By John Walker
Special to Inside
Stunning art, exciting musical entertainment, great Chicago-style food and thousands of art lovers—it all adds up to one of the Midwest's largest art festivals known as the Wells Street Art Festival. Scheduled June 14 and 15, this year's festival offers an exciting variety of art and activities for the entire family. Festival hours are 10 a.m. to dusk both Saturday and Sunday. A $5 donation at the gate is requested, with all proceeds going to support the community projects sponsored by the Old Town Merchants and Residents Association. Held in Old Town on Wells Street from North Ave. to Division St., the festival is ranked among the top 200 art festivals in the country.
This year's festival, its 29th year, will feature over 250 fine artists from across the country. Approximately 70,000 people attend the event each year and many Chicago art lovers boast of featuring works of art from the festival in their personal collections. A vast array of artistic styles and media are represented. Oil, acrylic, and watercolor paintings are in abundance as are pastel, pen, pencil and charcoal drawings. Photography, mixed media, clay and jewelry are also featured. Dramatic sculpture work in glass, metal, and clay also highlight the exhibit.
This year's festival will also offer art collectors a chance to participate in a silent art auction on June 14 and 15. Selected works by participating festival artists have been donated for the auction. All proceeds will benefit the Old Town Merchants and Residents Association. Winning bidders will be notified after the festival and arrangements will be made to deliver the art to them.
In addition to the fine art and the food vendors featured at the festival, there will be an opportunity to sign up to become participants in the Illinois Organ Donor Program sponsored by Secretary of State Jesse White's Office. Throughout the festival, live musical entertainment can be found along Wells Street. From acoustical guitar to Celtic harp music, the entertainment serves as a pleasant backdrop to viewing the art exhibits. In the evening, the entertainment accelerates with popular contemporary bands performing at the main stage behind O'Brien's Restaurant located at 1528 N. Wells St. Music continues until 10 p.m.
Parking for the festival is available in local public lots, but public transportation is encouraged. Old Town is easily accessible by bus and the CTA Brown Line (just get off at the Sedgwick stop and walk three blocks east on North Avenue to Wells St.)
Visitors to the art festival will also have an opportunity to view a special public showing of Renaissance Man, a polished chrome and steel sculpture by Chicago artist Boban Ilic on exhibit in the Burton Place Courtyard. This exhibit is part of the Lincoln Park Public Art Initiative sponsored by Ald. Vi Daley (43rd). The sculpture will remain on exhibit for the remainder of the year.
As an entertaining weekend of art, music, food and fun, the Wells Street Art Festival is an excellent beginning to Chicago's summer season. For more information, call (312) 951-6106.
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