St. Charles Arts Council plans open house

The St. Charles Arts Council will introduce its campaign for a downtown center for the arts and education at an open house from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday, May 7, at 7 S. Second Ave., St. Charles, in the Clancy Law Offices building.

This open house will introduce the community to the art council's concept for an arts and education center that will serve the creative community and their audiences by providing a downtown space for creating, performing, exhibiting, teaching, learning, sharing and enjoying.

Elizabeth Bellaver, president of the arts council, said, "Having a center for the arts and education in St. Charles was part of the council's original organizational plan. We are very excited about finally moving forward with this campaign. To be able to meet the needs of so many art markets and underserved artistic disciplines with things like an intimate theater space for the performing arts and constantly rotating art gallery shows for visual and video artists, will be fantastic. We look forward to the community's support for this campaign."

Sue McDowell, vice president of the arts council, agrees. "This is so exciting - a space devoted to the arts that's open nights and weekends. We think it would be a wonderful addition to downtown St. Charles. Our mission as an arts council is to promote and support existing arts-based businesses and programs. We see this center as a place for people to find out about everything arts-related that's going on in the area."

Visitors to the open house will see and hear visual and video art, dance, music and the spoken and written word. They can have their picture taken in a photo booth - but with the twist, the photos will be taken by Gabriela Guganovic, a local professional photographer. Olivia Sandstrom will perform an original dance.

Wine, beer and a light buffet will be served.

Painter and photographer Amy Klapperich Furio, co-chairwoman of the open house artist committee, said, "We've put together a great mix of visual art, video, music, spoken word, and literature for the open house. All the artists that I've spoken with think it would be awesome to have a downtown space devoted to the arts that's open nights and weekends, and they are willing to let us utilize their talents to give everyone who comes to the open house an idea of how cool a place like this can be. We look forward to the community's enthusiastic response to this campaign."

Photographer Gabriela Guganovic is participating in the open house with a "photo booth" where the photos will look nothing like what you get in a mall kiosk. She will take pictures of attendees with an artist's eye, using sepia tones as an artistic homage to the building's roots as the Idle Hour [Vaudeville] Theatre. "The building is amazing - it's beautiful. I'm honored to be included in the open house."

The open house will include nearly 20 talented local/regional artists in a variety of disciplines, including:

• Visual art exhibition featuring the work of Skeeter Aschinger, Catie Barron, Guy J. Bellaver, Amy Klapperich Furio, Gabriela Guganovic, Anne Ressman-Zabinski, Howard Russo, Kai Schulte, Laura Stoecker, Todd Willing, Linda Wininger, Carol Zack, Ed Zack and Danuta Loane. Catie Barron also will be painting "live."

• Video art will feature the work of Bart Woodstrup, assistant professor in the College of Visual and Performing Arts, School of Art and Design-Time Arts, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb.

• Spoken word will feature Russ Devereaux, a St. Charles East grad and a spellbinding performer.

• Music will feature Mike Aleckson on guitar.

• Literature will feature the first work from the arts council's Silken Thread - By and About Artists program.

• Culture/History will be addressed by great photos and a playbill from the Idle Hour Theatre, provided by The Heritage Center.

• Just for Grins, weather permitting, guests can play "bags" in the courtyard utilizing boards painted by local artists.