62nd Park Forest Art Fair – September 16th & 17th, 2017
10am to 5pm
Downtown Park Forest, Illinois
On Main Street between Western Avenue and Orchard Drive
On Main Street between Western Avenue and Orchard Drive
Park Forest Art Fair is the second oldest juried art fair in the Chicago area. The finest artists in the Midwest show a variety of artworks including paintings, prints, photographs, ceramics, glass, wood, sculpture and fiber arts. The fair includes many activities for children.
For three years in a row, the Park Forest Art Fair has won the national “America’s Best Art Fair Awards” competition sponsored by ArtFairCalendar.com, the #1 website for art fair event listings. Named as one of the “Best Overall Art Fairs”, the survey recognized Park Forest Art Fair as one of the best small, juried, fine art fairs in the country.
The eclectic nature of the fair is quickly visible to visitors who will see ceramics, etchings, sculpture, photographs, paintings in many media, digital art works, jewelry featuring original elements, and hand-blown glass. A glass blower will demonstrate this ancient art.
The two judges for this year’s fair are Robert Lee Fritz, who works in glass, and Carol Weber. (See biographies below.)
A new addition to the fair is the Kids’ Art Alley. It will offer a vast range of activities to delight the younger set, including the almost legendary Children’s Art Contest, self-portraits, castle building, crafts and more.
Music plays an important role in the Park Forest Art Fair. For the fourth year in a row, the Village will host a music fest on Saturday, September 16 on the Village Green.
The acclaimed Tall Grass Arts Association Gallery, 367 Artists Walk in Downtown, will be open during the fair with a traditional summer exhibit of works by gallery artists.
For information, call the Gallery at (708) 748-3377.
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Music Fest Schedule
Saturday, September 16, 2017
Rhythm System (11 am – 11:45 am)
Teenage 3 piece Blues, RnB, and Neo-soul conglomerate that loves to bring the groove to their audience!
Kaben Kafö (Noon – 1 pm)
Kaben Kafö, created by Taylor,is a djembe ensemble comprised of some of Chicago’s most studied and gifted djembe/dunun professionals, getting together to breathe deeply with the intricacies, complexities and depth that is part of the deeper recesses of djembe music. Come experience a unique concert and bring your djembe drum with you for portions of the concert that will be interactive!
Michele Thomas and SoulMeme (1:20 pm – 2:30 pm)
SoulMeme is a contemporary jazz-, R&B-, and pop-influenced ensemble featuring the talents of singer/songwriter Michele Thomas, drummer Darren Scorza, guitarist Neal Alger, and bassist Clark Sommers. Working in the Chicago jazz scene from the late nineties, these long time friends and collaborators have performed together on various projects including the most recent release from Michele Thomas called “Messenger”- a collection of Stevie Wonder songs treated with new and imaginative arrangements by Thomas, Scorza and Alger. SoulMeme stirs the jazz pot and continues the evolution of this most progressive of improvised idioms. Expect the kind unapologetic and joyous grooves inspired by artists like Jon Batiste & Stay Human, thinly veiled in the jazz-funk of Herbie Hancock and fortified with the soulful lyricism of Bill Withers.
Switchback (2:50 pm – 4 pm)
Switchback is the award-winning duo of Brian FitzGerald and Martin McCormack. Switchback draws on traditional Celtic music and original Americana songs that reflect their Irish heritage and Midwestern roots. Playing an exciting mix of mandolin, guitar, and bass, their harmonies have won them comparisons to famous duos, such as the Louvin Brothers, Everly Brothers & Simon and Garfunkel. Music Connection Magazine said, “The words ‘American Roots & Celtic Soul’ only begin to describe this unusual act, whose vocal prowess is as pure as it is unique. There is no denying the stunning vocal blends that are achieved by this duo.”
The Big Boppers (4:20 pm – 5:45 pm)
The Big Boppers evolved out of the 1970’s local rock ‘n’ roll band, “Midnight Express.” John Falstrom (bass guitar), Frank Anastos (guitar/vocals), Phylis Renee Marconi (vocals/acoustic guitar), Gene Vinyard (sax/percussion) and Dennis Leahy (drums/cajons/percussion) will be playing rock ‘n’ roll from the 1950’s all the way to today’s top hits.
Sunday, September 17, 2017
Patchouli all day.
Acoustic duo of master guitarist Bruce Hecksel and singer-songwriter, guitarist Julie Patchouli
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2017 Park Forest Art Fair Participating Artists
Lisa & Cris Berry, Fiber
Ellen Grenier Bevill, Fiber
Terry Boykin, Mixed Media
Bruce Peerson, Photography
Terry Boykin, Mixed Media
Susan Brauer, Glass/Jewelry
Javier Chavira, Mixed Media Paintings
Raymond Chen, Watercolor Paintings
Joseph Chomyn, Pottery
Carri Cole, Jewelry
James J. Connolly, Glass
Troy & Sharra Cook, Metal/Copper Sculptures
Georgeann Davis, Glass/Jewelry
Michelle Detering, Watercolor Paintings
John & Kathy Farabaugh, Glass/Jewelry
Jan Reder & John Flynn, Wood
Debra Glenn, Jewelry
Margi Hafer, Mixed Media Paintings
Glenn Woods & Keith Herbrand, Pottery
Michael Kucinski, Photography
Linnea Lahlum, Jewelry
Susan Larsen, Jewelry
Jean Lewis, Pastel/Oil Paintings
Rosalind Lyons, Pencil Drawings / Paintings
Lauren Martin, Jewelry
Barb Mason, Jewelry
Jennifer Meyer, Mixed Media Sculptures
Marie Miklaszewski, Jewelry
Kirk Miller, Glass
Patricia Moore, Acrylic/Mixed Media Paintings
Damen Mroczek, Jewelry
John Mroczek, Jewelry
Terri Myer, Photography
Robert Nardi, Photography
Kristen Olivares, Photography
Jan Podbielski, Jewelry
Bruce Peerson, Photography
Carey Primeau & Jeremy Mann, Photography
Sharon & William Redinger, Watercolor Paintings
Wendy Ritchey, Oil Paintings
Carol Robinson, Photography
Sylvester “Robbie” & Gail Robinson, Leather
Margaret Rogowski, Jewelry
Antonia Ruppert, Oil/Mixed Media Paintings
Wendy Santini, Jewelry
Richard Schmidt, Oil Paintings
Radim Schreiber, Photography
Dorothy Bury Shaw, Drawings
Rebecca Skow, Pottery
Mitch Sigmund, Pottery
Flynn Sochon, Pottery/Wood
Gail Stamps, Fiber
Melvina Stemley, Fiber
Glenn Steward, Oil/Watercolor Paintings
Thomas Tampa, Wood
Darlene Troyer, Jewelry
Mary Ann Trzyna, Oil/Pastel Paintings
Elizabeth Waddington, Watercolor Paintings
Susan Wade, Jewelry
Sandy Walker, Jewelry
Claudia Winter, Jewelry
Marikay Peter Witlock, Soft Pastel Paintings
Niki Zeman, Jewelry
*First time artists are in bold.
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Judges
The two judges for this year’s fair are Robert Lee Fritz, who works in glass,
and Carol Weber who is a multi-media artist.
Robert Lee Fritz has worked with hot glass for over 40 years. He
specializes in creating hand-formed crystal vases, sculptures, and light pods
on which he carves images from nature.
Fritz has done work for numerous corporate clients, including the Federal
Reserve Bank, The International Animation Festival of Ottawa Canada,
Genworth Financial, Deloitte Consulting, and American Rehabilitation
Association. His works have been well received in Japan, having
participated in exhibitions at Tokyo Crafts Expo and International Exhibition
of Glass in Kanazawa.
The artist is represented in private and public collections throughout the
United States and Europe. His freeblown glass is in the permanent
collection of Glasmuseet Ebeltoft in Denmark and has twice been featured in
New Glass Review, a publication of the Corning Glass Museum in New
York.
Fritz has taught art at all levels and is currently an adjunct professor at
College of DuPage in the MPTV Department.
Carol Weber received both an MA and an MFA from Northern Illinois
University. She is an artist who works with multi-media as well as
sculptural pieces. Currently she is a professor of Art and Design at South
Suburban College in South Holland.
Carol is a member of the Midwest Collage Society and Water Street Studio
Artists Collective. Her work has been exhibited in many Illinois galleries,
including Argonne National Laboratory, 33 Contemporary Gallery, the Zhou
B. Art Center and the White Ripple Gallery in Hammond, IN where she won
first place. She has also exhibited in galleries in Florida, Indiana and
Missouri as well as Italy, Austria and Poland. Her works are held in
collections in Springfield, Oakbrook and Elsah, IL and Oransko, Poland.
2017 – Park Forest Art Fair September 16 & 17, 2017