The 67th annual Park Forest Art Fair, one of the outstanding art shows in the South Suburbs, will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 16 and 17, on the Village Green in downtown Park Forest.
The event is sponsored by Tall Grass Arts Association (TGAA).
The eclectic nature of the fair gives guests the chance to see ceramics, etchings, sculpture, photographs, paintings in many media, digital art works, jewelry featuring original elements, and hand-blown glass.
The artists in the fair are coming from the immediate area, as well as Indiana, Michigan and Wisconsin. The show features mixed media artist Jenn Johnson of Homewood and Cheryl Osby, an acrylic painter from Flossmoor.
For four years in a row, the Park Forest Art Fair has been selected for inclusion in the national “America’s Best Art Fair Awards” competition sponsored by ArtFairCalendar.com, the leading website for art fair event listings. The Park Forest Art Fair was named one of the “Best Overall Art Fairs” by the group selected as one of the best small juried fine art fairs in the country.
“This is the second oldest juried art fair in the Chicagoland region and it has maintained its quality over the years,” event Chairwoman Janet Muchnik said. She said the event always attracts a variety of talents, “some new artists and many who have exhibited continuously for nearly four decades.”
Muchnick said the not-for-profit event’s huge volunteer force helps keep costs to artists very low.
“Consequently, they can sell their works at very reasonable prices. This is the fair where people can buy originals for very reasonable prices,” she added.
New to the fair, this year is a chalk art sidewalk drawing contest. It will be held next to and around the village’s new sculpture park just west of village hall.
A special feature of the fair is the Kids’ Art Alley. It offers a range of hands-on art activities to delight the younger set.
Music plays an important role in the Park Forest Art Fair. On Saturday, the village of Park Forest will host a music fest. And on Sunday, fest favorites Patchouli, a folk duo, will perform.
Food vendors will be on site, including All Out Smoke Pit, Dulce by Dori, Vintrendi Wines, Synergy Bakes Cheesecake Jars, TJ’s Lemonade, Wings Galore and more.
The Tall Grass Arts Association Gallery, 367 Artists Walk in downtown, will be open during the fair with a traditional summer exhibit of works by gallery artists.
For more information, visit the Tall Grass Arts Association website at www.tallgrassarts.org, or call the gallery at 708-748-3377.