Plein Air-St. Charles, Art of the Dessert on tap for St. Charles Arts Council this summer, fall

The St. Charles Arts Council has a full slate of events for the remainder of the 2024 season.

Kane County will be alive with outdoor painters (plein air artists) for Plein Air- St. Charles from Aug. 19-25. Forty artists from throughout the United States will be eligible for $5,000 in awards.

Plein Air-St. Charles will include events celebrating creativity throughout the week. Artist demonstrations, Quick Paint competitions open to community members as well as registered artists, nocturnal paint events, creative writing and mindful creativity events emphasizing the role that creativity plays in mental health well-being will be available to the public, according to a news release.

Artwork created during the week-long event will be for sale and on display at a FreshPaint Party hosted at the Baker Community Center on Saturday, Aug. 24.

“This is a chance for community members to be the first to view and purchase paintings from the Plein Air event,” SCAC Executive Director Kathryn Hill said in the release. “Our FreshPaint Party will be the culmination of a lot of energy and talent! There will be approximately 160 pieces of art available to view while you enjoy culinary delights from The Graceful Ordinary and witness the awards ceremony.”

Returning for a second year, the Art Heist Mystery on Oct. 5 in downtown St. Charles will engage the community in another whodunit. Six local venues will host actors who will give clues as guests endeavor to find the person who absconded with a commissioned art piece by local artist Howard Russo.

The Art of the Dessert fundraiser returns Monday, Nov. 25, at The Graceful Ordinary in downtown St. Charles. Local restaurants, bakeries and community members will donate desserts that are up for auction.

“Last year’s event was amazing,” Hill said in the release. “The desserts were out of this world, and the audience was fully engaged! Our top seller last year was a dozen caramel apples donated by Karen Porter that sold for more than $2,000.”

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