Art will be in the spotlight in downtown St. Charles this holiday weekend

Art will take center stage in downtown St. Charles this weekend at the 24th annual St. Charles Fine Art Show.

More than 90 artists representing a variety of mediums – including oil painting, digital art, jewelry, photography, glass, printmaking, sculpture and wood – will be represented at the show.

“Every year, we always have some of our favorites come back,” said Sue McDowell, who has been chairing the show since its beginning – first under the arm of the Downtown St. Charles Partnership and now under the St. Charles Business Alliance. “But we always have room for some new artists. I’d say 35 to 40% of the show are artists that haven’t been to the show before. So that’s always fun for everybody to see.”

The juried art show, sponsored by St. Charles Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram, will take place from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday on Riverside Avenue between Main Street (Route 64) and Illinois Street in downtown St. Charles.

The show will take place rain or shine. The St. Charles Fine Art Show resumed last year after being cancelled in 2020 because of the pandemic. in September 2020, the show was merged with the St. Charles Jazz Weekend following its cancellation.

In addition to art being on display, there will be activities all weekend that the entire family can participate in. Those attending will be able to express their creativity by painting a used car donated by St. Charles Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram.

“Everybody is going to get the chance to paint on it,” McDowell said.

The activity is one of several that will take place in the Jeep Activity Zone in The Graceful Ordinary’s parking lot. All Things Art Studio will offer children’s activities, and artwork by Elgin Community College student artists will be on display.

Musicians also will perform all weekend at Flagship on the Fox and Pollyanna Brewing Company. More details are available at stcharlesfineartshow.com/entertainment.

The pandemic has had an impact on the show in one way or another.

“We do have a couple of artists that were supposed to be here last year and then couldn’t be because of COVID and everything,” McDowell said. “One is a sculptor from Colorado whose work is phenomenal.”

In conjunction with the show, several businesses in downtown St. Charles will feature artwork. The 116 Gallery – located in Mixology Salon Spa – will highlight the works of Jack Magurany, Chris Newman, Lori Small, Deanne Gibson and Jeffrey Equality Brooks.

Alter Brewery + Kitchen will spotlight artwork, along with other businesses like Arcedium Coffeehouse and Pollyanna. In addition, the Arcada Theatre will host a photographic exhibit featuring 100 of the best concert photos from the past 20 years taken by its three house photographers.

More information about the St. Charles Fine Art Show is available at stcharlesfineartshow.com.