Art exhibit kicks off Libertyville Fine Arts Month

The David Adler Music and Arts Center kicks off Libertyville Fine Arts Month with an art exhibition showcasing the talents of local Libertyville artists.

The exhibition opens March 9 with a reception from 7 to 9 p.m. at the David Adler Music and Arts Center, 1700 N. Milwaukee Ave., Libertyville. The free event is open to the public and will include live music, food and wine.

In March 2010, Mayor Terry Weppler and Liberty Town Productions launched an initiative designating a month to celebrate the fine arts in the community.

Liberty Town Production board members sought local artist Beth McKenna to organize a community art show as a part of Fine Arts Month.

“I called upon two friends, Stephanie Toral and Kathy Young, to help organize what we called ‘Gallery 60048.'” she said.

Gallery 60048 was a vacant space along Milwaukee Avenue that McKenna turned into a pop-up art gallery.

“Our objective was to provide a venue to showcase artists who lived or worked in the Libertyville community,” she said.

Seven local artists were invited to participate in the first exhibition.

Artists Leisa Corbett, Anne Malecki, Paula Palmer, Cindi Sartain, Ryan Shultz, McKenna and Toral were chosen to exhibit and welcomed all of Libertyville with music, food, wine and a great party.

This year, the David Adler Music and Arts Center is sponsoring Fine Arts Month and hosts its second annual exhibition.

“With the more permanent venue, we are able to leave the exhibition on display for several weeks following the opening reception,” McKenna said. “This gives the community a chance to stop by and admire artwork that they were not able to see on opening night.”

This year, exhibiting artists include, McKenna, Toral, Corbett, Sartain, Palmer, Ben Bates, Manooch Sharifi, Linda Kollack, Donna Sands, Grady Dunn, Kathleen Cimaroli and Carla Schmakel. All offer a broad range of mediums and techniques.

For example, Kollack works primarily with oil, though she does watercolor and pastel works as well. McKenna is known for her wood block prints that she showed at the exhibition last March, but this year will exhibit a sampling of her “en plein air” expeditions that she went on two years ago. The inspiration for her work at the exhibition this year comes from the landscapes and outdoor works of the French Impressionists.

Dunn focuses primarily on sculpture from cardboard and industrial materials.

Call (847) 367-0707 or visit www.adlercenter.org.