Variety of activities brighten St. Charles
It's officially Arts Month in the city of St. Charles, and there are plenty of opportunities to celebrate.
Across downtown, sculpture exhibits, art shows, and even a 20th birthday party for the city's riverside Native American sculpture "Ekwabet" are planned in coming weeks. Because of the variety of activities, Mayor Don DeWitte proclaimed it Arts Month at last week's city council meeting.
"Our community has a long-standing tradition of supporting and embracing the arts, both performing and visual," David Richards, a Ward 5 alderman and executive director of the nonprofit Downtown St. Charles Partnership, said in a news release. "What is happening in St. Charles this month and throughout the summer is a testament to that tradition."
Already under way is the partnership's 3rd Annual Sculpture in the Park series at Mount St. Mary Park along Route 31, south of Route 64. The free exhibit, which features 17 pieces by regional artists, is open daily through Oct. 12.
A monthlong exhibit of Native American art also is now open daily from 6 to 8 p.m. at 228 W. Main St. It features 20 artists from Elgin, St. Charles, Canada, Montana, California, South Dakota and other areas. A public reception is scheduled for 6 to 8 p.m. Friday.
The exhibit aims to celebrate the city's Native American history, organizers said. It also coincides with the 20th anniversary of the installation of the 15-foot-tall sculpture "Ekwabet," just south of Pottawatomie Park on the east bank of the Fox River, near city hall. Dance theater, storytelling and drum circle performances are among the activities scheduled to honor the bronze sculpture, which is being re-dedicated too.
On Saturday, May 24, the 10th Annual St. Charles Fine Arts Show opens with 100 artists from across the country exhibiting their work along First Avenue between Main Street and Illinois Avenue; in the parking lot around Chord on Blues, 106 S. First Ave.; and along Walnut Avenue, the partnership said.
The show, which runs through Sunday, May 25, draws an estimated 8,000 to 10,000 visitors to the city each year with watercolors, oils, fabrics, acrylics, photography and more, organizers said.
"It's getting better and better every year, so come along with us," chairwoman Sue McDowell said.
Among the attractions at this year's fine arts show are visits from world-renowned Ukrainian artist Vitaly Mikhailov and St. Louis-area sculptors Harry Weber and Martin Otto Linson. Mikhailov plans to present an original painting, "The Heart of St. Charles," to the city.
For additional information about the events, call the partnership at (630) 513-5386 or visit www.dtown.org. Information for the "Ekwabet" activities is available at www.ekwabets20thbirthdayparty.com.