Art fairs offer a chance to support local artists and obtain one-of-a-kind pieces. Visiting an art fair is a fun spring and summer tradition and shows today are more family friendly than ever.
Amy Amdur has been presenting art shows through Amdur Productions for 41 years. She started with a single show with about 40 artists in Highland Park. This year, she’s got 21 festivals and works with about 2,000 artists a season.
“One of the things that’s really cool, when I look back, is that people who were in our youth art division have come back as adult artists,” she said.
Her shows, held mainly in Chicago and the northern suburbs, showcase and sell art in a variety of media including painting, sculpture, photography, ceramics, glass, jewelry, wood, metal, leather and more. Her fests will feature live music, food vendors, artist demonstrations, on-site painting classes, interactive art activities for kids and more.
“Every festival has something special about it,” she said.
As an art show curator for 40-plus years, she’s seen a lot of trends come and go. Lately, she’s been seeing color make a comeback. “A lot more bright color, which is really interesting because I think that artists are channeling what’s happening in the world,” she said. “I think this bright color and this strong dynamic work is a response. Color can makes us happy and this is a way to bring us to a more optimistic place.”
Photography has changed as well, going from prints made in the darkroom to digital. The content is photo-realism — landscapes and still life and back-to-basic content, she said.
“AI (artificial intelligence) is on the horizon,” she said. “At this time, we’re not accepting AI art until copyright laws for AI are better established.” Artists have spent their whole lives painting or making their art and they feel that they don’t want to be side-by-side with someone who’s done AI-created art, she said.
She’s seeing a lot more inclusivity in the art as well as pride in ethnicity. “We’re seeing a lot more African art,” she said. “I think it’s really positive that you can come and see such a wide range of art from people of so many different backgrounds.”
One of the artists she has this year at several art shows specializes in human art — she will paint on people. “She will create anything you can imagine using her special face paints,” Amdur said. “It’s really fun because you become the art.”
Another new initiative at her shows this summer is self-portraits. Mirrors and materials will be provided.
Here’s a list of art shows, fairs and fests alphabetized by towns this summer. It’s not an extensive list, but it can help you get started planning your summer.
Information on all Amdur festivals can be found by calling 847-926-4300 or visiting amdurproductions.com.
Admission to art fairs is free unless listed otherwise.
If you have an art fair to add to the list, email it to wweber@tribpub.com.
Algonquin
Art on the Fox: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sept. 7-8 at Main and Washington streets.
The fourth annual event will have 75 artists, projects and games for kids, live music and food.
Aurora
Alley Art Fest: 12-5 p.m. Aug. 31 at the Water Street Mall and Downer Place. alleyartaurora.com/.
The grassroots festival features work by local artists, including jewelry, pottery, handmade goods and more. Live music, belly dancing, children’s activities and food vendors will all be part of the afternoon.
Barrington
Barrington Art Festival: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. May 25-26 at Cook and Station streets.
The 15th annual event, held in partnership with the Village of Barrington, the Barrington Cultural Commission and the Barrington Area Artists Association fills the downtown streets with 120 artists from near and far showing and selling art in all media.
Burr Ridge
Burr Ridge Art Fair: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. June 8-9 at 701 Village Center Drive.
Visitors can purchase art from 80 juried artists, enjoy live music and try their hand at a live painting class.
Deerfield
Deerfield Art Festival: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. June 1-2 at 821 Park Ave.
Held alongside the Deerfield Metra Station, the event returns for a second year and features more than 80 juried artists plus a kid’s zone, food and drinks for sale, face painting tent and live painting classes.
Deer Park
Deer Park Art Show: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sept. 14 and 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sept. 15 at Deer Park Town Center, 20530 North Rand Road.
The show has thousands of original works of art from 75 artists and food like empanadas and barbecue as well as selfie stations and art fest bingo in the kids’ art tent.
Elgin
Area 22 Arts, Crafts and Oddities Fair: 12-8 p.m. Aug. 3 on Riverside Drive in downtown Elgin. sidestreetstudioarts.org/area22.
Area 22 is an arts fair with an eclectic twist. There will be art for sale, live art and sculpture making, entertainment and food and beverage vendors.
Evanston
Evanston Art and Big Fork Fest: 12-5 p.m. Aug. 16 and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Aug. 17-18 at 800 Church St.
More than 150 juried artists will exhibit paintings, sculpture, jewelry, mixed media, photography and more. There is also an eclectic collection of food trucks and live music.
Geneva
Geneva Arts Fair: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. July 27-28 at 100 S. Third St. 630-232-6060; genevachamber.com/events/arts-fair.
The fine arts show showcases fine artisans from around the country in a variety of mediums in downtown Geneva.
Glencoe
Glencoe Festival of Art: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. July 20-21 at 700 Vernon Ave.
There will be art from 110 artists plus food, music and kids’ activities.
Glenview
Art at the Glen: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. July 27-28 at Glen Town Center, 2030 Tower Drive.
More than 130 artists working in paintings, sculpture, photographs, jewelry and more exhibit their wares.
Highland Park
Port Clinton Art Festival: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Aug. 24-25 at 600 Central Park Ave.
The event boasts more than 260 artists and includes food vendors, live music and Kids Art Zone with art projects, face painting and more.
Homewood
Art and Garden Street Fair: 4-9 p.m. May 31 and 10 a.m.-6 p.m. June 1 in downtown Homewood, Martin and Hickory roads. 708-798-3000; facebook.com/VillageofHomewood/events.
More than 75 vendors will sell unique arts and crafts and other items. There will be live music and food vendors as well.
La Grange
West End Arts Festival: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sept. 21-22 at the Stone Avenue Metra station, Burlington Avenue at Brainard. 708-579-2300; facebook.com/WestEndArtsFest.
This end-of-summer fest is known for art, live jazz, chef demonstrations, wine tastings and kids’ activities.
Lisle
Wine and Art Walk at The Morton Arboretum: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Aug. 17-18 at the Morton Arboretum, 4100 Illinois 53. Tickets included in daily admission: $12-$17. 630-968-0074; mortonarb.org/explore/activities/events/wine-art-walk.
Wine, beverage and snack stations will be placed along Meadow Lake Trail. The juried art show has photography, woodturning, jewelry, painting, ceramics, fused glass and more from Midwest artists.
Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire Art Festival: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. July 6-7 at Village Green North, 100 Village Green.
This festival is on year 27 and features more than 80 artists, plus beer from Half Day Brewing. Stop in the Kids Art Zone for art fest bingo, spin art, sand sculptures, coloring and drawing.
Naperville
Naperville Woman’s Club Fine Art and Artisan Fair: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. June 29-30 at Naper Settlement, 523 S. Webster St. 331-452-8420; nwcfineartfair.org.
Children can express their creativity in the Petite Picasso tent and get their faces painted. Guests can enjoy chamber music and a variety of food and drinks while appreciating the artists’ work.
Water Street Fine Art and Fine Craft Fair: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. July 14 at Water and Webster streets in downtown Naperville. waterstreetnaperville.com.
The Naperville Water Street District presents the inaugural Water Street Fine Art and Fine Craft Fair, a juried art exhibition and sale, to be held along the Naperville Riverwalk. Artists will exhibit fine art and fine crafts in a variety of media including painting, drawing, sculpture, fiber, graphics, mixed media, jewelry, photography, pottery, metalwork, glass, wood, digital artwork, glass and digital art.
The show will also feature a Young Artist Makers Tent and live jazz by the Pete Ellman Trio.
Northbrook
Northbrook Art in the Park: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. May 11-12 at Village Green Park, 1810 Walters Ave.
There will be more than 80 artists, a live painting class, demonstrations from the artists and Kids Art Stop, where artists invite children to stop at their booth to learn more about the art-making process.
Park Forest
Park Forest Art Fair: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sept. 21-22 in downtown Park Forest at Village Green and Main Street. 708-748-3377; tallgrassarts.org.
The Park Forest Art Fair features more than 70 artists exhibiting in a variety of media. The fair includes art activities for children, food vendors and live music.
St. Charles
St. Charles Fine Art Show: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. May 25 and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. May 26 at Riverside Avenue and Main Street. 630-443-3967; stcharlesfineartshow.com.
More than 100 artists present a range of mediums, including clay/ceramics, digital art, drawing/illustration, glass, jewelry, mixed media, painting, photography, printmaking, sculpture and wood. There will also be live music and children’s activities.
Warrenville
Art on the Prairie: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Sept. 21 and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sept. 22 at the Warrenville Park District Recreation Center parking lot, 3S260 Warren Ave. 630-393-7279; warrenvilleparks.org/event/art-on-the-prairie-2.
This event includes local artists, demonstrations, live music, food vendors and children’s activities.
Wheaton
Vineyard Arts Fair: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. June 22 at Vineyard Church of DuPage, 1900 Manchester Road. 630-510-7919; dupagevineyard.org.
This event will feature 75 booths with art in a variety of media, live music, a bouncy house, face-painting, balloon animals and more.
Wilmette
Wilmette Art Festival: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Aug. 3-4 at Wilmette and Central avenues.
This fest will have more than 100 artists representing works from traditional to modern.
Northwest Indiana
Chesterton
Chesterton Art Fair: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Aug. 3 and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Aug. 4 at Dogwood Park, 1415 S. 23rd St. Tickets: $5-$7. 219-926-4711; chestertonart.org.
The annual art fair features more than 90 artists displaying a variety of media, live music, family activities and food vendors. Proceeds go to the Art Education Fund at the Chesterton Art Center, which provides education and outreach to hundreds of students annually.
Michigan City
Lubeznik Art Festival: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Aug. 17-18 at the Lubeznik Center for the Arts, 101 W. 2nd St. 219-874-4900; lubeznikcenter.org/events.
The festival features artists, local food vendors, indoor exhibitions, family activities, demos and a live mural competition.
Annie Alleman is a freelance reporter for the News-Sun.
