Friendly Music Community Presents Between Real & Remembered: A Unique Photography & Painting Exhibition

Friendly Music Community is proud to present Between Real & Remembered, the debut public exhibition of Chicago-area artists Jason Sherman and Dick Gabor. The show opens at Friendly Community Room in Berwyn on Friday, December 5, 6 – 10 p.m. The evening will feature an evening of original artwork, live musical performances and refreshments.

The exhibition explores the subtle border between memory and perception, bringing together two visual storytellers whose creative paths emerged through curiosity, travel and a renewed way of seeing the world.

OPENING NIGHT & EXHIBITION DETAILS

• Opening Reception: Friday, December 5, 6–10 p.m.
• Other Open Gallery Dates: Dec. 14 & 20, 1-3 p.m.
• Viewing by Appointment: Until January 11, 2026
• Location: Friendly Community Room, 6729 Roosevelt Rd., Berwyn
• Event Link: https://www.friendlymusic.community/event-details/between-real-remembered-art-opening
• Opening night will include:
  • Live music performances from local musicians
  • Light refreshments
  • Opportunities to meet both artists
  • Artwork for purchase:
    • Paintings: originals and prints
    • Photographs: Matted, signed and framed prints from 5”x7” to 16”x20”
    • With the holiday season approaching, the exhibition provides an opportunity to find unique, creative gifts while supporting two, first-time exhibiting artists.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

Painter Dick Gabor

Dick Gabor is a self-taught painter who blends realism with intuitive color and imagination. Drawn into art through curiosity rather than formal training, he taught himself by studying brushwork, light, and composition while visiting galleries and museums. Over time, he discovered that several family members had also been painters and illustrators – an unexpected lineage that deepened his connection to the craft. Influenced by artists such as George Inness and Henry Darger, Gabor begins with a realistic foundation before allowing his palette and instincts to guide the transformation of each scene. His landscapes invite viewers to pause, wander and slip briefly into another world – reflecting his belief that a good painting “stops you, intrigues you or invites you to walk thru a woodland.”

Photographer Jason Sherman

Jason Sherman, a long-time resident of Oak Park, is a photographer drawn to the quiet, surprising moments hidden in everyday life. After being introduced to photography through a class in high school, he later rediscovered the camera during a 10-week, post-college backpacking trip across Europe. Sherman follows light, angles, people and instinct to capture scenes where beauty, chaos and chance intersect. His work draws from recent travels in Lisbon, southern Sweden, Copenhagen, Tokyo and Kyoto.

These images were shaped by those moments, he says, when “my camera, eyes, imagination and heart came together.” His photographs reveal the world as it looks when he’s truly paying attention – when ordinary scenes and details become luminous, inspiring and fleeting invitations.

COMMUNITY IMPACT

In keeping with Friendly Music Community’s mission to support creativity, the organization will donate 25% of exhibition profits to music-lesson scholarships for students under 18 to help expand access to arts education.