Ed’s Studio: A Celebration of the Life and Work of Ed Dlugopolski to Benefit Water Street Studios
Now hanging in the second floor gallery at Water Street Studios! Ed’s artwork will be available for viewing and sale through the end of March. Stop by during our open hours, Fri/Sat/Sun from 12pm to 4pm or contact us at info@waterstreetstudios.org to schedule a time during the week.
Check out this video from the opening reception on January 10th for views from the temporary satellite gallery. Thank you to our friends at Batavia Enterprises for making the space available for this wonderful event.
The Life and Legacy of Ed Dlugopolski
When it was learned that an entire collection of work by the late artists and educator Edward Dlugopolski needed to find a new home, volunteers stepped up to assist with the task. In a discussion with Ed’s wife, Joyce McFarland Dlugopolski, it was suggested that Water Street Studios would be a good fit to care for the art from Ed’s Batavia home studio, and arrange a sale of the nearly 300 pieces. Ed and Joyce were long time patrons of the arts, including the Elgin Symphony and Lyric Opera. It was a natural outcome to have his artwork benefit Water Street Studios.
Ed taught at Glenbard West for over 30 years. The heron block print shown in the foreground is from a student and later friend, Tia Hollinger. Photo by April Duda Photography
Dlugopolski grew up the son of Polish immigrants in Chicago. He won a scholarship to study at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. After serving in the Army in Korea, he got his degree at the University of Chicago. For thirty years he headed the art department at Glenbard West High School.
In 2007 Ed was selected to be the poster artists for Batavia’s Art in Your Eye festival. The organizers visited his home studio and saw firsthand his vast collection of art, both his own and that of artist friends. His artwork was used for the annual poster, festival t-shirts and canvas bags, still treasured by many today. Organizers of Art in Your Eye continued to enjoy the friendship developed by Ed and Joyce, long after the Batavia festival ended a few years later.
We hope you’ll join us to celebrate Ed’s life and work at the studio open house in January. The entire donated collection of Dlugopolski’s work will be shown and available for purchase.
Thank you to Dave Morris for filming and editing this video!
Special thanks to April Duda Photography for providing images of Ed’s Studio and work.
Thank you to everyone who visited Ed’s studio!
A special thank you to:
-Joyce McFarland Dlugopolski
-The Hansens of Funway, Batavia
-BEI
-Becky Hoag
-Bill McGrath
-Roger Breisch
-Bonnie Baumgartner
