Celebrating 25 Years of Art
As the Antioch Fine Arts Foundation celebrates its landmark 25th anniversary, we are thrilled to shine our Featured Artist spotlight on a man who has been there since the very beginning: Roger Shule.
As one of our original founding members, Roger’s passion, artistic vision, and enduring commitment have been instrumental in shaping the vibrant creative community we enjoy today.
Art has always been a part of Roger’s life. In his home town of Clifton, Illinois, a small farming community south of Kankakee, Roger developed his skills by creating sets and posters for the drama club. He sold his first painting to his high school history teacher. One day Roger’s father came home and told him that a neighbor needed his name painted on a truck, and thus began a lifelong association with calligraphy and signage.
What began several years ago as the concept for a “Small Works” exhibit at the AFAF Gallery, has become an extensive body of work of over 300 dramatic “matchbooks.” Roger describes them as “little images that make big statements.”
Roger has exhibited throughout the area including at the Anderson Center in Kenosha, CLC Gallery in Grayslake, Norris Gallery in St. Charles, the Campbell House Gallery in Geneva, Charlene’s Gallery 10 in Gills Rock, Door County, WI as well as at small exhibits in Waukegan, Gurnee, Lake Villa, Fox Lake and of course here in Antioch where Roger is one of the founding members of the Antioch Fine Arts Foundation.