More than 150 artists show their work in Elgin

David Powers said he’s for “the open honesty, savage, uncensored idea of telling the truth in the visual arts.”

At 62, he is an artist of close to four decades, unapologetically poised to dismiss those who pretend to know art or aim to feed off the true talent of artists for their own gain.

He dreamed up The Next Wave Art Salon as a forum for artists to show their work and get a chance to hook buyers, especially in the hard times of a recession. The salon will take place from 6 to 10 p.m. today and Saturday, Sept. 9 and 10, in the Haight Warehouse, 166 Symphony Way, Elgin.

A team of about a dozen volunteers has worked for the last eight months organizing and advertising the show, funded by the city of Elgin with help from the Downtown Neighborhood Association and the Outside Exhibition Group.

“We’re just artists helping other artists here, no more, no less,” Powers said.

Powers, a longtime Elgin resident, said the visual art community in the city is present in numbers but neglected. He thought up the art salon in response to this void.

The vast majority of the 180 artists participating in the salon are visual artists, like Powers. He creates large-scale sculptures out of bronze and stone as well as murals and large paintings. But, Powers said it takes trying everything to make a living these days, and Powers keeps busy with carpentry and restoration work in Elgin.

After training at Northwestern University and the Art Institute of Chicago, Powers has retained an interest in visual arts for its value to society.

“It really talks about who we are,” Powers said. “Sometimes it explains what’s going on when you can’t even use words to express it.”

The group Powers is a part of is an admittedly “goofy” one full of people who are “different.”

“No sensible person can look their parents in the eye and say ‘Gee I’m not going to be an accountant, I’m going to be an artist,’” Powers said.

But the ones called to that life will join together Friday and Saturday for the salon, an event billed as radically inclusive. Unlike juried art shows throughout the Fox Valley that have displayed fine art throughout the summer, The Next Wave Art Salon rejects the exclusivity of small, juried shows where artists have their work judged to enter.

Powers detests the censorship of those shows and scorns the control by judging panels.

“If you’re brave enough to put it up, we’ll put it up,” Powers said.

The creativity of local and regional artists will overflow from the former warehouse transforming the industrial venue. Three of the top artists will receive $1,000 each in cash prizes.

For more information, visit thenextwave.me/2011.

Let me tell your story

I’m always looking for people to write about. If you or someone you know is working on a particular project or has an interesting or inspiring passion, tell me about it and let me share the story with the community. Email tgarciamathewson@dailyherald.com or call (847) 608-2722.