David Adler Music and Arts Center presents annual Festival of the Arts
The David Adler Music and Arts Center presents its 34th annual Festival of the Arts at Cook Memorial Park in downtown Libertyville from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 2, and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 3.
More than 60 artists are participating, displaying works from various art forms, including oil and watercolor paintings, sculptures, glass work, jewelry, photography, printmaking, fiber and more.
Students from the Adler Center Suzuki Violin classes will perform throughout the festival, and there will be a free activities tent for children. MainStreet Libertyville will also sell tickets at the event for a MainSweet Dessert Walk scheduled from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 2.
There is no charge for admission. Visit www.adlercenter.org or call (847) 367-0707.
The David Adler Music and Arts Center has hosted the festival for 33 years to preserve the legacy of the original Libertyville Art Club, founded in memory of David Adler by his good friend Herb Ruud.
On Sept. 23, 1949, 24 artists met at the home of Frederick Penny on Second Avenue in Libertyville to form an art club. Ruud gathered the group of artists and continued to hold meetings on the second floor of the village hall.
The aim of the new art club was to encourage and aid anyone interested in painting and the allied arts. The club started providing the community with painting sessions with live models, classes in all media for adults and children, exhibitions, and demonstrations by well-known artists.
As the club continued to prosper and grow, the Adler house became the official home of the Libertyville Art Club. The hope for this move was for the club to continue to stimulate and encourage art in the area and to maintain the Adler house primarily as an arts center and also as a community center.
In August 1953, The Libertyville Art Club held the first Libertyville Art Show, now known as Festival of the Arts. The first exhibit drew more than 300 pieces from working artists around Libertyville. There were oils, watercolors, drawings, etchings and photography.
Today, The David Adler Music and Arts Center holds the responsibility of keeping the Festival of the Arts running. The show is organized by the center's administrative staff members to preserve the legacy of the Libertyville Art Club's mission - to stimulate and encourage art in the community.
As a not-for-profit organization, the David Adler Music and Arts Center relies solely on the support of individuals in the community to maintain its programming and special events, such as Festival of the Arts.