Artists showcase works in Elmhurst
Art and finance have a lot in common when you consider that both involve taking measurements and putting things in proper contextual perspective.
Mike Rosen knows that well.
The Elmhurst furniture-maker switched careers about three years ago, throwing over balance sheets for hardwood lumber as his passion project turned into a business, Long Run Woodworking.
Examples of the custom furniture he personally crafts for clients will be on display this weekend at the 22nd annual Art in Wilder Park show, where Rosen will be one of 125 artists exhibiting their work.
The spring art fair tradition in Elmhurst is presented by RGL Marketing for the Arts in conjunction with Elmhurst Park District.
Show organizer Roz Long said the juried show at 175 S. Prospect Ave. features fine art, crafts and design pieces that fit most budgets.
Artists come from Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Missouri and Illinois.
This year, there will be two food trucks on-site, along with a food court with a gourmet section. Acoustic musician Scottie Long will provide some ambience. And visitors are welcome to wander inside the Wilder Mansion, where they'll find seating for lunch, Long said.
A Kids' Court will offer workshops, face painting and a selection of vendors for young art enthusiasts.
This will mark Rosen's debut at the show.
"This is really an opportunity to showcase my work," he said. "I don't really expect to sell. It's more of a marketing opportunity."
He plans to show off a handmade table along with a few smaller pieces, such as wall sconces.
"It's primarily woodworking that I do, though I do incorporate other materials in there," he said. "It's a rustic, industrial aesthetic."
Rosen said he uses oak, pine, hickory and cherry wood to realize his clients' goals while injecting his own style into each customized piece.
"It's sort of a collaborative process with customers. Many will have a vision," he said.
Artist Venus Cramer, an Elmhurst native who returned in 2008, has been an Art in Wilder Park mainstay for 20 years.
A mother of three who also works as a real estate agent, Cramer said she uses a small-scale, sheet-fabricating soldering process to create one-of-a-kind wearable art for both women and men.
Cramer fashions rings, bracelets and necklaces from metals such as sterling silver, gold and bronze, sometimes adorned with gemstones.
"The reason I mostly work in sterling silver is that it is affordable," she said. "Gold is much more expensive. I specialize in fabrication. That is my primary style of working. Everything you see can be broken down into sheets or wires. I've had people describe my work as liquid geometry."
A Northern Illinois University graduate with a bachelor of fine arts in metal work and jewelry, Cramer is also a Harper College instructor.
"I teach a fun process called crude casting," she said. The process involves pouring molten metal over objects such as beans, resulting in unique shapes.
Cramer said she looks forward to the Art in Wilder Park show each spring.
"I think that Roz is very selective with her artists that she chooses to put in the show," she said. "The music is fantastic. The good thing is it's always in the same location and it's supported well by the community."
If you go
What: 22nd annual Art in Wilder Park
When: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, May 5 and 6
Where: Wilder Park, 175 S. Prospect Ave., Elmhurst
Admission: Free
Info: www.rglmarketingforthearts.com or www.epd.org