It’s a beautiful time of year to take “A Walk in the Park,” especially on Aug. 29 if it’s North School Park in Arlington Heights.
That’s when artists will exhibit their work at the juried Arlington Heights Art Guild’s 50th Annual fine art show, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
“We always try to shoot for at least 90 vendors,” said Linda Campuzano, coordinator of “A Walk in the Park, who locates the artists for the show. Last year the event was cancelled because of COVID. This year, there are 52 artists signed on at press time.
Many of the artists participate repeatedly but new quality artists are always welcome. “We have 18 new vendors this year. That’s exciting to have some new blood in our show,” Campuzano said.
The coordinator noted some of the unusual artworks in this year’s show. “We’ve got a woman who makes monster dolls out of fabric. It’s quirky, very imaginative, very colorful,” she reported. “There’s a woman who makes jewelry out of paper. We have a guy that does wooden toys.”
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Encaustic artist Beth Markko of Port Barrington participated in the last two “A Walk in the Park” shows. “I love the setting,” she explained. “It’s a nice way to connect with people and I love all the different types of artists they attract.”
Markko began creating encaustic artworks, which uses heat to fuse layers of beeswax to a birchboard panel, in 2016. “I had lost my job at the Wauconda Public Library and starting being able to devote more time to my creativity,” she explained.
Markko had long admired encaustic work but didn’t try creating it herself until she got family encouragement. “My son and his wife said, ‘You should try it,'” she recalled. “They purchased a heat gun for me and a bunch of supplies for my birthday.” Markko took a class in the technique and has been creating encaustic works of art since.
“I get inspired by things I see in the world,” Markko said. “I love to incorporate the moon and I like to put in found objects. Every piece is different. Sometimes I don’t even know where I’m going to go when I first start.”
Markko will bring about 30 pieces to the show. Her work ranges in price from $45-$200.
Rolling Meadows artist Lisa Conrad has participated in “A Walk in the Park” since around 2010. “It’s a very nice curated art fair,” Conrad said. “It is juried but you don’t have to be the most expensive artist.”
Conrad began making handcrafted jewelry while taking classes at Fremd High School’s Continuing Education Program about 33 years ago, she said. Fifteen years ago, she started teaching those classes at the school.
She will be bringing examples of her jewelry in brass, bronze, and copper. She tells her students that with those materials, Conrad said, “You can make jewelry that you’re proud to wear.”
The artist is partial to the Midcentury Modern style from the late ’40s, early ’50s. But her pieces reflect “whatever catches my eye,” she said.
Conrad will bring many examples of her cuffs and earrings to the show, as well as some copper Christmas ornaments and heart ornaments.
Conrad’s earrings are so popular that art fairgoers call her “The Earring Lady,” she reported.
Pieces range in price from $20-$50. “I want it to be affordable,” Conrad explained.
Watercolor artist Bob Holmes has never lived on a farm but loves painting farm scenes. “I grew up in Iowa and I had an uncle who had a farm we would visit quite often,” Holmes explained. “Now I’m out in the country surrounded by farms and fields.” He lives in the small village of Millington, Illinois.
Holmes has participated in “A Walk in the Park” twice before. “It’s got a nice wide variety of artists there. There’s something for everyone,” he said.
Holmes was a middle school art teacher for 34 years. “I began to teach watercolor in the classes,” he related. “I really took it up seriously 20 years ago because I wanted to teach it better to my students.” He attended workshops with professional artists to improve his skills.
“I like the spontaneity of it as opposed to oils or acrylics,” he said. “With watercolor when you put it down, it’s best that you leave it.”
When choosing a farm scene to paint, Holmes said that he is inspired by “the arrangement of the buildings that might be in it or trees. It’s really the light and the shadow that I see that really strikes me — If I get a nice contrast of light and dark within it,” he explained.
Holmes plans to bring about 16 framed pieces and 40 unframed works to the art fair. His watercolors range in price from $40-$200.
Artists pay for the rental of booths to display their work. Any money earned through those fees is used for scholarships for District 214 students. “High school students can enter an art contest that we judge, then we award scholarships to the top three people plus two honorable mentions,” Campuzano reported.
The Arlington Heights Park District will offer children a chance to try art projects at the event as will artist Ellen Sharpe.
Food will be available for sale from Hubby’s Dog House.
Entertainment will be provided by Bach to Rock Music School.
Campuzano praised the setting of the show. “The park is in a great location,” she said. “The park is so beautiful — the landscaping, the fountain, the flowers. It’s a hidden gem.”
A Walk in the Park, Arlington Heights Art Guild’s Summer Art Fair
When: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Aug. 29
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Where: North School Park, 410 N. Arlington Heights Road, Arlington Heights
Tickets: Free
Information: 847-609-2852; arlingtonheightsartguild.com
Myrna Petlicki is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.