Aurora ArtWalk Celebrates Fox Valley Artists

Art is alive and well in the Fox Valley, and Friday's Aurora ArtWalk was all the proof that was needed.

The Aurora ArtWalk was produced by Cultural Creatives (CC), an all-volunteer group of local artists, businesses and property owners. CC believes in encouraging and an arts-friendly environment. They feel that a strong art community helps keep downtown a safe and inviting place.

Oswego resident Gail Chrisse was one of the key organizers. Chrisse became involved with CC through her work at the 7 West Gallery  in Aurora.

“I believe that a thriving art community in one town benefits all the Fox Valley,” Chrisse said.

The ArtWalk is in its fifth year. Interest has grown steadily, so this year CC decided to hold two walks—one in June and another in October. 

This year's walk was Chrisse's first.

“I've been involved with CC through 7 West, and I wanted a deeper involvement. So I went to the first meeting and ended up signing up to help organize everything.” she said.

Chrisse's fellow organizers had been involved before. Greg Iteen and David Lewis had their turns in previous years.  This was Annie Craig's first year as an organizer, but she had volunteered before.

More than 60 artists participated in Friday's event, including painters, photographers, visual artists, sculptors, musicians, craft artists, historians and poets. The theme was "Art is..." and each location finished the sentence.

"Art is Raucous" featured more than a dozen concert poster artists who work in silk screen and other media. Mike Mancuso, who assembled the exhibit, explained his choices.

“I look for vibrant work with a lot of activity," he said.

“Art is Abstract” featured several talented abstract artists. Some of the most eye-catching pieces were the work of Edmarie Marcos. He describes his work as "breaking a realistic image and shattering it into pieces and then throwing it on canvas.”

“Art is Historical” was hosted by the Art and History Center. Its two exhibits highlighted important events in Aurora history. The “Luxembourg -USA” exhibits illustrated how an astonishing numbers of Luxembourgers found new lives in Aurora during the late 1800s.

“Aurora and the Civil War” highlighted the many contributions Aurora made to the fight to save the union.

Fox Valley Home Brew featured “Art is Intoxication." In addition to the paintings by David DeAlba, FV Home Brew displayed the equipment and ingredients needed for home crafting beer, wine or soda. The samples provided during the hot evening were more than welcomed by most guests.

The River's Edge, host to “Art is Youthful," featuring plenty of activities for children and art by exceptional student artists.

“My daughter loved it,” said attendee Marla Gusler. “She got to make a kitty.”

Each of the 15 stops on the walk showcased one part of the variety of art found in the Fox Valley.

The variety of musicians featured at the ArtWalk was equally amazing. Styles of musicians ranged from the hammer dulcimer played by Katherine Moritz to Savage Pen, a local hip-hop group.