Park Forest, IL-(ENEWSPF)- The 65th Annual Park Forest Art Fair returns on September 18-19 after taking 2020 off due to COVID concerns. The fair runs from 10 am to 5 pm both days and, as in the past, is located on the Village Green and Main Street in Downtown Park Forest.
The Tall Grass Arts Association sponsors the free event, which is recognized as one of the favorite small-town art fairs in the country by ArtFairCalendar.com, a leading website covering juried art fairs nationwide.
According to event chairperson Janet Muchnik, this year’s fair will feature many returning favorites as well as new exhibitors. Local artists appearing at this year’s event include Georgeann Davis and Patricia Moore from Park Forest. While COVID concerns have kept many artists from traveling long distances to exhibit, there will be exhibitors from across the Midwest, as well as Florida and Arizona. This year’s fair features painting, woodworking, printmaking, photography, sculpture, ceramics, and jewelry making.
While some art fairs have reported lower artist participation this year, Muchnik reports that is not an issue for Park Forest. More than 50 artists have registered for the fair to date, including nineteen artists exhibiting in Park Forest for the first time. A full list of the artists and their media type can be found at the end of this article.
A new feature this year will be a “People’s Choice” award given to the artist that fair attendees believe is the best artist across all mediums. Ballots are provided at the information booth. Not only does the winning artist get a cash prize, but four additional prizes will be given to those submitting nominations.
Children are not left out of the activities at the fair. There will be a Kids’ Art Alley, which will offer hands-on arts and craft activities, an art contest, and face painting.
For safety, the fair organizers are closely monitoring the CDC guidance on COVID precautions. Franciscan Hospital is supplying each artist booth with hand sanitizer and signs are available to all artists to use at their discretion requesting that masks be worn or limiting the number of patrons in a booth at the same time. Tents will be spread out to allow adequate social distancing.
Food vendors and food trucks will be on-site both days of the fair, located just off Main Street between Vintrendi Wines and the Dulce by Dori Bakery & Sweet Shop.
There will be live music featured each day. On Saturday the village will present Main Street Music Fest and on Sunday, the folk singing duo, Patchouli, will perform.
More information on the Art Fair can be found on the Tall Grass Arts website.
Artists Scheduled As the 65th Park Forest Art Fair Returns
| Last Name | First Name | City | State | Medium – type |
| Anderson | Brenda | Crown Point | IN | pottery |
| Anderson | Jay | Joliet | IL | digital photography |
| Arnold | Tim | Villa Park | IL | ceramics |
| Bator | Robert | Chicago | IL | photography |
| Bevill | Ellen Grenier | Morris | IL | fiber handwoven wearables |
| Boykin | Terry | Olympia Fields | IL | polymer clay, digital prints |
| Boyle | William | Belvidere | IL | Windsor chair maker |
| Brenner | Peter | Elgin | IL | sterling silver & copper jewelry |
| Chen | Raymond | Morton Grove | IL | watercolor |
| Chomyn | Joe | South Bend | IN | thrown porcelain |
| Ciccotti | Art | Ames | IA | handblown glass |
| Cole | Carri | Highland | IN | jewelry |
| Cook | Sylvia | Chicago | IL | polymer clay jewelry |
| Davis | Georgeann | Park Forest | IL | lampwork beads /jewelry |
| Gearhart | Peggy | New Carlisle | IN | jewelry |
| Glenn | Debra | Olympia Fields | IL | polymer clay, leather & metal jewelry |
| Gutierrez | Geannina | Elgin | IL | watercolor/mixed media |
| Hafer | Margi | Frankfort | IL | watercolor & mm/collage |
| Herbrand | Keith | Palm Harbor | FL | pottery – using fine porcelains, carved, beaded, pierced and glazed with a crystalline glaze |
| Horan | Brian | LaGrange Park | IL | photography |
| Hubbard | Janet | Oak Creek | WI | jewelry-metal & beadwork |
| Johnson | Susan | Richton Park | IL | pastels |
| Joyce | Maggie (Gerwatoski) | Chicago | IL | optical lens jewelry |
| Lahlum | Linnea | Buffalo Grove | IL | jewelry |
| Lemerand | Susan | Brookfield | IL | mixed media/stained glass |
| Lewis | Jean | Glenwood | IL | pastel |
| Luckhaupt | Raymond | Homewood | IL | wood |
| Lukas | Susan | Greenfield | WI | digital |
| Mason | Barb | Flossmoor | IL | jewelry |
| McGee | Tara | Hazel Crest | IL | jewelry |
| Meyer | Jennifer | Lansing | IL | found object sculptures |
| Miklaszewski | Marie | Union Pier | MI | beach stone jewelry |
| Moore | Patricia | Park Forest | IL | Mixed Media & acrylic |
| Mroczek | John | Mishawaka | IN | 14K gold & sterling silver jewelry |
| Mroczek | Damen | Mishawaka | IN | sterling silver jewelry |
| Nardi | Bob | Oak Forest | IL | photography |
| Nyanhongo | Gedion | Phoenix | AZ | stone sculpture |
| Oehlke | Lynne | Mequon | WI | sterling silver/natural stone jewelry |
| Payne | Gloria | Elwood | IL | acrylic |
| Podbielski | Jan | Peotone | IL | gem cutting & silversmithing |
| Rasmussen | Jay | Maplewood | MN | photography |
| Rhoads | Jerry | St. Joseph | IL | turned wood items |
| Robinson | Carol | Downers Grove | IL | manipulated photography |
| Rogowski | Margaret | Lockport | IL | baltic amber jewelry |
| Ruppert | Antonia | Lyons | IL | painter |
| Schmidt | Richard | Frankfort | IL | oil |
| Squillo | Sandy | Clarendon Hills | IL | wire wrapped jewelry |
| Stein | Doug | Monroe | MI | photography |
| Stemley | Melvina | Dolton | IL | hats-purses-pillows |
| Stewart | Patricia | Chicago | IL | assemblages leather, wood fabric on museum wrapped canvas |
| Taylor | Pearlie | Hazel Crest | IL | acrylic |
| Trzyna | Mary Ann | Frankfort | IL | pastel & oil |
| Turner | Randy & Joy | Paris | IL | hand-blown glass |
| Waddington | Liz | McHenry | IL | watercolor |
| Wade | Susan | St. John | IN | hand-crafted jewelry |
| Waite | William | Waterloo | WI | wooden puzzles |
| Walker | Sandy | Alexandria | IN | jewelry & collage |
| Widmer | Don | Chicago | IL | pulp painting on handmade paper |
| Witlock | Marikay Peter | Chicago Heights | IL | pastel |
From the 64th Park Forest Art Fair
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