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player ready...The Evanston Art & Big Fork Festival by Amdur Productions returned to downtown Evanston for three consecutive days starting Friday, Aug. 19 after two years off due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Evanston is a uniquely diverse intellectual community that connects with art on multiple levels and that the ability to connect with art right now is more important than ever because art is soothing to the soul,” said Amy Amdur of Highland Park, president of Amdur Productions, a fine arts festival company which she founded in 1984.
“An actual experience of going to an art festival is a positive experience, it’s outdoors, it’s interactive and multi sensorial,” Amdur said.
The festival also welcomed dogs if they were leashed and friendly, according to Amdur Productions website.
More than 130 artists exhibited works in the 800 Church St. vicinity. Food and forks were a big part of the experience as people combined a love of cuisine and art during their encounter.
“People really appreciate food in Evanston and when you’re looking at art, it should be a relaxing event,” Amdur said. “We want to give people a place where they can stop, sit down … enjoy a snack.”
The entertainment roster included the duo, The String Shredders. On five string electric violin was Edgar Gabriel of Arlington Heights, formerly of Evanston, and Ron Steta of Elk Grove Village on electric nylon string guitar.
“I love Evanston, I’d like to live here again,” Gabriel said. “There is so much character, there’s so much culture, diversity, you have everything here.”
Featured this year was also the Aspiring Artists Micro Music Festival showcasing emerging performers and songwriters.
Walking the midways on Friday afternoon was patron Terri Tepper of North Barrington, who grew up in Evanston and attended Evanston Township High School.
About Evanston, Tepper said, “My heart is here.”
Also checking out the art, and looking at wearable art too that Friday, were Michelle Duckworth and Nancy Kleiman of San Antonio, Texas. Both are originally from Highland Park and graduated from Highland Park High School — Duckworth in 1977 and Kleiman in 1975.
“I love coming back,” Duckworth said of the North Shore. “I’m all about art.”
Carrie Scheiner of Tampa, Florida had lunch and sat down at the festival, having a chicken taco from vendor El Poblanito.
“So far so good,” Scheiner said about her visit to Evanston.
Light painter artist and photographer Xavier Nuez of Ravenswood was available to talk to patrons at the artist’s booth.
“I love Chicago,” Nuez said. “I travel around the country, I always bring my gear. For 30 years, I’ve been bringing lights on my night shoots and lighting up these places at night … battery powered colored lights.”
The Evanston show was among the first for whimsical folk art and oil medium artist Channing Wilson of Crystal Lake.
“It is exciting,” Channing said. “This is my first year of doing the art fairs so I’m staying pretty local and just sort of testing the waters.”
Channing is influenced by French impressionist artist Vincent Van Gogh.
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“I like the way his strokes are very fast and just look very organic, you know, he just does it,” Channing said. “My art is happy art, that’s what I wanted. I painted so much during the (COVID-19 pandemic) lock down, it was like all I could do to keep my sanity.”
“So I think, ‘Happy, fun art’ … Why not?” Channing said with a smile.
Karie Angell Luc is a freelance reporter with Pioneer Press.