Side Street Studio Arts hosts Art Battle City Finals this weekend

Side Street Studio Arts, in partnership with Canadian-based Art Battle, hosted a series of painting competitions January through May.

Out of those competitions, five area artists have been selected to compete in the City of Elgin Finals at 7 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 5, at its theater, 15½ Ziegler Court in downtown Elgin.

The winner of this event will head to an international Art Battle competition later this year.

Art Battle is an international tournament, where artists create the best work they can in 20-minute rounds of live painting. The audience votes for their favorites and the champions move on.

Sixty area artists competed in five Elgin competitions, all held at SSSA Theater.

The five winners, Lauran Hon, Renee Jacobs, Karl Jahnke, Salvador Lopez, and Justin Suico, as well as one wild card competitor, decided upon that night will compete against each other in three rounds of 20-minute painting. Out of these rounds, the highest vote-getter will head to the international competition.

"I signed up for the Ultimate Painting competition in 2015, because I thought it would be a good networking opportunity and chance to meet the local community of painters," said French, 2015 City of Elgin Art Battle champion.

"We love these events," said Side Street Director Amanda Harris. "They combine performance, visual art, and community. Everything Side Street is about."

For the second year in a row, this event also will feature a kids competition. Young area artists will each create an original work of art in 15 minutes. The audience will vote on their favorite, and the paintings will be up for auction. The winner will receive a Side Street Studio Arts prize package worth over $100. Money from paintings sold will be split between the artist and Side Street's Small Wonders Arts Education Scholarship Fund.

There are still spaces available in the Young Artist Battle for brave artists, age 7 to 13. To sign up your young artist, email sidestreetstudioarts@gmail.com today.

Side Street Studio Arts was founded in 2013 by Elgin residents Tanner Melvin and Erin Rehberg. Currently under the direction of Harris, Roberto Martinez, Melvin, and Rehberg, Side Street provides educational and creative resources and an accessible space, run by artists. Its mission is to support the artist and the artistic journey through collaboration.

For information on Art Battle or any of its programs, visit sidestreetstudioarts.org or call (847) 429-2276.