Arts DuPage Month Promotes County As Destination For Art

DUPAGE COUNTY, IL — DuPage County has dedicated the month of October to promoting the wealth of artistic offerings residents can enjoy without leaving the county. Patch spoke with Arts DuPage Director Debbie Venezia to learn more about what Arts DuPage Month has to offer.

“This one’s great because it’s community wide," Venezia said, adding that the goal is to "really put a focus on arts and culture arts and entertainment, things that are going on in our community.”

Throughout the month, local theaters, museums and galleries will be offering discounts, special exhibits and other promotions to "encourage people to re-engage or discover" their local arts scene, Venezia explained.

"There’s high-quality art offerings in DuPage County and you don’t have to go downtown to experience them. They’re right here."

Venezia said that even during the pandemic, the Frida Kahlo exhibit at McAninch Arts Center brought in visitors from all 50 states and 43 countries. The recent Andy Warhol exhibit saw visitors from every state and 23 countries, she added.

“DuPage County is a destination for the arts.”

She mentioned the Jeff-recommended shows at Aurora's Paramount Theatre and Oak Brook's Drury Lane Theatre. The latter is offering $35 tickets to select performances of Ring of Fire: The Music of Johnny Cash through Oct. 22.

Some other standout offerings for Arts DuPage Month include discounted tickets to Paramount Theatre's "Little Shop of Horrors," a 60th anniversary reception at Village Theatre Guild in Glen Ellyn and the Fall Festival and Pumpkin Patch at Sonny Acre Farm in West Chicago.

Venezia hopes Arts DuPage Month will not only encourage spectators, but also artists, to become part of their area arts scene.

"Each town has its own personality, so for artists to get involved in that, it’s almost like low-hanging fruit… the audience is there… they’re waiting for you to do stuff," she said.

Artists creating, and then sharing their work, Venezia said, can help foster connection within community.

“The arts are fun and they challenge you and they make you think about things and they can trigger emotions and they make you feel human and that’s a really important piece of what the arts do for you and for the community.”

“We have these big, beautiful state-of-the-art venues that are right here, so why not drive 10 minutes from your house and we have this whole world right there," Venezia said.

“Sometimes people cannot express what they’re thinking until they use art, but they can transport you and you can see exactly where they’re coming from."

Click the link for more information about Arts DuPage Month.