Side Street Studio Arts celebrates 3rd anniversary with 'Rule of Threes'
Side Street Studio Arts, 15 Ziegler Court in downtown Elgin, is celebrating its third anniversary with a night of visual art, live music, and a few surprises, including a birthday cake from Elgin's Herbs Bakery, from 6 to 10 p.m. Friday, March 4.
Live music will be performed by area bands Althea Grace and Dirty Water, and visual art by a variety of area artists will be featured in a monthlong gallery exhibition. There is a $5 suggested donation at the door, and the event is open to the public.
Side Street Studio Arts opened March 1, 2013 and quickly become a home for both fringe and mainstream performing and visual artists. During 2015, Side Street Studio Arts and Next Door theater hosted: 21 visual art exhibitions, 23 dance productions, 51 music performances, 164 art instruction events, 26 free arts events, 2 artist-internships, 2 high school artist-internships, 4 Judson Business School Service Learning Internships, weekly free gallery hours, almost 800 hours of discounted rental space for area artists, acted as Fringe Central and donated Next Door Theater for the Elgin Fringe Festival, donated the gallery and Next Door Theater for multiple fundraising events for area organizations, worked with the City of Elgin, HOPE Fair Housing, Tri-City Swing, Eastern Groove Dance Studio, and many more to assist in producing their own efforts, and much more.
"We fell in love with our space first," said founder/director Tanner Melvin. "We knew it held great artistic potential, and our landlord was supportive and on board. We quickly learned that the space was just waiting for live performance, and, as we near our third anniversary, we have been host and witness to a variety of artistic breakthroughs. We continue to be surprised and inspired by the depth of talent located in Elgin and the Fox Valley Area."
"Rule of Threes" visual artists include: Jane Elrandson, Doug Hanson, Edward Johnson, Lance Long, Roberto Martinez, Chris Palm, Brad Pogatetz, Zelda Vidal and more. The Rule of Threes visual art exhibition will be on display from March 4-27, with weekly gallery hours Wednesdays through Fridays noon to 6 p.m., Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Side Street Studio Arts was founded in 2013 by Tanner Melvin and Erin Rehberg as an outlet for the artists of Elgin. Currently under the direction of Amanda Harris, Melvin, and Rehberg, Side Street's mission is to provide an accessible space, run by artists, encouraging all aspects of the artistic process from creation to curation. For more information on any of its programs, visit www.SideStreetStudioArts.org, call (847) 429-2276 or email SideStreetStudioArts@gmail.com.