Art fair will raise funds for Dist. 300 foundation

When Tim Ross isn't fighting fires, he's working as a massage therapist. When he's not giving massages, he's creating abstract photography.

Ross' work depicting handblown glass will be on display this month at Algonquin's first juried art fair, set for Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 19 and 20, at the Algonquin Commons shopping center on Randall Road.

Art fair patrons won't necessarily recognize the subjects in Ross' pictures. The firefighter zooms his camera in to capture isolated fragments of glass bowls and goblets, creating an abstract color painting.

Ross, who works for both the Algonquin and Carpentersville fire departments, started making his signature pictures several years ago during a visit to the Bristol Renaissance Faire in Kenosha, Wis.

Ross came across master glass blower Shannon Jane Morgan and starting taking pictures of Morgan's handblown glass pieces.

"I just stuck my camera in - and some of the photos turned out fabulous," Ross said.

But it's not as easy as it sounds, he said.

"You can shoot 200 to 300 photos and you might only get one photo out of it. And that's the jewel of the sequence."

Back at the fire station, reaction has been mixed.

"Some of them really enjoy it," Ross said of his fellow firefighters. "Some of them, when they see the abstract art, they're wondering if I'm left over from the '60s."

Ross will be one of about 40 artists who will exhibit at the art fair. The work displayed will represent nearly all the major art media, including oil painting, sculpture, glass and jewelry.

"We do really run the gamut," said Diane Magerko, who is organizing the fair for the District 300 Foundation for Educational Excellence. "We're trying to really gather all the artists from all the different media and come to one place."

The art fair's organizers say Algonquin's growth and development as a commercial hub in the area make the village an ideal setting for public art.

"Many other communities (have art fairs)," said Jim Pratt, property manager for the Commons. "Algonquin has grown. It's a culturally diverse area and I think this is something that can enhance the community."

The art fair represents another step for the Commons, which recently hosted a summer concert series and exhibits pieces through Algonquin's public art program.

The fair is also a fundraiser for the District 300 Foundation, which supports teachers and students in Carpentersville-area schools.

If the event is successful, organizers hope to make it an annual affair.

"This will actually be in the forefront, right along a major corridor," Magerko said. "It brings the spotlight to the fine arts."