Over 150 Artists And Musicians Featured Saturday At Beverly Art Walk

CHICAGO – A celebration of the creative works generated by local artists and musicians, the 11th annual Beverly Art Walk will be held on Saturday, Sept. 28, from noon to 5 p.m. The cornerstone event of the Beverly Area Arts Alliance (The Alliance), the much-anticipated, family friendly, free community-wide event features galleries in 40+ Beverly/Morgan Park venues hosting nearly 150 artists, musical performances, arts-related events, studio tours, and programs by guest artists.

The Beverly Art Walk kicks off with a preview party offering a sneak peek of works by 25+ artists, live music and libations at the Beverly Arts Center, 111th and Western, Friday, Sept. 27, 6 to 10 p.m. The evening features two intimate jazz sets by the Buddy Fambro Trio at 6 and 7:30, followed by an acoustic set by Shannon Baker in the Simmerling Gallery upstairs.

The Art Walk After Party will start immediately after the Beverly Art Walk on Sept. 28 at 5 p.m. at Nicky’s of Beverly, 105th and Western, with live music by Al Scorch, Tukkiman, and rapper Serengeti.

“Lots of neighborhoods have ‘art walks,’ but what makes ours unique is the individual artists that participate,” said ceramics artist Dan McCabe. “Each artwork, each artist that is participating is giving voice to our corner of the world and why the South Side is so special.”

McCabe, who creates fine art and functional pieces with distinctive decorative elements, is one of several noted artists who will be opening their home studios for the Beverly Art Walk. The other artists are professional illustrator and watercolor artist Judie Anderson, painter and sculptor Brian Keane, graffiti artist Won Kim, activist, painter and sculptor Jomo Cheatham, Art from the Heart teaching artist Pat Egan and artist/designer Tom Olson.

Olson, nephew of the renowned late artist Jack Denst, will exhibit many of his uncle’s innovative designs as well as his own work, and the works of ceramic artist Mickey Lupa, photographer Pat Rigg, glass painter Dalton Brown, found object fabricator Gary Fager and metal artist Joe Serrato at Olson’s artfully-curated garden and gallery spaces at 11112 S. Hoyne Ave.

All Beverly Art Walk venues are family-friendly, especially: the Uprising Craft Market at 103rd and Wood Street with 25+ artists and crafters, food trucks and a dj, the Family Fun Park with games and performances held in tandem with the I Madonnari street painting festival at Sutherland School, 10015 S. Leavitt.

Additionally, The Beverly Arts Center will feature a performance by Uniting Voices, formerly known as the Chicago Children’s Chorus, at 2 p.m., and the Beverly Branch Library, 1962 W. 95th St., will feature art demos and whimsical coloring pages by Katherine Kampf. Special guests for the day include:

• Photographic artist Cecil McDonald leading a public art performance piece called “Joyride: An Odyssey in Black,” in which artist/musician Brother El will perform while being pulled in a rickshaw alongside Western Avenue by Fitcode gym owner Shelton Matsey.
• Urban plein-air painter Andy Paczos who will exhibit eight of his beautifully detailed paintings of building-scapes and classic urban spaces at the Vanderpoel Art Museum gallery in the Ridge Park fieldhouse, 9625 S. Longwood Dr., and discuss on site painting and what drew him to the sites.
• Painter/draftsman Tracy Ostmann Haschke who will exhibit a banner from her series, “Watching You, Watching Me,” at the Uprising Craft Market. The piece gives a sneak peek at the public artwork Haschke is creating to be installed in North Beverly in the future. The work is commissioned by the Beverly Area Art Alliance.
• Noted painters Dante DiBartolo and Tony Padilla from the Strange & Unusual Gallery in Joliet will be on the patio at Americano’s, 11060 S. Western, creating Beverly/Morgan Park themed paintings.
• Artist and art instructor Nathan Peck, in collaboration with students from Saint Xavier University, exhibits a pair of mysterious, interactive kiosks called, “Dream Machines” alongside the works of nine other compelling artists in the Garage gallery at Nicky’s of Beverly, 10500 S. Western.
• The Ridge Historical Society, 10621 S. Seeley Ave., will host a soft opening of the new exhibit Harry Hale Waterman, Architect: Unique in Any Style, and two artists showing their work and giving demonstrations. Glass artist Sean Michael Felix creates hand crafted, unique architectural art glass using 19th Century techniques. He will demonstrate the nearly lost art of how to apply gold leaf.
• Photographer Mati Maldre will exhibit 30 of his photographs of Waterman-designed buildings that were taken with a large format Deardorff view camera. He will demonstrate how the view camera operates and why it takes such detailed, crisp photographs.
• Local independent bookstore Bookie’s, 10324 S. Western Ave., will host luminaries including photographer Lee Bey, author Evan F. Moore and others who have been featured at the Frunchroom, a quarterly “live-lit” storytelling series hosted by Scott Smith of Beverly/Morgan Park.

For more information and a complete map of featured artist home studios, gallery locations, art demonstrations, music stages, and other Beverly Art Walk events, visit beverlyarts.org.