Preview show highlights Art in Your Eye works

An Art In Your Eye Festival 2009 preview event will be from 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday, April 26, at Batavia City Hall Council Chambers, 100 N. Island Ave.

Activities include the dedication of the new City Art Collection, the launch of the 2009 Art In Your Eye Fine Art poster, the auction finale for the miniatures created by fine art show artists last year, and a preview of activities for the fifth annual Art In Your Eye festival Aug. 8-9 at the Batavia Riverwalk.

Volunteers will have the opportunity to sign up at the event and receive a free poster. Refreshments will be provided by the festival food caterer Enticing Cuisine.

The City Art Collection is being permanently hung on the second floor of city hall. It will be dedicated at 2:15 p.m. It includes the original artwork featured on the collectible Art In Your Eye fine art posters. Batavia artists are Rosalie Waranius Vass (2005), Rebecca Wilson Allen (2006), Edward Dlugopolski (2007), Brian DeWolf (2008), and Francis Joseph Gagnepain IV (2009).

Also included is a painting by Batavia miniature artist Edward Cook that was acquired through a special purchase from the Art In Your Eye Outdoor Fine Art Show. The Art In Your Eye Steering Committee will launch the 2009 fine art poster at this event and present the artist, Joe Gagnepain. Posters will be available for sale ($10 each) and the artist will be signing them.

A new tradition was begun at the 2008 Art In Your Eye Outdoor Fine Art Show when artists were invited to participate in a miniatures competition. The 17 entries were then donated to Art In Your Eye to create a special fundraiser to support the festival.

Now up for auction, the bidding will conclude at 2:45 p.m. with a final live auction. The miniatures can be viewed online at the festival Web site, artinyoureye.com/miniatures.htm. Bidding can be submitted via an online form.

The miniatures are on display at Allen+Pepa Architects, 8 W. Wilson St., Batavia, and silent bidding will be conducted there at the "Green Arts Walk" event from 5 to 9 p.m. Friday, April 24.

Following the auction, a preview of Art In Your Eye 2009 activities will be presented and information about how the more than 100 needed volunteers can help. For details about volunteering, contact volunteer coordinator Ashley Hicks at (630) 879-3684.

The Art In Your Eye Festival is sponsored by the City of Batavia and organized jointly with Batavia Renaissance Project, Batavia MainStreet, Batavia Public Library, Batavia Park District, Batavia Chamber of Commerce and Batavia Public Library, with support from Aurora Area Convention and Visitors Bureau.

For information about Art In Your Eye, visit artinyoureye.com or contact the festival coordinator Becky Hoag at (630) 482-9157 or becky@artinyoureye.com.