Rain washes out Geneva's new Festival of Art
The rain put a damper on the second day of the Greater Geneva Art Guild's new Festival of Art Saturday.
Anyone interested in viewing artwork created by members of the guild on the first day of the festival is welcome to stop by Circa, 123 S. Third St., where paintings are on display in a window.
About a dozen art guild members were scheduled to paint outdoors all day Friday at various locations around downtown Geneva, demonstrating the French Impressionists' plein air technique, or creating art "in the open air."
Only seven showed up, including art guild President Lorraine Ochsner.
"I got rained out three times, but I always managed to be close to some place I could duck into," she said with a smile.
Ochsner painted a garden outside city hall after a failed attempt to paint buildings on Third Street. She said she did more talking than painting, but she was happy because it gave her an opportunity to meet new people and educate them about art in Geneva.
"We do this so the community realizes all this talent lies right here," she said.
Two of the seven artist's paintings sold while they were painting them Friday, Ochsner said.
An open air market and art exhibition featuring the plein air paintings and the work of about 30 local artists was scheduled around the Old Kane County Courthouse Saturday, but organizers decided it was not worth the risk, considering heavy storms were likely to move through the area.
"I'm disappointed just because we were so excited to have this," said Circa Owner Christina Lambert. "A lot of customers came in and asked us about it and were really looking forward to it."
The city's International Cultural Exchange Committee did continue with its program Saturday at the Chamber of Commerce about art in Geneva's sister city, Croissy-sur-Seine, France, which inspired the festival.
And the guild is encouraging art enthusiasts to check www.genevaartguild.com to get updates about its fall event - which members said will be held indoors, to avoid another washout.