St. Charles Arts Council to offer public painting events, Art of the Dessert and more this season

The St. Charles Arts Council announced the following scheduled programming for the rest of 2024:

Monthly Artist Coffee Talk events: Artists will meet at 10 a.m. on the third Tuesday of each month at the St. Charles Public Library at 1 S. Sixth Ave. The talks will feature local speakers and share information about upcoming exhibit opportunities. These events are open to the public, and guests do not need not be a member of the St. Charles Arts Council to participate.

Paint the Riverside: The public is invited to the free event from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, May 11, where guests will paint the intersection of Riverside and Walnut Avenues in downtown St. Charles. Paint and supplies will be provided and all ages are encouraged to join the fun. Registration is not required. This event is sponsored by Forever Yogurt, St. Charles Hardware and EarthPaint.

Paint the Town in a Banner Way: Mt. St. Mary park will be adorned with banners painted by the community this summer. To participate in this community art exhibit, residents can pick up banners from the St. Charles municipal building on June 12. 100 2′x6′ banners are available for painting for $25 per banner. They must be returned by July 12. The banners will be displayed on fencing surrounding the skate park and tennis courts in Mt. St. Mary Park. This event is sponsored by the city of St. Charles and the St. Charles Parks District.

Plein Air - St. Charles: St. Charles will host a week of art and artists from Aug. 19 to 25. 40 Plein Air painters will be painting outdoors in St. Charles creating artwork that will be for sale on Aug. 24 and 25 and guests will be able to interact with artists as they paint. Events throughout the week include a Plein Air artist demonstration by Steve Puttrich from 10 a.m. to noon on Tuesday at Lincoln Park. Wednesday will feature several activities throughout the day including a “Quick Paint” competition open to the public, creativity stations, and creative writings by the St. Charles Writers Group, all at Mt. St. Mary Park.

FreshPaint Party: The St. Charles Arts Council will hold a ticketed event from 6 to 9 p.m. on Aug. 24 at the Baker Community Center for a “first look” and first chance to purchase paintings created during the Plein Air - St. Charles event. Awards will be announced and the public will have a chance to meet and greet with participating artists. Music will be provided and food from The Graceful Ordinary is included.

Plein Air Paintings open to the Public: The Baker Community Center will host a public event showcasing paintings from the week long Plein Air event from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Aug. 25. Artwork will be available for purchase and guests will enjoy food from Fernando’s Street Kitchen, Wafadilla as well as live music.

Members Only Art Exhibit: St. Charles Arts Council artists will have their work on display during September and October at the St. Charles Public Library. A public artist reception will be held. Guests do not have to be Arts Council members to attend. Date and time are TBD.

Art Heist - Murder Mystery: Returning for a second year, this fundraiser event on Oct. 5 engages the audience to try to figure out “who dunnit!” A piece of local art has been stolen and there has been a murder. The event will start at 116 Gallery, and participants will visit local businesses on First street to hear from “suspects” for clues and return to 116 Gallery for the big reveal. The event time is TBD. This unique event is written and coordinated by Kim LeClair.

The Art of the Dessert: Monday, Nov. 25 is the date to join us for this sweet event hosted by The Graceful Ordinary. More than 40 desserts created by professional bakers as well as home bakers will be available for auction. The event time is TBD. Ticket sales will go live at the end of September. These tickets sell out, so mark your calendars.

For more information, contact Kathy Hill at info@stcharlesartscouncil.org.