Hundreds of artists flocking to Lisle

The ninth annual Self-Employment in the Arts Conference will make Lisle a hub for creative types next month.

Visual, performing, literary and media artists will gather at the Hilton Lisle/Naperville Hotel on Feb. 27 and 28 for artist-led meetings geared toward college students, community artists and serious high school students.

Last year's event drew 400 attendees from more than 30 schools stretching from Massachusetts to New Mexico, SEA Director Amy Rogers said.

The two-day conference focuses on career development and offers entrepreneurial strategies, self-supporting resources and ways to turn artistic zeal into a creative career.

Workshops, panel discussions, activity rooms, a mini-film festival and even one-on-one mentoring to review art portfolios make this conference unique. Such networking with successful artists could oust the anecdote "starving artists."

More than 20 artists are scheduled to speak including local jazz musicians Jack Mouse and Janice Borla, freelance writer James Gartland, public art creator and author Lynn Basa, video director Timothy Plum and keynote speaker and visual artist Tony Fitzpatrick.

Speakers also include Naperville filmmaker and producer Laura Zinger, who recently produced the independent feature-length film "Proceed and Be Bold." She will address the debt acquired when making a documentary.

"Taking a risk is part of the package of being an artist," Zinger said. "It is the gray area that confounds and scares a lot of beginning filmmakers/documentarians."

Zinger advises students to acquire hands-on work experiences to help raise and hone skills. She began making historical documentaries at Naperville Community Television Channel 17 and plans to expand into feature narrative films.

"Don't be discouraged if your first film, documentary or piece of art isn't a knockout that gets a lot of attention," she advises. "Just keep going."

Visual artist Peggy Flora Zalucha, who works on large-scale art pieces, advises emerging artist to be realistic, find a job in the arts and surround yourself with creative people.

"Let your teachers know that you love doing art and ask if there are any projects where you can use your art abilities," she said.

The Wisconsin artist's first job was at an art supply store. She now has a bachelor's degree in fine art education. Firsthand experience recently reinforced for her how visual arts can reduce anxiety when she was having a CT scan and looked to see her own restful artwork in the room.

"Hospitals are starting to 'get it', which is wonderful and can lead to interesting careers in health-care arts," Zalucha said.

Actor, director and producer Herman Johansen was introduced to the magic of theater at the age of 17 and pursued community theater while working in the financial field. He encourages others to have realistic goals.

"Doing it for fame and money will not be fulfilling," Johansen said. "I encourage actors to explore all the markets, such as Chicago, Kansas City, Minneapolis, Dallas, etc., where actors are staying busy employing their talents. I saw a lot of my college classmates burn out quickly in bigger markets trying to get work against enormous odds and leaving acting altogether."

Artist Brian Dettmer was born in Naperville and currently lives in Atlanta. Most of his work focuses on existing media that he incorporates into imaginative fine art.

"I turn old books into sculpture by sealing, sometimes sanding and then carving into their surfaces," Dettmer said. "Internal text and images that I find interesting become exposed and gain new meaning within the work."

Dettmer wanted to be an artist as far back as he can remember.

"For me, it didn't feel like a choice rather a necessity," he said. "You need to stay positive, almost stubborn, with your vision and drive, and you can't have any fear about rejection or others opinions. No one ever broke new ground in anything if they were afraid of what other people would think."

Dettmer says college is an opportunity to explore all the different artistic routes, ideas and skills, but also encourages others to find a balance of formal education with their own ideas and explorations.

"Don't be afraid to approach people, learn to talk about your ideas and learn to document your work so you can share it with as many people as possible," Dettmer said.

When children's author, illustrator and artist Kevin Luthardt grew up in Schaumburg, he, too, wanted to be an artist. At first, it was as a cartoonist, but that changed to fine art in college. Today, he blends both interests.

"For me, those four years of university training gave me the freedom to develop my work naturally without the stress of thinking, 'how I am going to market it to make a living?'" Luthardt said. "I advise (students) to also take some basic business and accounting classes. The business side of the arts takes just as much time and energy as the creative side."

Luthardt said artists need to blend natural talent, training, hard work, persistence and passion.

"What sustains an artist in my mind is the relentless drive to create, whether you are making a living at it or not," he said. "It is not who is the most skillful or talented, but who is making the most interesting, unique, inspiring work."

Luthardt encourages everyone to support the arts by buying a work of art, book or ticket to a performance. Art enriches life's experiences.

The SEA Conference is sponsored by North Central College and funded through a grant from The Coleman Foundation of Chicago, Blick Art Materials, Millikin University and private donors.

To register, go to sea.noctrl.edu or contact Rogers at (630) 637-5468 or aerogers@noctrl.edu. The registration fee of $50 for students and $100 for others will increase on Feb. 1 to $60 and $120, respectively. One-day rates are offered; walk-in registration available only if space permits.

• Joan Broz writes about Lisle on Mondays in Neighbor. E-mail her at jgboz@yahoo.com.