Join in some Art & Soul this weekend in Elgin
The sixth annual Art & Soul on the Fox in downtown Elgin will feature fine art works by nearly 70 artists, including ceramics, jewelry, woodwork, photography, mixed media, painting and more.
The outdoor art event is Saturday and Sunday along DuPage Court, South Grove Avenue and Spring Street in downtown Elgin, just north of Festival Park.
The Elgin-based nonprofit Art for All, established in 1996 to promote local artists, is the main sponsor and organizer, with support from the city of Elgin.
People will get free, updated maps of downtown Elgin — listing all its restaurants and other businesses — provided by the Downtown Neighborhood Association of Elgin, along with event programs printed by the city of Elgin, Art for All President Karen Castillo said.
Musical entertainment will include special performances for the little ones. As always, there will be a juried art show.
“Granted, it's an Elgin event, and the biggest art show that Elgin has every year, but what I want to do is to make sure that people from other communities recognize this is a destination, this is something they need to see,” she said.
Castillo, a photographic artist, is a longtime participant of Art & Soul on the Fox, where she'll have a booth again this year.
“It's wonderful,” she said. “What's really cool about Art & Soul is that it's got that feel where we're all kind of interconnected between two streets, Grove Avenue and Spring Street, with DuPage Court in between and entertainment going on and restaurants all around,”she said.
New this year is an auction of benches decorated for the “Where's Aldo?” community art project on Saturday. A silent auction will start at 11 a.m. Saturday, with a live auction at 6 p.m. for the top 10 vote-getters. The benches will be displayed near the auction site on Spring Street, near Chicago Street.
The art show is accessible via Metra's Milwaukee District/West Line and the Fox River Bike Trail, Castillo pointed out. A portion of the bike trail is closed for the re-construction of the pedestrian bridge under the Jane Addams Tollway.
Art for All has about 60 members and also provides scholarships to students entering college or currently in college who study art.
More information on Art & Soul can be found at artandsoulonthefox.weebly.com.
Art & Soul on the Fox
What: Art & Soul on the Fox fine art show
When: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday
Where: Spring Street and South Grove Avenue, Elgin
Cost: Free
Parking: Free in city parking lots, including Chicago Street parking deck (corner of Chicago and Spring streets), Fulton Street parking deck, Riverside parking lot (corner of Riverside Drive and South Grove Avenue), and Highland Avenue parking lot (Douglas and Highland avenues).
Info: artandsoulonthefox.weebly.com.