Alley Art Festival celebrated World Art Day April 15 with an art workshop at Mutual Ground in Aurora. Aurora artist Cherylyn Gnadt guided a dozen participants in making HERO inspiration cards.
Mutual Ground is celebrating 50 years and Alley Art Festival is celebrating 15 years, so I met with Mutual Ground’s Advancement director Betsy Santana to see how we could collaborate. We agreed that offering a free art workshop on World Art Day would be a fun and restorative way to join forces.
The HERO inspiration cards were Gnadt’s nod to Mutual Ground’s Honor HER campaign in which a donation to Mutual Ground can honor a woman who has inspired the donor. HER stands for “heroic, empowered, and resilient.” Our added ‘o’ on the end stands for “original.”
Gnadt showed us how to play with watercolors on paper. The paint flowed and swirled on the page as we let our emotions out. After our pages were filled with color, we cut them into cards and wrote inspirational notes, quotes, and mantras or intentions on the backs.
Each painted page created eight cards with sayings like “where focus goes, energy flows” and “connect to the silence within you.”
On World Art Day, we were able to connect with others while also reconnecting with ourselves. Art does that. It enables connections, and healthier communities.
“According to thousands of studies, researchers have determined that involvement in the arts can improve public health and promote healing from illness, as well as protect against such problems as cognitive decline, heart disease, anxiety, and depression,” noted a recent CBS News story.
In the Fox Valley, we are fortunate to have ample opportunities to connect with the arts. Let’s take from A to E – from Aurora to Elgin, there is a worthy art scene that has been growing for years.
Visit First Fridays in Aurora and Second Fridays in Batavia to mingle with artists and check out local art, along with live music, and more fun. Both nights feature art openings and community connection.
Adult art classes and workshops are offered at Water Street Studios in Batavia, Fine Line Creative Art Center in St. Charles, and Side Street Studio Arts in Elgin. Laura Lynne Art in Aurora offers art summer camps for children and adults. Her first adult summer camp this June quickly sold out, so she added another in July.
Art events happen all year long from Aurora to Elgin. In March, Alley Art Festival celebrated World Puppetry Day at Santori Public Library in downtown Aurora, and May 10, will celebrate World Collage Day from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Water Street Studios in downtown Batavia.
St. Charles Art Council will be host to Plein Air from August 18 through August 24. Alley Art Festival will happen Saturday, Aug. 30 in downtown Aurora. Geneva Arts Fair will bring artists from across the county to Third Street in downtown Geneva July 26 and 27.
In September, Side Street will host the 12th annual Fringe Festival that celebrates bold artistic expression. Water Street Studios will host the popular Winterfest Art Market in November.
Art is always happening in the Fox Valley, and we are better for it.
Add these art events to your 2025 calendar:
May 2 First Fridays, Aurora
May 9 Second Fridays, Batavia
May 10 World Collage Day Workshop, Water Street Studios, Batavia
July 26 and 27 Geneva Arts Fair, Geneva
August 30 Alley Art Festival, Aurora. Apply now at alleyartaurora.com.
Marissa Amoni is the owner of Marissa Bright, a public relations and event management company specializing in shining the light on nonprofits and small businesses. She runs Alley Art Festival, celebrating 15 years this year. Follow her on Instagram @marissashinesbright. Visit a full calendar of art events on alleyartaurora.com/artscene.