NAPERVILLE ARTISTS TEAM UP TO BENEFIT THE HUNGRY OF DUPAGE

About the event:

Care for the food insecure is a dear issue to artists Laurie Pollpeter Eskenazi and Sophia Forero. To provide relief to struggling families in DuPage County, these local artisans are continuing a 15-year tradition of artful giving by hosting the Holiday Artists’ Open House, a seasonal show benefitting Loaves and Fishes Community Services. The show will be held November 19-21 at the Potting Shed in Naperville.

Forero and Eskenazi will be joined by Kristen Jongen, an internationally recognized artist, writer, motivational speaker, and founder of Soul Soup. Also showing will be Cheryl May, oil painter and mixed media creator, and Kate Keilty, potter and arts educator. Together they will present an array of holiday gifts that give back to others: from colorful ceramics, to sparkling jewels, whimsical ornaments, original prints, greeting cards, books, oil paintings, and much more. All pieces are made in the USA.

The schedule for the show is as follows: Thursday, November 19th from 6-9pm; Friday from 10am-9pm; and Saturday the 21st from 10am-5pm at the Potting Shed, located behind 225 N. Wright Street in Naperville.

This eclectic group of Midwestern artists sells their work all over the US. The list of stores includes Macy’s, museum shops like Asheville’s Biltmore Estate, galleries such as Zoo Gallery in Destin, Florida, and boutiques like Patricia Shoppe of Door County, Wisconsin. Of all sales from the three day show, 15% will go to aid the food and empowerment programs Loaves & Fishes provides for DuPage County residents.

Attendees are encouraged to bring toiletry items that will be donated directly to Loaves & Fishes. The names of those who bring toiletry items will be entered in a special raffle sponsored by the artists. Prizes from each artist will be given to separate winners at the conclusion of the show.

About the artists:

Laurie Pollpeter Eskenazi

Ms. Eskenazi is a graduate of the Art Institute of Chicago with over 30 years of experience working in clay. Her work is about pattern, texture and a bit of nostalgia. As a little girl she would spend time admiring the things on her Grandmother’s dresser and in her home. Laurie is inspired by old crazy quilts, button boxes, antique textiles and bits of lace she finds at the flea market. Intrigued by their past and the women who may have used or created them, Laurie gives these finds new life by incorporating the vintage designs into contemporary pieces. Laurie has a home studio in Naperville and her work is sold in over 200 galleries and specialty stores throughout the US and Canada. Please visit www.LPEclay.com for more information.

Sophia Forero

What do First Lady Michelle Obama and actress Cindy Crawford have in common? They both own a mosaic jewel by Sophia Forero! Forero’s passion for color, texture, and design stems from her love of history and experience with international culture. After earning a master’s degree at University of Chicago, she worked with the US Peace Corps, teaching and travelling throughout Eastern Europe. Sophia went on to see the world, gathering inspiration and materials from which she began to craft fine jewels. She has learned seven languages, helping her to communicate with artisans from all over the globe, including Russia, Mexico, and her family’s home country of Greece.

Sophia Forero Designs has been featured in more than 300 fine boutiques and specialty stores in the US, Europe, and Canada, including Bloomingdale’s, Hall’s, and Oilily. She is a past Marshall Field’s Distinction in Design winner, and FGI Rule Breakers award recipient.

Sophia’s pieces have walked the red carpet with such high-profile actresses as Sarah Jessica Parker, Vivica Fox, Keiko Agena, Olympia Dukakis, and Nia Vardalos. Her jewels have appeared in such films as SHOPGIRL, and are worn by the anchorwomen of CNN, NBC, WGN and ABC Chicago, as well as FOX 5 in Washington, DC.

Sophia is a proud graduate of the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Program. Her growth plan will take her mosaics to borders she previously had only dreamed of. Look for her upcoming Indiegogo campaign Adorn One World this fall 2015!

Sophia is a mother of four. She works alongside her husband, installation artist Mauricio Forero, in their joint studio in Naperville, IL. Please visit http://www.sophiaforero.com/ for more information.

About Loaves & Fishes Community Services:

Located at 1871 High Grove Lane in Naperville, Loaves & Fishes Community Services provides groceries and essential support services to more than 2,800 suburban Chicago families each month. Its multi-faceted Client Engagement Model combines programs such as job search support, food assistance, skill-based classes and public benefit assistance, to both assist and empower clients to achieve self-sufficiency. To learn more about making a donation, volunteering or getting help, visit http://www.loaves-fishes.org.