Welcome To The Norris

Attention, artists! Visit EntryThingy.com – https://www.entrythingy.com/d=norrisculturalarts.com – for information on the Norris Gallery’s Winter and Spring 2026 exhibits, Reflections and Watercolor, respectively.

See our main Gallery page for “Call for Art – Reflections.”

Requirements for “Reflections” Entries – Winter 2026 Show

Call for Art – Watercolor 2026

Visit our YouTube channel for a variety of Norris-produced videos.

Vicinity 2025 Judges’ Comments

Lester Norris Award – Best of Show                                   Don Yang

Cynthia Hellyer Heinz   “Mandala: Nesting in Circumnambulation of Wholeness”

The artist clearly possesses a high level of skill in rendering minute details in such a sensitive way. But what is more impressive in this colored pencil drawing is how she harnessed the skills to create a unique composition that keeps the viewer’s attention coming back to the core of the work.

Awards of Excellence                                                         Don Yang

Nancy Legner   “Field of Inspiration”

This painting creates such a fun scene with uplifting colors and expression! There are so many whimsical elements in this oil painting, and they all work together in their own way and placement in the composition to harmonize with the entire scene.

Catherine McLain   “A Paris Lobby”

This colored pencil drawing captures an interior view of what could be an ordinary scene, but instead we see a spark of originality that captures our attention in the creative composition as seen through the eyes the artist.

Dean Willis “Best Friends”

In addition to clearly demonstrating of the artist’s capacity to capture textural details, this watercolor painting cleverly showcases an unusual yet very effective and balanced  composition. The strength of the composition unifies the various components of the painting (man, dog, rusty pole), connected by the barbed wire in the foreground and the crack in the wall in the background.

Honorable Mention Awards                                                Wes Douglas

Yale Factor    “Denali”  

“Denali” was incredibly well executed with tremendous skill in communicating the sense of depth, scale and temperature. The decision to restrain the color palette worked very well for this oil painting and helped remind this judge of the upcoming winter season. I was impressed.

Kathleen Eaton  “Orange Moon”  

“Orange Moon” gave me a peaceful, warm feeling despite of the dominance of cool blues throughout the painting. It was the complimentary orange of the moon and the peek into the homes with their incandescent lighting that warmed this piece in contrast to the coldness of the big city skyline in the background. I really liked this oil painting, and it gave me a nod to a favorite Pixar opening.

Roberta Kullen  “Untitled”  

“Untitled” is the name of this piece but it hardly left me speechless. There is so much attention to color, details, and the choice of frame which all made perfect sense with the effect of the framing of the trees around the perimeter. And give props to the artist for the brilliant choice of adding the special effects with the light unit to tip in for the full concept. Very well done.

Howard Russo  “Gargoyle” 

“Gargoyle” is a very interesting and joyful collection of unrelated spare parts that works so well together. There is the strength of the orange rust color as it pairs nicely with the celadon green that wraps over the top like a jelly-filled wig, and touches of green and the whimsical addition of the gold feet complete the work. This piece brought a big smile to my face – thank you!

frank leonard  “Houmongi III”  (Ceramic Sculpture)

“Houmongi III” sat quietly in the corner and waited for me to discover its understated tones, delicate brush work and minimal colors in a room full of color, texture and boldness. Houmongi stood out wonderfully in contrast with its small stature and economy of line, yet it spoke with the confidence of knowing exactly who it is and needed few words. Even the rustic iron beam is the perfect marriage to this delicate, beautiful piece. Everything about this piece communicated beautifully and allowed the viewer to enjoy a quiet time of reflection.

About our Judges

Don Yang

Don Yang was born in Seoul, Korea, and came to the United States in his late teens. After seven years in the U.S. Army, he pursued his childhood dream of living as an artist and attended the American Academy of Art in Chicago. He earned his BFA with Honors and later an MFA with an emphasis in fine art and traditional illustration.

After graduating from the Academy, Don taught figure drawing, oil painting and anatomy at the Academy for 23 years and served as chairperson for the Fine Arts Department and Foundations Department. Don paints and teaches in his studio in the historic Fine Arts Building in Chicago. He also paints outdoors in the Chicago area, including Plein Air work, and frequently exhibits and sells his paintings and drawings throughout the United States.

Wes Douglas

Wes Douglas has resided in Glen Ellyn for more than 50 years. He is a design graduate of the College of DuPage and Northern Illinois University. After several years of working as a graphic designer and eventually as an Art Director, he became a founding member of the design and innovation firm Maddock Douglas in Elmhurst. Wes loves to sketch people on location and is a lifelong illustrator. He presents at Urban Sketch seminars and teaches urban sketching at the DuPage Art League.

Wes has been an active member of Urban Sketchers Chicago since 2013. In 2017 he was selected as one of the “Sketch Correspondents” for the prestigious “International Urban Sketchers Symposium” held in Chicago which attracted over 600 visiting urban sketchers from around the world. He continues to promote urban sketching on news outlets such as WGN Morning News, WGN Radio 720 AM and on his website.

Please check out Don and Wes’ artwork on display in the lobby and the descriptions about their work in the gallery binder.

Since its founding in 1978, the Dellora A. Norris Cultural Arts Center has provided a world-class visual and performing arts venue for the enjoyment of the residents of the Fox Valley area and Northern Illinois.

The Norris, a generous gift to the Fox Valley from the Norris Foundation, includes an exceptional art exhibition gallery and a 1,000-seat theater with the stage area, acoustics, lighting and mechanicals to host the most elaborate performances.

With the support of generous donors, benefactors and friends who care about bringing top-caliber talent to the Fox Valley, the Norris continues presenting a great lineup of exhibits and performances. Please join us in supporting the performing and visual arts!

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