Students excel at annual 'Walk in the Park' art fair

Lauren Leipprandt, 16, and Dominic Cavaiani, 14, both of Arlington Heights, have been taking classes for years at the Monart Drawing Studio.

But now they have gone beyond its instructional method of learning to draw.

At Sunday's "Walk in the Park" art fair, both teens saw their work selected for achievement awards by Teresa Parker, curator at Loyola University's Crown Art Gallery, who judged the show.

Leipprandt entered an oil pastel portrait of an African woman, while Cavaiani submitted a mixed media painting of a classic car. Both were matted and looked professional enough that several people offered to purchase them.

Other achievement awards went to Annie Slusher, 13, of Mount Prospect for her oil pastel; Rachel Ackerman, 13, of Buffalo Grove for her pastel painting; Parker Amoroso, 5, of Barrington for his marker drawing; and Lili Malone, 11, of Lincolnshire for her color pencil drawing.

"Overall, people were amazed," said Ellen Sharpe, who runs the Monart Drawing Studio in Arlington Heights. "They looked so finished and professional that people couldn't believe they were done by children."

The nearly 30 pieces exhibited by children were among the 94 artists who displayed their work at the Arlington Heights Art Guild's 36th annual juried fine art show.

Together with Sunday's bright, sunny weather and the setting of North School Park, the show drew an overflow crowd, organizers said.

"It was exceptional," said Brian Halpin of Prospect Heights, show chairman. "I think everyone was anxious to get out of the house after all that rain."

This was the sixth year art guild members have held the show at North School Park after holding it for the first 30 years at Arlington Market shopping center. While they plan to stay in the park, they continue to tweak the show's details, by adding more amenities.

One of their more recent changes has been the addition of the children's exhibit, both to give the students more visibility, and expose their parents to the art guild and its active members.

Art guild members will begin their monthly meetings at 7 p.m. Sept. 20 at the Wheeling Township Hall, 1616 N. Arlington Heights Road, Arlington Heights, where every month they showcase a guest artist's work and technique.