Boasting a rich history and wealth of gifted artists, along with status as one of the Southland’s most valued annual treasures, the Park Forest Art Fair, sponsored by the Tall Grass Arts Association (TGAA), celebrates its 66th year on Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 17 and 18, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., in downtown Park Forest on the Village Green.
The artists hail from all over the Midwest including Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Wisconsin and Illinois. The artist traveling the greatest distance is stone sculptor Gedion Nyanhongo from Phoenix, Ariz. This year TGAA is pleased to introduce eight new artists: Cecile Derel, a glass artist from Chicago; Donald Hyson, a woodworker from Winnebago; Lia Jackson, a painter from Chicago Heights; Maine Lee, a metal sculptor from Park Forest; Lauren Rapinchuk, a photographer from Oak Park; Penny Shnay, a photographer from Park Forest; Ken Swanson, a printmaker from Racine, Wisc.; and Taryn Takacs, a photographer from Highland, Ind.
For four years in a row, the Park Forest Art Fair has won the national America’s Best Art Fair Awards competition sponsored by artfaircalendar.com, the number-one website for art fair event listings. Named as one of the Best Overall Art Fairs, the survey recognized the Park Forest Art Fair 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,” said event Chairwoman Janet Muchnik.
She emphasized that the event always attracts a variety of talents, some new artists and many who have exhibited continuously for nearly four decades.
“Fair visitors have a tradition here of talking with the artists, and in fact,” Muchnik said, “the artists expect people to stop by and chat.”
As a not-for-profit event with a huge volunteer force, costs to artists are low.
“Consequently, they can sell their works at very reasonable prices,” Muchnik said. “This is the fair where people can buy originals for very reasonable prices.”
The eclectic nature of the fair is quickly visible to visitors who will see ceramics, etchings, sculpture, photographs, paintings in various media, digital art works, jewelry featuring original elements, and hand-blown glass.
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 next to the food vendors and beer tent.
Grand Prairie Choral Arts Group will perform on Sunday. The group will perform several short, popular and traditional selections.
Also on Sunday, on the stage in front of the Tall Grass Gallery, at 1 p.m., there will be a tribute to Tall Grass artist Patricia Moore who had one of the longest records of exhibiting in the art fair.
Moore taught art to probably thousands of aspiring artists, both children and adults, over the years and was a muse to all of them. She died recently, and the grief expressed by the community has been extraordinary.
Food vendors will be on site including Poppin’ Plates, Exquisite Pound Cakes, Flaming Hotties, Terrel’s BBQ and Southland Caterers.
The acclaimed Tall Grass Arts Association Gallery 367 Artists Walk in downtown Park Forest will be open during the fair with a traditional summer exhibit of works by gallery artists.
