21st Annual Festival of Fine Arts at The Art Center in Highland P

The Festival of Fine Arts is celebrating its 21st anniversary at The Art Center in Highland Park. The festival will showcase the work of 100 juried artists from around the world in a variety of mediums including ceramics, fiber, glass, jewelry, painting, sculpture and more!

In addition to incredible artwork and on-site artist demonstrations all weekend long, attendees will also enjoy live music, fabulous food and drinks, and interactive activities for kids and adults including spin art and a giant graffiti wall. Food vendors at this year’s Festival of Fine Arts include Magic Circle Crepes, Buckeye Wraps, Lisa’s Italian Ice, Popcorn Jester, and Taco Factory. Live entertainment featuring Chicago favorites Cirrus Falcon, Jeff Libman, and Brad Cole will be playing all weekend long.

For those wishing to express their inner artist, this is the place to be! The Festival of Fine Arts will be offering a variety of classes throughout the entire weekend. Kids can enjoy a lesson learning how to draw cartoons with Cheryl Steiger and the Hands Together Mural Project. Adults will also have the opportunity to join in on the fun with classes such as Discover Painting with John Patterson, Mosaic Art Form with Ahmed Ibrahim and Exploring Soft Pastels with Mike Kolasinski.

For those wanting to be part of the art, folks can step right into a famous painting and take a free selfie! Visit the Amdur Productions’ ArtZipper booth where a special “green” screen will be in place for attendees to be part of such world-renowned pieces as Paris Street; Rainy Day by Gustave Caillebotte, Starry Night by Vincent van Gogh, Whistler’s Mother by James Abbott McNeill Whistler, and several others.

New this year is the Highland Park “Hands Together” Mural Project. Kids of all ages (including adults) are invited to add their hand print to a community mural showing that Highland Park is a community of unique individuals that is stronger and more unified together. Each participant will get an 8” x 8” square and their choice of paint colors to create a hand print. The hand prints will become part of a 4’ x 8’ mural that will be displayed in the community. Painting can be messy, so please dress accordingly. The Highland Park “Hands Together” project will take place from noon – 1 pm both Saturday and Sunday.

Also new this year is Amdur’s Landmarks Photo Contest. Amateur photographers of all ages who live and/or work in Chicago are invited to submit photos of Highland Park that are meaningful to them. Photos can be an object, a place or a distinguishing part of the city’s landscape or structure. The significance can be aesthetic, historical, cultural or personal. Photos must be submitted at least one week prior to the start of the art fest via email to landmarks@amdurproductions.com. The 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners will receive gift certificates to purchase art at ArtZipper.com. For more details, visit https://tinyurl.com/ydxp4stw.

The Festival of Fine Art takes place from 10 am to 5 pm both Saturday and Sunday, June 23rd and 24th. A suggested entrance fee is $5 per person and will go towards The Art Center Highland Park.

As an added bonus, everyone is invited to rise and shine to participate in the “Art of Yoga,” a free yoga class on Saturday morning, June 23rd at 9:30 am on the lawn of The Art Center Highland Park. Participants should bring their own mats and are encouraged to wear their brightest, most “artsy” yoga attire.

Immediately after the show closes on Saturday night, June 23rd, the public is invited to attend the Art Uncorked Party from 5 to 7 pm at The Art Center Highland Park (1957 Sheridan Road). Come mix and mingle with the artists and see the award presentations! There is no charge to attend. Cash bar will be available.

For more information about the Festival of Fine Arts or about Amdur Productions, please call (847) 926-4300 or email info@amdurproductions.com. Visit Amdur Productions online at amdurproductions.com, as well as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or Pinterest.

About Amdur Productions

For 35 years the Highland Park, Illinois-based Amdur Productions, a nationally acclaimed arts festival production company, has organized and directed many of the country’s most prestigious juried art festivals. Shows produced by Amdur include many in the Chicago area, such as the Gold Coast Art Fair, the Port Clinton Art Festival, Millennium Art Festival, Artfest Michigan Avenue, the West Loop Art Fest, and in Milwaukee, the Third Ward Art Festival. Many Amdur Productions’ events are rated in Sunshine Artist Magazine’s “Top 100 Best Fine Art & Design Shows” and Art Fair Calendar’s “Best Art Fairs.”