Arts council celebrates anniversary
The Palatine/Inverness Arts Council will celebrate its fifth anniversary from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Sept. 14 at Positive Strokes Art Gallery, 395 W. Northwest Highway, Palatine.
I recently spoke with Liz Noe, a board member on the arts council, about how the group has grown over the years.
The Palatine/Inverness Arts Council began in 2002 and like many new groups struggled the first few years to become organized and decide exactly what its focus and mission should be, Noe said.
The group started to hit its stride and really flourish about three years ago. Milestones have included the inception of the Children's Art Calendar in 2003, an outdoor Art in Motion Festival in 2005 and the traveling "First Saturday" art gallery presented in early 2007. The council also has ongoing programs such as the Christmas Pageant of Peace, open mic nights and monthly poetry slams.
"The biggest accomplishment we've had in terms of bringing art to the community is the juried art fair, which started out as part of Streetfest, but it has evolved and grown into its own art festival," Noe said.
So, it seems appropriate that the arts council's anniversary reception will launch the second annual juried art show, "An Art Affair Around the Square." Some of the artists participating in the show will be in attendance at the reception. The public is encouraged to come meet the artists and celebrate the anniversary of the arts council Sept. 14. Attendance is free and light refreshments will be served.
An Art Affair Around the Square will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sept. 15 and 16 at Towne Square Park in downtown Palatine, at the intersection of Smith and Palatine roads.
For the future, Noe would love to see the council's membership grow, so they can add more opportunities for the community to participate in the arts.
"We're really trying to meet the need of all artists, whether visual or performing artists, throughout the year," she said.
For more information on the Palatine/Inverness Arts Council, membership or any of their programs, call the Palatine/Inverness Arts Council at (847) 963-6451, write to P.O. Box 1541, Palatine, IL 60078, or visit www.palatineinvernessarts.org.