Artistic sightseeing
Attractions like the Naperville Riverwalk, Kline Creek Farm and the Morton Arboretum are spread throughout DuPage County, but there is one way to see all of them in one place.
The "Paint DuPage" exhibit on display at the DuPage Art League in Wheaton gives visitors a chance to check out more than 80 images of both popular and obscure sights throughout the county.
"Paint DuPage" is the art league's first juried exhibit and it is one of the final events to celebrate the league's 50th anniversary.
"We're very pleased with the turnout, especially since each person was only allowed to submit one piece," said Jan Dunteman, the art league's vice president of exhibits.
The exhibit features both photography and paintings, and all artists had to follow one rule: Depict something that relates to modern or historical DuPage County.
All works were judged by master watercolorist and photographer Thomas Trausch, who has painted pieces for big names like Oprah Winfrey.
This week he named the watercolor titled "Afternoon at Main and Front." by Myrle Howell of Elmhurst, as Best in Show, which comes with a $500 prize.
Trausch also awarded these honors: first-place painting, "Saturday Morning at the Chocolate Moon Coffee House," M. Kent Goebel of Elmhurst, $250; first-place photo, "Ballet in Black and White," Algrid Pearson of Glen Ellyn, $250; second-place painting, "Prairie Path Peddler," Maureen McKee of Naperville, $150; second-place photo, "Spring Brook Nature Center, Itasca," Greta Pfeifer of Hanover Park, $150; third-place painting, "The Morton Arboretum," Thomas Gorman of Glen Ellyn, $50; third-place photo, "Lake Marmo, Morton Arboretum," Vic Harris of South Barrington, $50.
All works are on display this month at the league. Organizers say the contest -- which is their first show to award cash -- aimed to raise awareness of the art league.
"This is kind of the tail end to our year of celebration," Dunteman said. "The contest has been extended outside of our membership, and I would say it looks good for doing something like this again in the future."
Other "Paint DuPage" participants include: Pam Allnut, Wheaton; Midge Anderson, Glen Ellyn; Wayne Atkinson, Winfield; Christine Bahnsen, Warrenville; Linda Bartelt, Bartlett; Clark Bending, Elk Grove Village; Doris Bettin, Glen Ellyn; William Black, Itasca; Stephanie Boesso, Lisle; Donald Bradley, Villa Park; Anita H. Brechtel, J. Caroline Brown and Margaret Bucholz, all of Wheaton; Angelo Campagnolo, Elmhurst; Ellen Cassani, Naperville; Joy Christensen, Elk Grove Village; Holly Renald Cohn, Elmhurst; Annette Compton, Hanover Park; Jay Davis, Wheaton; Sara Dan, Carol Stream; Patricia Delano, Naperville; James C. Dominic and Gail Dragon of Wheaton; Jan Dunteman, Addison; Chris Easey, Wheaton; Reiko Fernandez, Roselle; Jean Galbavy, Elmhurst; Kathleen Gooding, Oswego; Marge Hall, Winfield; Bev Hammerschmidt, Wheaton; Maureen Handley, Glen Ellyn; Janice Henry, Bloomingdale; Fredericka K. Howard, West Chicago; Donna Jance Karambelas, Oak Brook; Judy Kinal, Roselle; Carol Kincaid and Marie Kinnear of Wheaton; Debbie Kolze, Wood Dale; Ray Kotz, Naperville; Liehue Chua, Roselle; Judith Laczo, Wheaton; Annette Perone Leiber, Addison; Kerry Leibowitz, Glen Ellyn; Kathy Luedemann, Batavia; Bredgett Mahoney, Glen Ellyn; Gregor Maksymiw, Addison; Bernadette Malovany, Warrenville; Arlene Martin, Barrington; Suzanne P. Massion, Hampshire; Rebecca Moore and Heide R. Morris of Warrenville; Marilyn Peretti, Glen Ellyn; Bruce A. Peterson, Elmhurst; Patricia Ryan and Sean Matthew Schmidt of Glendale Heights; Estela Scholtes, Elmhurst; Ellen Shelhamer, Wheaton; Dick Shipley, Glen Ellyn; Sally Steketee, Lombard; Eve Sofferman, Bartlett; Nancy Tait, Lombard; Yvonne Thompson, Aurora; Lyn Tietz, Oak Brook; Kay Wahlgren, Glen Ellyn; Carol I. Zack, Elgin
If you go
What: "Paint DuPage"
When: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays through Oct. 31
Where: DuPage Art League, 218 W. Front St., Wheaton
Cost: Free
Details: (630) 653-7090 or www.dupageartleague.org