Be sure to read the Prospectus and Standards carefully. Note: you must complete an inventory form even if you only have hanging art.

Note: if you cannot sit for the show, you must find a designee to sit in your place.

Join us for an in-person reception at The Galleria on Saturday, June 13, 3:30-5:00! Light snacks will be provided by the League.

You may pay securely online or mail a check made out to MAL with "Spring show" in the Memo field to:

Jan Pini, Show Data Manager
103 Crabtree Ct.
Venetia, PA 15367

Peter Stamoolis, Abstracting a Photograph (Sunday, June 07, 2026)

Sun, 07 Jun 2026 19:00:00 GMT

Peter Stamoolis will demonstrate his methods for using software to convert a photograph into a fascinating piece of abstract art. We finally get to see how he gets his cool results!

The class will demonstrate turning a photograph into abstract art using Corel Aftershot (other photo manipulation software have similar capabilities). Aftershot comes as part of Corel’s Wordperfect Office Suite ($99.99 for the download). Attached is a photo of the Aftershot screen.

A $20 donation to the McMurray Art League is requested.

Spring Juried show drop off art (Sunday, June 07, 2026)

Sun, 07 Jun 2026 21:00:00 GMT

Drop off registered art. Register here to get email reminders.

Spring Juried show at McMurray Art League Gallery (Tuesday, June 09, 2026)

Tue, 09 Jun 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Open Thursdays and Fridays 3-7, Saturdays and Sundays 12-7 or when there's an event going on. If you register for this event you will get a reminder. This event is not for registering to exhibit in the show. To register for the show, click here: Spring Juried Show registration due 6/4/2026

Spring Juried show drop off art (Wednesday, June 10, 2026)

Wed, 10 Jun 2026 18:00:00 GMT

Drop off registered art. Register here to get email reminders.

MAL Book Club: "The Thread Collectors: A Novel" (Thursday, June 11, 2026)

Thu, 11 Jun 2026 19:00:00 GMT

Please join Marlene Boas and Jan Pini for the next meeting of the MAL Art and Artists Book Club! Come even if you haven't read the book!

We will meet to discuss "The Thread Collectors: A Novel" by Shaunna J. Edwards and Alyson Richman.

Feel free to read the book and add to the discussion. And bring friends and snacks! A voluntary donation of $5 is requested.

Here's Amazon's synopsis:

1863: In a small Creole cottage in New Orleans, an ingenious young Black woman named Stella embroiders intricate maps on repurposed cloth to help enslaved men flee and join the Union Army. Bound to a man who would kill her if he knew of her clandestine activities, Stella has to hide not only her efforts but her love for William, a Black soldier and a brilliant musician.

Meanwhile, in New York City, a Jewish woman stitches a quilt for her husband, who is stationed in Louisiana with the Union Army. Between abolitionist meetings, Lily rolls bandages and crafts quilts with her sewing circle for other soldiers, too, hoping for their safe return home. But when months go by without word from her husband, Lily resolves to make the perilous journey South to search for him.

As these two women risk everything for love and freedom during thebrutal Civil War, their paths converge in New Orleans, where an unexpected encounter leads them to discover that even the most delicate threads have the capacity to save us. Loosely inspired by the authors' family histories, this stunning novel will stay with readers for a long time.

Spring Juried show reception and awards (Saturday, June 13, 2026)

Sat, 13 Jun 2026 19:30:00 GMT

Public reception. Awards announced at 4:00 PM. Register here to get a reminder email.

Jim Sulkowski Oil or Pastel Series (Tuesday, June 16, 2026)

Tue, 16 Jun 2026 14:00:00 GMT

Back by popular demand!

Oil and pastel techniques. Individual instruction. Series only.

The principles of Classical Art will be discussed and demonstrated. Form, Light, Space, Atmosphere, Composition, Color, and Value are all essential concepts. They apply to the landscape, the portrait, the still life, floral, and the figure.

There will be a still life demonstration one day and a landscape demonstration the other day.

6/16 will be Still Life Flowers and 6/18 will be Landscapes. For a biography of Jim Sulkowski, click here.

Materials list:

Oils

Suggested Brands of oil paint: Sennelier, Rembrandt, Winsor & Newton, Blockx, Williamsburg, Gamblin. Do not use Winton or any student grade oils because they contain mostly filler with little pigment.

Oil Paints: Cadmium Lemon Yellow, Cadmium Yellow Light, Cadmium Orange, Yellow Ochre, Cadmium Red Light, Cadmium Red Medium, Alizarin Crimson, Cobalt Blue, Ultramarine Blue, Thalo Blue, Raw Umber, Thalo Green, large tubes of Titanium White and Ivory Black. Optional: Burnt Sienna, Magenta

Bristle Brushes All sizes; 1/4" in width up to 2" and 3". One small pointed sable brush (No. 6). Avoid synthetic brushes.

Painting Medium to thin your paint: 1 Part Linseed Oil + 1 Part Damar Varnish + 1 Part English Distilled Turpentine OR any fast drying medium such as Winsor Newton, Grumbacher, or Gamblin.

Brush Washer: A can or jar containing mineral spirits also known as paint thinner to clean your brushes

Palette: The best palette is one that is toned a medium gray. A wooden palette is also very good. Avoid using a white palette.

Palette knife for mixing

Palette cup or small jar for your painting medium

Canvases or panels: 8" x 10", 9” x 12”, or 12” x 16”

Paper towels

Pastels

Your favorite pastels and paper.

Peters Twp. Library pick-up/drop-off "The Passage of Time" (Wednesday, June 17, 2026)

Wed, 17 Jun 2026 13:30:00 GMT

McMurray Art League has shown art at PT Library for many years. Library patrons enjoy seeing the art we display. And sometimes they buy art!

Please consider showing your 2-dimensional pieces at the library through 10/14/2026. You may enter up to three 2-dimensional pieces no larger than 24” top to bottom. There is no entry fee, but there is a 15% commission on sold works (10% to the library and 5% to MAL). Contact Sandy Conley conley1973@verizon.net or register here by the Monday before the exhibit hanging. Provide artist’s name, title of piece, medium, and price or NFS (Not for Sale) or POR (Price On Request). Bring your pieces to Peters Township Library at 9:30 am on the day of hanging.

Jim Sulkowski Oil or Pastel Series (Thursday, June 18, 2026)

Thu, 18 Jun 2026 14:00:00 GMT

Back by popular demand!

Oil and pastel techniques. Individual instruction. Series only.

There will be a still life demonstration one day and a landscape demonstration the other day.

6/16 will be Still Life Flowers and 6/18 will be Landscapes. For a biography of Jim Sulkowski, click here.

Materials list:

Oils

Bristle Brushes All sizes; 1/4" in width up to 2" and 3". One small pointed sable brush (No. 6). Avoid synthetic brushes.

Painting Medium to thin your paint: 1 Part Linseed Oil + 1 Part Damar Varnish + 1 Part English Distilled Turpentine OR any fast drying medium such as Winsor Newton, Grumbacher, or Gamblin.

Brush Washer: A can or jar containing mineral spirits also known as paint thinner to clean your brushes

Palette: The best palette is one that is toned a medium gray. A wooden palette is also very good. Avoid using a white palette.

Palette knife for mixing

Palette cup or small jar for your painting medium

Canvases or panels: 8" x 10", 9” x 12”, or 12” x 16”

Paper towels

Pastels

Your favorite pastels and paper.

Spring Juried show pick up art (Sunday, June 28, 2026)

Sun, 28 Jun 2026 18:00:00 GMT

Pick up unsold art. Register here to get email reminders.

Exhibit at St. Clair Hospital, entrance from parking garage (Wednesday, July 01, 2026)

Wed, 01 Jul 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Open during hospital hours. Note that there is a separate event for registration for artists.

2026 Art at the Farm - Volunteer sign up (Friday, July 31, 2026)

Fri, 31 Jul 2026 21:00:00 GMT

Community celebration of the Arts!

Volunteers needed from the MAL membership!

We are asking EACH MAL MEMBER and event participant to devote 2 HOURS to help with SET UP, ART ACTIVITIES, or CLOSING on Saturday, August 8 from 5 pm - 9 pm. There are jobs that require some "elbow grease" such as setting up tents, transporting screens, and hanging the wet paint sale. But there are also jobs where you can sit down for the entire 2 hour shift - such as taking tickets at the entrance or selling 50/50 tickets or selling art at the wet paint sale.

Note that you can register more than once if your plans change.

It's advisable to bring your own chair.

May-June Exhibit at St. Clair Hospital, entrance from parking garage (Monday, May 01, 2028)

Mon, 01 May 2028 04:00:00 GMT

Open during hospital hours. Register for a reminder email. Note that there is a separate event for registration for artists (coming).