Palatine Chamber Displays Chairs for Charity

Object art has descended upon Palatine, in the form of chairs.

The Palatine Area Chamber of Commerce spearheads an art community project through mid-October, involving 24 artistically adorned Adirondack chairs on display throughout Palatine. Several of the chairs are located downtown near the Metra station and the Towne Square.

Local artists, including professionals and art students from organizations such as Quest Academy, Positive Strokes Art School and Fremd High School have volunteered to ornament the chairs, each artist incorporating an individual flavor of colors and compositions. The chair works are warm and cheery, and feature facades like trees, handprints and a parrot contemplating a beach setting.

Positive Strokes student Kathleen Carter-McLin has painted a chair that displays downtown, near the intersection of Brockway and Slade streets. "I love to get involved in the community through oil painting classes," Carter-McLin said. "And it's wonderful to be able to create for charity."

Carter-McLin's chair is sponsored by McLin Tours & Travel, and auction proceeds will go toward Journeys from PADS to HOPE organization.

The Chamber will auction off all of the painted chairs at the Community Beach Party Auction and Raffle on Oct. 14. The auction will be hosted at Cotillion Banquets, located at 360 S. Creekside Dr. The Chamber has published a map in its news bulletin, highlighting locations for chairs, featured artists, sponsors involved, and organizations that will benefit.

The chair project kicked off in August and is fueled by local businesses and organizations such as Palatine/Inverness Arts Council, Painting in Partnership and Palatine Journal & Topics. These businesses have purchased chairs on behalf of Palatine's nonprofit, charitable organizations. 

Liz Noe, member of the Palatine Area's Chamber of Commerce, as well as active participant of the Arts Council and other Palatine-based community organizations, is excited about the chair project. Serving as lead member for this effort, she said the chairs add something special to Palatine.

Noe is excited for residents to connect the chairs to respective artists, and for "all residents to get involved in the auction."

The auction will benefit The Bridge Youth & Family Services, Clearbrook, Palatine Township Food Pantry, Palatine Township Senior Citizen and various other charities. Visit the chamber for a map of the chairs, or refer to www.palatinechamber.com for details on how to get involved.

Community art efforts such as the chair project contribute wisely toward the mission of Palatine Area's Chamber of Commerce, which is to bolster the environment of local businesses.