Art show to aid Kirk School
Deer Park watercolorist Jan Deswik makes her first appearance at this weekend's Spring Showcase of Arts & Crafts, held at Kirk School in Palatine, so she wondered about its draw.
Organizers say the juried show attracts patrons looking for unique items, as well as repeat customers who want to support the Northwest suburban school, which serves children with multiple disabilities and special needs.
Deswik hopes her watercolors appeal to both groups. Her works are mostly ethereal landscapes with an Asian influence reminiscent of Chinese landscape paintings.
Yet, as she debated about whether to bring some of her smaller "cube art" pieces or larger paintings, she decided to bring both.
"I like to describe my landscapes as more like 'dreamscapes,' " says Deswik, who spent some years living in Japan, where she developed an appreciation for their stylistic form of painting, and simpler ways of showing perspective.
"I try to capture the emotion of a scene, so that for a beach scene, I hope you can feel the wind on your face, without seeing all of the detail of the lawn chairs," she says.
In all there will be 91 exhibitors at the multi-dimensional show. Some of the favorite returning artists include: Michael Kent of Crystal Lake with his diplomas embellished with pen and ink, and watercolors; Eddie Lyons of Des Plaines with her doll furniture; Jim Benson of Roselle with his architectural photography, and Dorn Cheske of LaGrange Park with jewelry created from antiques.
"Jewelry was the most competitive medium," says Jane Purcell of Arlington Heights, who helped jury the show. "There are always so many jewelry artists, and we don't want one category dominating the show."
Members of the Northwest suburban alumnae chapter of Alpha Gamma Delta, led by chairwoman Reta Holmgren of Palatine, partner every year with the PATHS Club at Kirk, or Parents and Teachers of Handicapped Students, to run the two-day show.
Beyond jurying the artists and organizing the showcase, volunteers round up raffle prizes and stock the Kirk Cafe with home-cooked specialties.
On Thursday, parents of Kirk graduates will combine with faculty members to bake more than 100 fruit-filled pies for the bake sale. Other contributors will provide cookies, brownies, cakes and even sugarless treats for the elaborate display.
Lunch entrees include ham and cheese panini sandwiches, as well as soup, pizza and a chef's special gourmet Caesar salad sandwiches. A variety of Jamba Juice blends round out the offering.
Proceeds benefit the adaptive equipment and programming at the school, as well as the next phase of its adaptive playground on the school's campus.
"We try to make it a festive atmosphere, with live music in the hallways and door prizes given away every hour," says Cherrie Wickstrom of Inverness. "We think it's a pretty special show."
If you go
What: Kirk School's Spring Showcase of Arts & Crafts
When: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday
Where: Kirk School, 520 S. Plum Grove Road in Palatine
Cost: $3 donation requested, with free parking. Children under 12 are free, and no strollers.
Call: (847) 485-2600