Adler Center in Libertyville working on slate of outdoor events

The Adler Center in Libertyville plans to transition from virtual concerts and workshops to COVID-conscious outdoor events.

Due to stay-at-home restrictions, the center in April introduced the “Adler at Home” series that assembled the talents of faculty, friends and students at no charge to whoever wanted to check them out online.

But with restrictions eased, it's time for an “Adler Outside” initiative of socially distanced events, says Amy Williams, executive director of the organization that promotes music and the arts.

“We're hoping this will get people out of their homes safely,” Williams said.

The center is based at the historic village-owned home of architect David Adler at 1700 N. Milwaukee Ave. It's still temporarily closed for exhibitions, private events, group art, and music classes.

But a lot has been happening, including an initiative that will feature various events to be held on the Adler grounds and elsewhere. So far, officials envision community murals, a concert, an outdoor poetry garden, and drawing days.

“It also allows the Adler Center and the village arts commission to maintain and promote its presence and mission to bring the arts to the community during these difficult times,” Williams said.

Specific times and parameters haven't been set but are expected to roll out in late July or early August.

Part of the initiative is a movable mural introduced last year at the annual Festival of the Arts held in Cook Park in downtown Libertyville. The event is canceled this year, but the panels will be cleared and made available on the Adler grounds for kids and others to paint in an image outlined by an artist.

A tentative date of Aug. 1 is in the works for a concert on the Adler grounds by Sneezy, a local fusion rock jam band. The event may be livestreamed online, but whether an in-person audience would be first-come, first-served or arranged in shifts, for example, is to be determined.

The community also will be invited to submit or create a poem to be laminated and affixed to trees as part of a poetry garden on the Adler grounds. The hope is the subject will be applicable to this unprecedented time.

“We're hoping it will give some people an outlet — use your creativity,” Williams said.

A proposal to paint a series of door-sized murals on the ground floor wall of the public Church Street parking garage will need clarification and approval by the village board. Whether participants will be able to create their own designs, fill in blanks outlined by others or some combination needs to be addressed.

“This is where it gets a little complicated,” Deputy Village Administrator Ashley Engelmann told the Libertyville Arts Commission on Monday.

“There are a lot of nuances. This is something we'd have to have a conversation with the (village) board and make sure they're comfortable.”