Naperville's Riverwalk Fine Art Fair this weekend

Robert Lee Fritz has participated in art fairs for more than 30 years, but lately, he's decided to try something different.

"I gave myself a sabbatical," he said.

Instead of concentrating on creating pieces for the three art shows he attends each year, the Lombard glass artist challenged himself to work on bigger, more complicated projects.

He created 120 handblown glass vases for his son's wedding, each of which required him to dip the scorching, 1,800-degree temperature pieces into water briefly to create a crackled effect.

He also chose to focus on re-creating glass goblets he used to make in the '80s for his three children.

But his most unusual task may have come from a project in which he didn't create a single piece. This year, he decided to critique application entries for an art fair rather than be in it.

Fritz is one of the jurors who reviewed more than 700 applications for the Naperville Art League's 25th annual Riverwalk Fine Art Fair. The juried show is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 18 and 19, in city's downtown area.

To gain one of the 150 coveted spots at the show, artists turned in an electronic application by April 2. Each applicant submitted four photos of their creative work and one photo of how their booth would look when set up.

In addition to the art booths, the DuPage Symphony and a choreographed, violin-playing group Allegro!!! will perform throughout the weekend. Artists from Naperville's sister city Patzcuaro, Mexico, also will present their hometown's artistic flair.

Joining Fritz was juror Mike Venezia, who said that although sorting through the applications was a long, tedious project, he focused on how the pieces moved him. In addition to looking at each item's composition, design, color and emotion, he looked at the consistency across the pieces of art.

Once the applicants were chosen, planning the layout for the show began, said Debbie Venezia, executive director of the Naperville Art League.

This year, some booth locations were moved to avoid construction on the Riverwalk along Jackson Avenue between Webster and Eagle streets. Instead, booths will be found on the south bank of the Riverwalk, located in the parking lot of the Naperville Township offices and along the Riverwalk behind the Naperville Municipal Center, 400 S. Eagle St.

Booths still will line both sides of Jackson from Main Street to Eagle Street, and patrons move between the two segments using the covered bridge at the Dandelion Fountain or the sidewalk on the Eagle Street Bridge.

This year, the show was ranked 45th among the nation's top 200 art fairs by Sunshine Artists, a publication for artists, Debbie Venezia said. The fair moved up 27 spots from the publication's 2009 ranking.

Artists Bob and Patti Stern aren't surprised by the rating because the show is respected in the art community. They said Debbie Venezia's promotional skills and her willingness to accommodate the artists' needs keep them coming back year after year.

The Sterns have traveled from their home near Cleveland, Ohio, for the past six years to participate in the art fair. The couple creates one-of-a-kind curio cabinets and clock heads made entirely of materials that are 100 to 120 years old.

"On the creative side, Bob and I both have a passion for history and a passion for what we call 'upcycling,'" Patti Stern said. "In all of the components we use, we are recycling and 'upcycling' and getting all the components more value."

Seeing this type of creativity is what Fritz said was exciting about being a juror for the Riverwalk Art Fair.

"Naperville's show is highly regarded by artists," he said. "It would be a tough show to place in."

For information, visit Napervilleartleague.com/riverwalkfair.htm.

If you goWhat: 25th annual Riverwalk Fine Art FairWhen: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 18 and 19Where: Downtown NapervilleCost: FreeInfo: napervilleartleague.comFalse20001305Art lovers will find work in various media presented by 150 artists this weekend at the Riverwalk Fine Art Festival in Naperville.Daily Herald file photoFalse