See art, hear music at Fine Line gallery during Fox River Arts Ramble

The Fine Line Creative Arts Center in St. Charles is one of 17 locations taking part in this year's Fox River Arts Ramble on Saturday, June 5. Fox Valley is rich in art, artists and art locations, making it the perfect place for a day of gallery and studio hopping in the area. The day runs from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and each of the 17 locations will have fantastic art and artists to meet. Admission is free.

Local artists

The Fine Line campus will be packed with local artisans selling handcrafted items at the Outdoor Artisan Market. There will be ceramics pieces from three local artists: Matt Brej, Jodi Younglove and Monica Casey.

Brej's one-of-a-kind mugs are the perfect size to hold the first coffee of the morning and would make great gifts for Father's Day.

Younglove's items include functional pieces adorned with beautiful, stylized flowers in shades of blues and greens. And Casey uses bright, rich colors to highlight the textures and shapes in her work.

Fine Line is lucky to five jewelry artists. Each artist brings a different style of jewelry to this event.

Nancy Krahn is a well-known artist who has participated at art festivals and events for over 35 years. Her designs are inspired by nature and often include floral and botanical elements. Art Nouveau, Art Deco and the Arts and Crafts movement influence her work.

Diane Drish has an eclectic mix of jewelry, from mosaic earrings and pendants to statement pieces. Her items are all different, following her belief that everyone needs a one-of-a-kind piece of jewelry because everyone is one-of-a-kind. Andrea Krause specializes in jewelry with precious and semiprecious stones. Her jewelry has a refinement in its style and can be worn every day. Jane Cooper believes the back of a piece of jewelry should be as gorgeous as the front. Her pendants are often double-sided, each side is different.

One of the jewelry artists who loves statement pieces is Laura Nicholson-Tom. Nicholson-Tom uses large colorful stones in her jewelry which give them a sculptural feel.

As well as a wide range of jewelry and ceramics artists, Fine Line is lucky to have many other artists.

Not only will glass blowing artist Alan Shontz be demonstrating his art form, along with fellow glass blowing artist Henry Auyeung, they will be selling their work. Ellen Phillips will be selling her handcrafted baskets, while Jennifer Chou will have a superb selection of hand-woven scarfs. Larry Anderson is new to Fine Line and will have an array of handcrafted keepsake/storage boxes, made from exotic woods, domestic woods and reclaimed lumber.

Kathie Collinson from North Aurora creates terrific wall art. Her pieces range from realistic to abstract to whimsical. Mark Lucarelli is a mural artist who loves works in large scale. If you have a mural project, come and talk to Mark.

Finally, Art for All Elgin will be occupying two tents on the Fine Line campus, bringing a range of their art works.

Art demonstrations

While the outdoor artisan market is one reason to visit the event, it is certainly not the only reason.

There will be art demonstrations from Fine Line faculty members throughout the day, including Dan Caldwell, the Fine Line Blacksmith; Carol Zack, who teaches oil pastel; and Alan Shontz who teaches glassblowing. Other crafts being demonstrated include pottery wheel throwing. If you have ever thought about taking a class but were not sure, this is a great chance to come out and meet some of the artists who teach at Fine Line.

Music and food

Fine Line has been fortunate enough to attract seven local musicians to provide live music throughout the day in one-hour slots beginning at 10 a.m. The lineup includes: Michael Rawls at 10 a.m., Sean Matthew Shukin at 11 a.m., Daniel Izaacs at noon, Invisible Cartoons at 1 p.m., Rogers and Cooper at 2 p.m., Shady Play at 3 p.m. and Mirabelle Skipworth at 4 p.m. Hot dogs will be available for purchase between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., courtesy of Blue Goose Market in St. Charles.

The Fox River Arts Ramble will take place rain or shine. Fine Line is at 37W570 Bolcum Road in St. Charles and requires everyone to wear a mask inside all buildings; masks are optional on the grounds at Fine Line. For a list of other locations taking part, visit

To find out more about other locations taking part, visit foxriverarts.com.