33rd annual Festival of the Arts in Libertyville

The David Adler Music and Arts Center is presenting its 33rd annual Festival of the Arts from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 3, and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 4, in historic Cook Park on Milwaukee Avenue in downtown Libertyville.

Festival of the Arts showcases 50 to 60 artists from throughout the country. New this year is the Youth Art Division, which will provide a venue for young people to showcase and sell original, creative artwork to a large public audience and let them experience what it’s like be a professional artist.

Adler Program Director Amy Williams said the new division came about as a result of Youth Art Month this past March.

“We had so many youth artists. A couple of them expressed interest in selling art, so we thought that would be a good thing to add,” she said.

Other features of the festival include live music and a youth activity tent for children to participate in hands-on art activities.

The David Adler Music and Arts Center has been hosting the festival to preserve the legacy of the original Libertyville Art Club, founded in memory of David Adler by Adler’s good friend Herb Ruud.

In September 1949, 24 artists met at the home of Frederick Penny on Second Avenue in Libertyville to form an art club. Ruud served as the first president and Penny as vice president.

The goal of the new group was to encourage and aid anyone interested in painting and the allied arts. The club started providing the community with painting sessions with live models, classes in all media for adults and children, exhibitions, and demonstrations by well-known artists.

As the club continued to prosper and grow, the Adler house became the official home of the Libertyville Art Club with the hope of maintaining it as an arts and community center.

In August 1953, the Libertyville Art Club held the first Libertyville Art Show, now known as Festival of the Arts. The first exhibit drew more than 300 pieces from various working artists around Libertyville.

The David Adler Music and Arts Center, a not-for-profit organization, assumed responsibility for the show to preserve the original Art Club mission. It relies solely on support of individuals in the community to maintain its programming and special events, such as Festival of the Arts.

Visit www.adlercenter.org or call (847) 367-0707.