Where Tradition Meets Tomorrow: Oakton Announces 2026 Art Exhibits
Untitled artwork by Jack H. Breslow
Des Plaines, Ill. (Jan. 26, 2026) — From Dutch masters to contemporary sculpture and student voices, Oakton College’s Koehnline Museum of Art invites the community to experience a bold and diverse series of upcoming art exhibits. Spanning February through September, the lineup showcases artistic innovation across centuries and mediums.
“The spring and summer 2026 exhibitions reflect the Oakton College Koehnline Museum of Art’s commitment to presenting art that spans centuries while remaining deeply relevant today,” said Nathan Harpaz, Ph.D., manager and curator of the Koehnline Museum of Art. “By bringing together historic masterworks, contemporary sculpture and student-created art, we invite our community to engage with art as a living conversation across time.”
All exhibitions and public receptions are free and open to the public. The Koehnline Museum of Art is located at Oakton’s Des Plaines campus at 1600 Golf Rd.
Jack H. Breslow: Visual Metaphysics in Black and White Feb. 5 - March 27 Public reception, Feb. 5, 5-8 p.m.
Jack H. Breslow (1927–2023) was a prolific studio artist whose career spanned science fiction book illustration, advertising campaigns, movie posters and iconic magazine covers. He is the artist behind the 1971 Time magazine cover portraits of James Taylor and Jimmy Carter. In the final chapter of his life, Breslow created an expansive body of rarely seen black-and-white drawings — metaphysical landscapes defined by dramatic contrasts of light and shadow, and a masterful use of negative space. Many of these works were newly uncovered and carefully cataloged by his son, David Breslow, and brought to Chicago.
Oakton’s exhibition marks the first public presentation of Breslow’s black-and-white works on paper, unveiling a series of fantastical, metaphysical imagery infused with botanical motifs and expressive rock formations.
OakArt 2026: Oakton Annual Art Student Exhibitions April 2 - 30 Public reception, April 2, 5-8 p.m.
Oakton’s art students exhibit their paintings, drawings, ceramics, 3D art, digital art and photography.
Master Paintings from the Harlan J. Berk Collection May 7- June 26 Public Reception, May 7, 5-8 p.m.
The exhibition presents approximately 70 paintings from Northern Europe, created in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, with a particular emphasis on Dutch Golden Age masters. Among the many highlights are works by Rembrandt’s circle, including a piece by his teacher Pieter Lastman and notable works by his pupils Gerard Dou, Ferdinand Bol and Govert Flinck. Also on view are three paintings by Jan Steen, the quintessential Dutch genre painter known for his vivid depictions of everyday life.
The collection was assembled over four decades by Harlan J. Berk, a Chicago-based coin dealer specializing in ancient coins. Berk is the author of six books and numerous articles on the subject. His discerning eye has brought together a remarkable array of paintings.
Landscape Echoes: Texture, Form and Tension - Sculptures by Mike Baur July 2 - Sept. 25 Public reception, July 2, 5-8 p.m.
Illinois artist Mike Baur has been creating sculptural works in the Chicago area since 1976. His pieces are featured in numerous public spaces and museum collections, including two works held by the Koehnline Museum of Art. The exhibition showcases sculptures inspired by the textures and forms of natural landscapes, often vast expanses interrupted by both organic and industrial elements. Baur’s work offers abstract interpretations of these environments, frequently suggesting a horizontal orientation that reflects how natural forces can subdue vertical structures.
