Stop by Geneva Arts Fair July 23-24
For the 158 artists expected to exhibit their work at the 15th annual Geneva Arts Fair, the enthusiastic reception they receive is one of the main reasons they keep coming back.
"The whole setting there is really lovely and the audience seems very receptive and, of course, artists appreciate that very much," said 97-year-old painter, Lars-Birger Sponberg, of Deerfield.
Jon Hecker, a woodworker of Bloomington, Indiana heads to Geneva for similar reasons.
"I found that the crowds there are genuinely enthusiastic about the work," he said. "We've done the show, off and on, for about five years and we really enjoy it. We've got a lot of good artist friends and it will be a small reunion when we get there."
Geneva can expect up to 25,000 visitors this weekend, which is about the number of residents in the city, according to Laura Rush, communications manager of the Geneva Chamber of Commerce. The show takes place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, July 23-24, in the downtown area, and admission is free.
"Even though we're at 22,000 (residents), we're still a small town," Rush said.
Rush finds that the art lovers who attend the fair are enthusiastic.
"Many are ready to go before 10 a.m. - they want to look, they want to buy. If the weather is nice, you look down the street and all you can see is people," she said.
One of the reasons the show attracts to many visitors is the wide variety of artistic endeavors to see and buy, according to Erin Melloy, an event planner whom the village hires to produce the show.
Melloy chooses from the artists who apply to be a vendor at the Geneva Arts Fair and looks for three main attributes when comparing the many applications she receives.
"We're definitely looking for original artwork and of course, quality artwork and a variety of artwork," Melloy said. "We're not looking for lower level crafts. (Although) they may be nicely done, it's not what we're looking for.
"We strive to have pretty much everything, so we have print making, we have jewelry, we have watercolor, we have acrylic, sculpture, ceramics, functional and nonfunctional," she added.
Sponberg and Hecker are cases in point. Sponberg has a theme he adheres to.
"My theme is the significance of the ordinary," he said. "I don't paint high mountains or sea shores or flowers and all that nice stuff. I paint the ordinary, like countryside, the wheat fields and the cornfields and the landscapes. The rolling meadows, all of the wonderful Midwest."
Jon Hecker works with his wife Pat to create their presentations.
"I do all the woodworking and I build wooden boxes and she embellishes with rubber stamps and paint," he said. "They each have a different theme and tell a different story."
Some of the Heckers' items even come with a promise of good fortune.
"We have good karma bead strings which are about 80 inches long and made with handcrafted wooden beads," he said. "They are sized to fit a door frame or on the wall and we jokingly say, there's no bad karma at all, it's all good karma and people never return it for that promise, so there you have it."
"We always try to have a wonderful mix of different types of media so our art show coordinator does a great job of bringing in new artists and returning favorites," said Rush. "The art show is ever changing because there's always new artists that always have new products."
Even if attendees leave empty-handed, Rush hopes Geneva will charm them into returning with its many stores and restaurants.
"One of the things that sells Geneva is our customer service," she said. "You can walk into any one of our shops and they will be one-of-a-kind and you'll probably see the owner."
"When people come to Geneva, I hope they walk away with a smile," Rush said. "And then, come back."
If you go
What: Geneva Arts Fair, a juried show featuring the work of 140 artists
When: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, July 23-24
Where: 100 S. Third Street, Geneva
Admission: Free
Details: (630) 232-6060