Side Street Studio Arts offers 'Festival' workshops, exhibit

Side Street Studio Arts, 15 Ziegler Court in downtown Elgin, is hosting an exhibition of artist-intern Zelda Vidal's artwork titled "Festival."

The exhibition, carrying a whimsical and nostalgic feel with culturally-inspired themes, is the brainchild of Vidal and features more than 50 works that have been created during her internship.

The exhibit opens Wednesday, July 9 with the "Write Your Story - Children's Book Workshop" for young artists who want to write their own stories and dabble in the world of children's books. The $5 suggested donation class, running from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., is one of two that will be instructed by Vidal, guiding young artists through the structure of a story from start to finish. A follow-up event on Thursday, July 10, "Illustrate Your World," also running from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., concludes the series by teaching young artists how to translate their own stories into picture books.

With "Festival," Vidal wanted to tell a story. "As an aspiring children's book illustrator, I used the gallery as my canvas," said Vidal. "I pictured each piece on the walls, like a page on a book, before I even finished creating them." Vidal hopes "Festival" will bring out the inner child in everyone.

The "Festival" artist reception will be at 6 p.m. Friday, July 11, and include appearances by local up-and-coming musicians Melliza Malabanan and She Lions. The event is open to the public, with a $5 suggested donation at the door.

Side Street Studio Arts was founded by Elgin residents Tanner Melvin and Erin Rehberg in 2013 as an outlet for the Elgin arts scene. 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 Festival or SSA's Artist-Intern Program, visit www.SideStreetStudioArts.org, call (847) 429-2276, or email SideStreetStudioArts@gmail.com.