Meet This Month’s Featured Artist – Laura Ortoleva
Library Programs
Meet This Month’s Featured Artists!
In April, AAPLD is delighted to display entries in The Land Conservancy of McHenry County’s Amateur Photo Contest.
Each year amateur photographers are invited to participate in this annual contest highlighting the inspiring nature of The Land Conservancy’s preservation work. The goal is to share the beautiful and immense natural diversity found throughout McHenry County. The photos were taken at properties The Land Conservancy has helped protect or restore. Each site has a unique character and story, contained in the photos’ captions.
The Land Conservancy has operated in McHenry County since 1991, and has preserved over 3,200 acres of land. Eight of its sites are open to the public, and include restored woods, wetlands and natural habitats. Other sites are conservation easements; a voluntary, permanent agreement between a landowner and The Land Conservancy, which allows the owner to continue to use and enjoy the land and eventually sell it or pass it to his or her heirs, knowing that it will remain undeveloped. Other Land Conservancy initiatives include Project Quercus, which encourages planting and preserving oak trees, various community education programs, the Apple Creek Food Forest which showcases edible species trees, plants and shrubs, and the Farmer/Landowner Lease Match, which pairs beginning farmers who need access to land, with landowners interested in selling or leasing to a new generation of career farmers.
An accredited nonprofit local land trust, The Land Conservancy of McHenry County works with local property owners, communities and volunteers to preserve open, natural and agricultural land. The organization is privately funded through annual memberships, donations, grants, contracts with municipalities to provide open space stewardship services, fundraisers, and merchandise. Learn more at conservemc.org
If you’re a local artist interested in exhibiting your work, please submit samples of your work and contact information to social@aapld.org
AAPLD Hosts Author and Naturalist Stan Tekiela
Spend an evening with author, naturalist, and wildlife photographer Stan Tekiela, Wednesday, April 9, at 7:00 pm, at the Luecht Auditorium at McHenry County College, for a fun and fascinating talk about our favorite (and not-so-favorite!) birds. Challenge what you think you know about common birds such as the European Starling, and the American Crow, for a new perspective and understanding of our backyard feathered friends.
Admission is free, but registration is required.
Tekiela is the originator of the popular state-specific field guide series, which includes the Birds of Illinois Field Guide, Trees of Illinois Field Guide and many more. Over the last four decades, he has authored more than 200 field guides, nature appreciation books, and wildlife audio CDs for nearly every state in the nation. A graduate of the University of Minnesota, he is also a syndicated columnist, and radio personality who travels the nation to study, photograph, and write about wildlife. Copies of his books will be available for purchase and signing at the event, courtesy of Read Between The Lynes bookstore in Woodstock.
The evening will also include an information expo featuring local conservation and nature organizations; the McHenry County Conservation District and Foundation, the Land Conservancy of McHenry County, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources- Moraine Hills and Volo Bog, McHenry County Audubon Society, the Environmental Defenders of McHenry County, Small Water Education, Illinois Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Crystal Lake Nature Center.
The evening is sponsored by a coalition of McHenry County libraries, including Algonquin Area Public Library, Cary Area Public Library, Crystal Lake Public Library, Harvard-Diggins Library, Huntley Area Public Library, Johnsburg Library, Marengo-Union Public Library, McHenry Public Library, Nippersink Public Library, and Woodstock Public Library. The coalition’s “Let’s All Read Together” community reading program encourages county residents to come together for a shared reading experience.
Meet This Month’s Featured Artist!
For March, AAPLD welcomes pastel artist Susan L. Chelminski to the Art Wall in the Adult Services Department. Learn a little more about this talented artist.
The Artist: Susan L. Chelminski
Background/Experience: I began my interest in art at a very early age. My mother was a professional artist and she mentored me and stoked the fires. I studied under the internationally renowned artist Joseph Abbrescia at The Village Art School, in Skokie. I also studied under the direction of Frankie Johnson, Susan Plough and Barb Benstein. My career took a left turn as I worked in the field of psychology, though I continued to dabble in creative writing, jewelry making and tole painting. Nearing the close of my counseling career, I decided to resurrect my passion for art. I have been juried into art shows at the Dole in Crystal Lake, the Main Street Art Center Gallery in Lake Zurich, and The Land Conservancy’s Art of the Land.
My favorite medium: Pastels offer me the ability to fully immerse myself in my work. I love color, and soft pastels help me to indulge this passion.
What inspires me: My subject matter varies depending on my mood, though the bulk of my work is deigned to have an element of surprise, suh as my “Something Fishy” series, which combines the flow of flamenco dancers with that of a betta fish. The series “We Are What Eat” combines people and food.
Find her on Instagram at sooz.art3
If you’re a local artist interested in exhibiting your work, please submit samples of your work and contact information to social@aapld.org
Get Planting! Seed Library Returns March 1!
How It Works
Take a look at the Seed Library Catalog. Each listing includes photos and descriptions of plant varieties, along with helpful details on when, where, and how to plant them. Seed packet quantities range from 2 to 20 seeds, depending on the plant type.
Visit the Adult Services desk at the Main Library on Harnish Drive to explore our Seed Library collection in person, and take up to 20 packets/household, one per variety.
What Seeds Are Available?
Choose from over 130 varieties of vegetable, fruit, flower and herb seeds! Options include:
- Vegetables - Cucumbers, lettuce, onions, peppers, squash, tomatoes
- Herbs- Basil, chives, cilantro, parsley, thyme and more
- Garden Favorites- Carrots, beans, leeks, melons and cauliflower
- Flowers and Landscaping- Daisies, zinnias, sunflowers
- Annuals & Perennials- Plants that bloom for a season, or return each year
Do I Have To Return The Seeds?
Although we call it a "Seed Library," no library card is required and you don't need to return seeds from your harvest. However, we'd love to see photos of your garden and crops! Email them to us at info@aapld.org
If you have leftover seeds, simply store them in their packets in an airtight glass jar, and keep it in a cool dark place like your basement or garage, for future planting.
Photography Club Returns to AAPLD!
The popular Worth 1,000 Words Photography Club returns to AAPLD on Sunday, March 2, at 2 p.m.
The monthly gathering will include discussion of photography techniques, style, and more. We look forward to offering photography challenges, field trips, and other opportunities to learn and grow as a photographer. Whether you’re a veteran or new to the art, use digital, film or cellphone cameras, this is a chance to share photos, display your work, learn, teach and connect with others in the community.
Meetings will be held on the first Sunday of the month, at 2 p.m. at the Main Library on Harnish Drive. Register for the next meeting today!
Meet This Month’s Featured Artist!
In February, AAPLD is delighted to welcome fine art photographer Kirsten Barry to the Art Wall in the Adult Services Department. Learn a little more about this talented artist.
The Artist: Kirsten Barry
Background/Experience: I am a fine art photographer who enjoys exploring the world around me whether out in nature or working indoors. Although you can find me with a camera most any time, my predominant genre is still life photography. It is where I return to most often to showcase many of the treasures I have collected through the years.
What inspires me: I have always found the world to be endlessly fascinating and I love trying to capture
what I discover in my travels. My goal is always to present the inherent beauty I see in my subject. If I can make someone smile, see something in a new way, or bring back a long forgotten memory, I have succeeded.
“I feel it is the heart, not the eye, that should determine the intent of the photograph. What the eyes see is its own. What the heart can perceive is a very different matter.” – Gordon Parks – photographer
Contact her at kirstenbarry2004@yahoo.com
If you’re a local artist interested in exhibiting your work, please submit samples of your work and contact information to social@aapld.org
Meet This Month’s Featured Artist!
AAPLD welcomes photographer Paul McFadden to the Art Wall in the Adult Services Department. Paul’s work reflects his varied interests and experiences, including a love for wildlife, travel, and his career with American Airlines. Each year, Paul creates a wildlife calendar for family, friends, and “numerous doctors,” and has also gifted them with privately printed books of photography. Paul and Beverly, his wife of 55 years, made their home in unincorporated Algonquin for 46 years before moving to Crystal Lake. His work will be displayed through December and January. Learn a little more about this talented artist.
The Artist: Paul McFadden
Community: Crystal Lake
Background/Experience: Paul began his photography career just after high school graduation, when he went to work for the Telegraph-Herald newspaper in Dubuque, IA. After serving in the Air Force for five and a half years during the Vietnam War, he returned to newspaper work, before taking a position with American Airlines at O’Hare International Airport. Though he didn’t work as a professional photographer, he describes himself as a photographer at heart. His work was recently featured in a two-page spread, in Quintessential Barrington magazine’s Wide Open Spaces.
Preferred media: He photographs wildlife with a 600mm lens on a Canon mirrorless camera. For scenic work, he uses a Sony Mavica.
Preferred subjects: Wildlife, scenery, and planes.
Contact Paul via email at circa6936@gmail.com
If you’re a local artist interested in exhibiting your work, please submit samples of your work and contact information to social@aapld.org
Meet November’s Featured Artist!
During November, you’ll find the work of artist Patti Stricker on the Art Wall in the Adult Services Department at AAPLD. Patti’s colorful paintings transform simple objects– from old watering cans, to vegetables– into dramatic and eye-catching art. Patti’s love for painting began in her teens, and has been nurtured through continuing education. Her art will be displayed through the month of November. Learn a little more about this talented artist.
The Artist: Patti Stricker
Community: Lake In The Hills
Background/training: I’ve been painting since high school and have attended painting classes at McHenry County College the last six or seven 
years.
Preferred media: I paint in acrylic because it dries fast, and you can paint over anything you don’t like.
Preferred subject: I like to paint subjects that are usually overlooked, old, or deteriorating; produce or distorted portraits.
What do you want people to think/feel when looking at your work? I just want people to feel emotions; positive or negative, happy or sad.
If you’re a local artist interested in exhibiting your work, please submit samples of your work and contact information to social@aapld.org
Seed Library Returning in 2025!
AAPLD’s popular Seed Library returns on Saturday, March 1, 2025!
For our new season, we’ll offer the wide variety of flowers, vegetables, herbs and fruit you’ve come to love, plus some new surprises! An updated catalog will be posted in the coming months, for a preview of what’s to come.
One thing we’re changing: no more order forms! Just come in, select up to 20 seed packets (1 packet per variety), and go! You’ll see first hand what’s available, and won’t have to wonder if your seed order went through.
The Seed Library, offered in cooperation with the University of Illinois Agricultural Extension, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Illinois Master Gardeners of McHenry County, provides free seeds to local gardeners. You don’t need a library card to access seeds, nor do you have to return leftover seeds at the end of the season. To learn more, call the Adult Services desk, 847.458.6060, reach out on chat, or email info@aapld.org
We’re looking forward to a bountiful season!