The 2017 St. Charles ArtsFest — set to run from Friday, Sept. 8, to Sunday, Sept. 17 — promises to be the biggest and best ever.

The sixth annual event is put together by the St Charles Arts Council in partnership with the St. Charles Park District and presents, quite literally,  “ALL of the ARTS, ALL over TOWN.”

In all, 11 art galleries will be featured this year, according to the St. Charles Arts Council website, including but not limited to:

• Laura Frazier Artistry’s Grand Opening Reception
• The SCAC’s Pop-Up Arts Galleries at Pheasant Run
• The inaugural Pop-Up Gallery Shop, thanks to Peggy Sue Seehafer and Susan/Stanbridge Master Saddlers)
• The inaugural multi-discipline artist collaboration, Color Field, curated by Laura Frazier, at the Pop-Up Galleries Opening Reception Downtown (thanks to Clare at Salon Agape), which includes Music, Plein Air, Spoken Word, + Jazz.
• Downtown St. Charles Partnership’s Jazz Weekend.
• The best of the Geneva Film Festival at both the library (reservation only, and using the Carnegie Library entrance for the first time in decades!), and at Steel Beam Theatre.
• Outdoor sculpture exhibitions at St. Charles Park District’s Sculpture in the Park and the Fine Line Creative Arts Centers‘ Sculpture on the Prairie.

In promotion of the 10-day event, the Arts Council is showcasing four art galleries per week to give people a preview of the art and an idea of the scope of the event.

Norris Cultural Arts Center

Vicinity Show – Featuring works in all media, created by artists who reside within 50 miles of the NCAC, the Vicinity 2017 exhibit will open on Saturday, Sept. 16. The exhibit is an annual highlight of the gallery season.

A reception honoring the artists of Vicinity 2017 is on from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 17. Winning entries in the exhibit will be announced, and prizes awarded to the artists. Free refreshments will be served.

Visit the Vicinity 2017 exhibit during regular gallery hours, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Wednesday through Sunday. Admission and parking are always free.
Call 630-584-7200 for more information.

116 GALLERY

Located at 116 W. Main St. (inside Mixology Aveda Salon/Spa) 116 GALLERY’s exhibit “Max Introspection”, features artists Fern Shaffer and George Bruce. The artwork in this show explores the dynamics of the familiar, when expressed in uncharacteristic dimensions. Innovative perspectives create unprecedented form, and the abstractions become responses to reality.

Fern Shaffer works in acrylic on canvas and George Bruce in oil pastel.

The Artist Reception is from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 9, and includes a Jazz Weekend performance.

A Gallery of Nature

Located at 41W781, Route 64, St. Charles (inside Wasco Nursery and Garden Center), A Gallery of Nature’s exhibit is the “Wonders of Nature”, by The Morton Arboretum Photographic Society.

The show, which will be going on throughout ArtsFest, features a variety of photographs as well as photographic processes. The society’s work reflects nature from serene to sensual to sensational; from macro to micro lenses; on exotic Mulberry papers, iridescent metals to archival white — all aesthetically stunning.

Steel Beam Theatre Art Gallery

Located at 111 W. Main St. (inside Steel Beam Theatre), Steel Beam Theatre Art Gallery’s exhibit features Artist Terry Niccoli’s luminous soft pastel work. Most of Terry’s work is done in a plein air setting, using soft pastels, which provides an immediacy to the art and a vibrancy to the color.

The exhibit, which will be going on throughout ArtsFest can be viewed during Steel Beam’s hours. Enjoy the gallery and a show! During ArtsFest, SBT is producing 100 Years of Broadway, The 1^st Century of Musicals. Visit steelbeamtheatre.com for show times.

For More Information

• St Charles Arts Council’s website
• Call the SCAC at 630.443.3794 or email info@StCharlesArtsCouncil.org.
•  ArtsFest 2017 Schedule

About the St Charles Arts Council: The St Charles Arts Council is a 501(c)(3), registered not-for-profit Illinois corporation whose mission is to serve and promote the arts and cultural activities, to the mutual benefit of the arts and the community. The SCAC is staffed entirely by volunteers. Contact the SCAC for information at 630.443.3794 or at info@StCharlesArtsCouncil.org.

About the St. Charles Park District: The St. Charles Park District is a special purpose government unit. It is the mission to enrich the quality of life of Park District residents through excellence in programs, parks, facilities, and services. This is the mission of the Park District as expressed by the Park Board. The mission represents the fundamental statement of purpose and is the point of reference for all decision making.