St. Charles ArtsFest opens its eighth year Sept. 7

The St. Charles Arts Council, in partnership with the St. Charles Park District, will present the ArtsFest St. Charles, ALL of the ARTS, ALL over TOWN, from Friday, Sept. 7 through Sunday, Sept. 16. The eighth annual event features terrific arts programming going on all over town.

There are many art galleries and exhibitions going on during ArtsFest. The community is invited to grab a brochure or check out the website at www.stcharlesartscouncil.org/artsfest-2018/ and take a few hours or even a day to wander around the area and enjoy.

ArtsFest Juried Pop-Up Gallery:

The pop-up art gallery program temporarily transforms vacant properties into new art venues. These juried galleries promote the work of local and regional artists, creating energy and excitement in nontraditional spaces. Past galleries have included media such as photography, painting, sculpture, and graphic art and have included spoken word, dance, and musical performances. They have created more than 30 pop-ups since the project was launched in 2011. An artists' reception will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 7, at 311 N. Second St., Suite 100. The gallery will be open Fridays and Saturdays, Sept. 8-29 and hours by appointment. Visit stcharlesartscouncil.org/pop-up-art-galleries/

Sculpture in the Park:

The 13th annual event which showcases large sculptures in one of the part district's downtown pocket parks. Open during park hours at Mount St. Mary Park, between Route 31 and the Fox River, south of Prairie Street. Visit www.stcsculpture.org.

Art in Public Places Show:

This show celebrates the anniversary of the art council's signature public art project, ArtinPublicPlacesSTC.com. Come to St. Charles Public Library's mezzanine gallery and see work by artists Peggy Sue Seehafer, Kaz Ayukawa, Gregory Chapman and Todd Willing, whose public art appears in the AiPP project - a collection of nearly 180 pieces of public art. Visit the website for a self-guided tour brochure. Or download Otocast, go to St. Charles, and listen to artists tell the stories of 25 of the pieces in the collection. The gallery is open during library hours at 1 S. Sixth Ave. ArtinPublicPlaces.com is open all year round.

Studio Art Quilters Association Show:

"Stitched Together" is a new exhibit of contemporary fiber art work by Illinois and Wisconsin regional members of the Midwest Studio Art Quilt Associates. The region is more than 800 miles long, from Northern Wisconsin to Southern Illinois, spanning miles of lakes, forests, farmlands, cities, towns, open sky and skyline, but their common passion for fiber art is what keeps them "Stitched Together." The exhibit consists of 30 art quilts by 30 artists, juried by fiber artist Sharon L. Wright. The show features contemporary art quilts varying in artistic interpretation, style, and technique. Work by juror Sharon Wright and Co-curators Pat Kroth and Cynthia Wenslow will also be included. A reception will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 14, at Fine Line Creative Arts Center, 37W570 Bolcum Road in St. Charles. Visit fineline.org.

116 Gallery:

The 116 Gallery exhibit "Emotion and Matter" features artists Thomas Masters and Michael William Foster. Masters' work includes two distinct mediums: mono type prints, his "time lapse" series and acrylics on canvas, all visionary abstracts. Using acrylics and India ink on canvas, Foster's work represents information and data in its raw form. On-site presentation of inks and oils on canvas by Michael William Foster during ArtsFest, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 8, at 116 W. Main St. Visit 116gallery.com for specific days and times.

Gallery of Nature:

The "Gallery of Nature - Verdant Impressions" features members of the Wayne Art League. Blossoms, blooms and luxurious landscapes are presented in oil pastels, watercolors, prismacolor, oils and collages. A reception will be held from 3 to 5 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 8, at Wasco Nursery, 41W781 Route 64. On-site presentation of oil pastels and watercolor techniques.

Norris Cultural Arts Vicinity Show:

The Norris Cultural Arts Center, 1040 Dunham Road, presents its annual exhibit, "Vicinity," featuring works in all media created by artists living within 50 miles of the gallery. "Vicinity 2018" opens Saturday, Sept. 15, and runs through Sunday, Nov. 4. Admission is free. A public reception honoring the artists will be held from 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 16. Opening in 1978, the Norris Gallery has hosted hundreds of art exhibits, featuring all major genres of visual art. Each year, the galleries present the work of hundreds of artists. The Norris Gallery provides nearly 5,000 sq. ft of well lit, high ceiling exhibit space to accommodate nearly any sized art exhibit. Open during ArtsFest on Sept. 15-16 after that during gallery hours. Visit norrisculturalarts.com.

Steel Beam Theatre Gallery:

Steel Beam Theatre art gallery exhibit of "Collages" by artist Nancy Staszak is featured Sept. 7 through Oct. 7, during the performance run of Steel Beam Theatre's "Girls Night." The gallery is open before and throughout all performances. Staszak's collages reflect on thoughts, messages, and images that have inspired the artist. Open during performances at 111 W. Main St.

Laura Stoecker Photography Ltd.:

When you arrive at Laura's studio, you'll be greeted by a gallery of tenderhearted, joyful and fun portraiture that will surely make you smile. A photojournalist by trade, formerly of the Daily Herald, Laura now concentrates full time on portraits, travel, underwater and abstract photography. Come by to take a peek at portraits of newborns, children, high school seniors, families and pets that stand out above the rest. Limited edition fine art prints of travel imagery featuring the U.S. and abroad will be available for purchase, along with one-of-a-kind fine art abstract photography pieces. The studio/gallery at 1020 Cedar Ave., 2B, will be open Sept. 7-16; times may vary. Call (630) 744-9728 or visit LauraStoeckerPhotography.com.

Fox. Build:

The Art on the Walls program is a partnership of Fox. Build and the arts council. Fox. Build is hosting an arts council organized two-person show in their new location, 11 E. Main St. Featuring the work of Hollis Levine and Felicia Raschke, which will be hung around the first floor area, home to creatives of all types.

ArtBox Student Show:

ArtBox has been a proud supporter of the arts in the Tri-City area since 2011. As a retail space, school, frame shop and gallery, our mission has always been to bring the joy and beauty of art into people's lives. To fill empty walls with color and life is something we hope to celebrate with patrons of the arts for many years to come. Open during business hours at 720 N. 17th St., Suite 5. For information, visit lenbielefeldt.com.

Poetry Crawl:

While wandering around town, check out the city's public art using the Art in Public Places website and the Otocast App, and also keep your eyes peeled for the Poetry Crawl, new this year to ArtsFest. And if you're in town for the first weekend of the event, check out Jazz Weekend - jazz music in downtown St. Charles, featuring the Grammy winning Frank Catalano. The ArtsFest Poetry Crawl is inspired by "poetry in public spaces" initiatives worldwide, including recent displays in neighboring Aurora. These displays aim to bring creative writing into the public sphere, where it can be enjoyed by anyone passing by. For ArtsFest, poets from all over the world will be selected by jury to have their works put on display. Enjoy poems posted in venues across the city Sept. 7-16, including Stanbridge Master Saddlers, 122 W. Main St.; St. Charles Municipal Building, 2 E. Main St.; Smitty's on the Corner, 15 E. Main St.; and Fox. Build, 11 E. Main St.

For information about 10 days of art, visit stcharlesartscouncil.org/artsfest-2018/, call (630) 443-3794, or email to info@StCharlesArtsCouncil.org.