Ceramics, canvasses and prints, oh my!
In October, Alcea Gallery opened its doors at 7512 Madison St. Next door to Studio of Art, Alcea and its neighbor are the only spaces dedicated to displaying art in Forest Park, full of contemporary paintings, collages and figurines by local and national artists.
Summer Lambert, owner of Alcea Gallery, worked in corporate marketing until 2020, when she went fully remote, and now does freelance marketing. But Lambert said art has always been her “true passion,” and for the last decade, she’s repeatedly applied to work in museums and galleries but has been declined for not having an art background.
“Finally, I was like, ‘You know what? Screw it. I’m just going to open my own gallery,’” Lambert told the Forest Park Review. “I have a handful of marketing clients that I do stuff for, and it gave me the flexibility to be able to open this space. It kind of splits my brain in half between the creative and doing analytical stuff.”
Lambert launched Alcea Gallery with some of her personal art collection, much of which has already sold, plus pieces from area artists she knows and likes. In the month-plus since the gallery’s been open, artists in Forest Park and Oak Park have reached out to Lambert to show their work at Alcea. Some pieces come from as far as Florida.
“The idea is definitely that, as more [art is] bought, more go up. I have artists that are kind of on the back burner because I don’t have the space yet, but I’m excited to put them up,” Lambert said. “I have no deficit of artists. I just have a deficit of buyers.”
Lambert said she didn’t necessarily open the gallery to make money, but to break even, which she’s not doing yet. She displays artists’ work for free in the gallery and offers a 70% commission for any of their work that is purchased.
Artwork inside Alcea Gallery at 7512 Madison St. | Stacey Bal Photography 
Artists from the Chicagoland area display their work at Alcea Gallery, along with those from other states | Stacey Bal Photography 
Ceramics at Alcea Gallery | Stacey Bal Photography 
Artwork in Alcea Gallery’s front window | Stacey Bal Photography
But Lambert hopes that, once the gallery gets off the ground, she can extend her hours — from Friday and Saturday, and by appointment Tuesday through Thursday — and that Alcea can serve as a third space. She envisions a pop-up where artists can set up a table to sell their work, a space where local groups can meet, or one for spoken word poetry slams and vinyl nights.
“The goal is to be able to have people who are already a part of the Forest Park or Oak Park area come and do their thing here and bring people here,” Lambert said.
Lambert and her husband moved to Forest Park about two years ago, drawn by the village’s sense of community.
“I found this darling town, and I had friends that lived here, so I was already familiar with the area,” Lambert said. She added that she and her husband have spent a lot of time dining in Forest Park and meeting other business owners.
“This space being open when I was looking — when I was like, ‘Actually this is something I have to do’ — it felt so perfect, being right here in this community that we already love being a part of,” Lambert said. “It’s more affordable to rent space here than it is in the city or even other neighboring suburbs. Everyone kind of knows everyone, and the village is really helpful with trying to get you started.”
The space at 7512 Madison St., where the antique store Diana’s Fine Things used to sit, already had white walls, wood floors and light tracks set up. Now, Alcea Gallery will make its artistic mark on the property.
“People have been really excited when they walk by like, ‘It’s so good to see art coming to Forest Park. It’s so good to see creative stuff and an outlet for people here.’ I hope to see more creative businesses,” Lambert said.
As for the gallery’s name, Alcea is the scientific name for the hollyhock flower, Lambert’s favorite and one she says symbolizes rebirth and creativity.
“The rebirth part of that felt really on the nose with me trying to just bring creativity back into my life,” Lambert said. Like many, she was a creative child who was socialized to prioritize making money and having marketable skills. “Being artistic kind of gets pushed out of you. This was the rebirth back to the child in me and allowing myself to have that freedom.”
Alcea Gallery is located at 7512 Madison St. It is open Friday and Saturday from 12 to 5 p.m. and Tuesday through Thursday by appointment.
Update, Dec. 12, 3:30 p.m.: A previous version of this article described Alcea Gallery as the only space dedicated to showing art in the village. Studio of Art next door also has a gallery, as well as painting and mixed media classes. We apologize for the error.
