Amdur art show coming to Valpo
More than 50 artists will appear at the third annual Valparaiso Art Festival at the end of June.
For more than 35 years, Amdur Productions has presented art shows in the Chicago area. Once again, this summer will find Amy Amdur staging a show nearly every weekend from Memorial Day through mid-September.
The shows feature juried artists from all over the country, showcasing work in a variety of mediums and price points including painting, sculpture, photography, ceramics, glass, jewelry, wood, metal, leather and more.
There will be food trucks and live music and art activities for children.
“This year we are bringing back the youth art experience for kids and kids will actually be able to make art again. That’s been missing for the past few years,” she said. “We’re bringing back live music and bringing back expanding really cool, fun selfie stations. You can actually be a part of ‘American Gothic,’ stand behind a replica of ‘American Gothic’ and put your head in the head holes.”
The Make-A-Wish Illinois Foundation will be the nonprofit beneficiary this year. Amdur Productions developed a program called the Green Ribbon program. Artists can opt in to give 10% of the sales, a piece of art or all the art to the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
“So when you buy the art, not only do you get the art, the Make-A-Wish Foundation is a beneficiary of the purchase. All feel-good stuff. It’s an incredibly exciting time.”
Art is a counterpoint to anxiety and she hopes that her art shows are a healthy, restorative experience for people, she said.
“We want the festivals to be multi-sensorial; so, you’ll see the art, you’ll taste the good food, you hear the live music, you’ll smell the food smells and in a lot of cases, you’ll be able to touch the art or you’ll be able to actually make the art with your own hands,” she said. “We’re really getting at all the senses this year.”
They have about 2,000 artists every summer and the number of artists vary from show to show, from 50 to more than 250. She wants patrons to be able to browse and talk to the artists and find out about their process, she said.
In her 39 years of presenting art shows, she’s seen a lot of trends.
“This year, I’m seeing more paintings and that makes sense,” she said. “I think what happened during quarantine is that people … were spending more time in their studios and making more art and as a result are now looking for places to show and sell their work. And the art is really uplifting.
“I’m seeing a lot of color. In art history, you learn that art reflects the times and that art also can be created to give us what we need and I think that’s what I’m seeing right now. A lot of beautiful, luscious colors and a lot of landscape paintings. A lot of serenity. It’s really soothing.”
There will be a youth art tent with multiple projects for all ages, she said. Projects include spin art, sand art, line drawings for younger kids, graffiti walls and art fest bingo.
“I created Art Fest Bingo out of necessity when I had little kids,” she said. “That becomes a way of engaging kids and looking at art.
Kids will enjoy it.”
Local artists make the shows even more special, she said. Local artists in the show include Jason Gast, Jax Kalin, Maria Overlay and Debbie Van Gorp.
There’s also Valparaiso resident and glass blower Dave Lee.
“We’re thrilled to have him in the show,” Amdur said. “Dave Lee is a real talent on a national level. He’s that good. To have him come into the festival is something really special. I hope when people come, they look for him. His work is breathtaking and it’s also very affordable.”
The poster art for the Valparaiso show is by Promila Kumar, a contemporary artist who creates pieces using oil, acrylic and resin epoxy with 3-D effect.
Kalin, a Valparaiso resident, has just started doing art festivals and the Valparaiso Art Festival is one of the few she’s doing this summer.
“I’m primarily a painter but then I add glass, resin, sometimes fur onto my paintings,” she said. “They’re not abstract, they’re a little more based in realism. I add what I want to them — mostly glass — and then I encase them in epoxy resin so they’re very sparkly, very shiny or very reflective. And sometimes furry.”
She enjoys art shows because it’s a chance for customers to meet artists and learn about their work in a low-pressure setting.
“I really like meeting the people. It kind of pulls me out of my shell. A lot of us artists, we just want to make the art and experience that act of creating something new,” she said. “A lot of artists are uncomfortable with the selling part of it. It’s the business aspect as opposed to the creative, behind-the-scenes aspect. I love meeting the people that like my art and hearing the direct feedback. I’m there to answer questions and meet people and in the process if I sell the art, that’s fantastic.”
“It’s nice to have so many local artists in the show,” Amdur said. “That same weekend, there’s going to be a farmer’s market so people can come and get their fill of art and local produce. We will have a youth art division so you’ll see up-and-coming artists under 18. There will be face painting, a kid’s art tent and we’ll have the graffiti wall there.
“If you know Valparaiso, you know the downtown. I think the setting, the charming downtown, is really special. There are so many great restaurants there too,” she said. “My favorite ice cream place is there, too. They make their own ice cream. It’s called Valpo Velvet. It’s so good and it’s right there in the festival footprint. When you go in Valparaiso, there are just little gems everywhere.”
Live music will be provided by Cirrus Falcon and Michelet.
“Michelet is actually coming in from Paris. He plays beautiful classic French guitar and sings French classics that you would hear in a cabaret in Paris,” she said. “Cirrus Falcon is playing all your favorites from the ‘60s to today. Our festivals are all about the arts. The music is a really nice counterpoint and adds a nice ambiance to the show.”
Art shows give patrons a chance to meet the artists and interact on a personal level, she said.
“It de-mystifies art because not everyone is comfortable walking into a gallery or going to a museum,” she said. “Both of those experiences, you’re looking at the art but not having the chance to meet the artists and I think it makes it such a rich experience to meet the artists.”