Art Harvest
Join the ECAC for the fourth-annual Art Harvest to be held in Downtown Elgin. This event has several components that including a hay maze, decorate your own pumpkin, arts and crafts and more, all of which can be found at “Art Central” at DuPage Court.
You can swing by there, grab your Art Hunt map and head out to find the public art in downtown Elgin. Hunt for public art in downtown Elgin, take artful selfies, and hsow your pictures for prizes at Art Central. New to the Art Treasure Hunt this year will be the two new pieces of public art along with a few newly wrapped utility boxes!
Be sure to be in costume while you are out and about on your hunt as several of the downtown businesses will be open for trick-or-treating. All of the events of the day are free, family-friendly, and open to the public.
#ArtHarvest #ExploreElgin #trickortreat #PublicArtELGIN
“Float”: Margie Criner
Born in Detroit in 1968, Margie Criner resides in the Logan Square neighborhood of Chicago. Her art combines architectural and geometric forms with play. Criner’s paintings begin as abstractions of her three-dimensional sculptural work. Her background in design and woodworking enable Criner to utilize a variety of materials. She received a Bachelor of Science in Textile Design from Michigan State University in 1991 and has exhibited her work in galleries and art centers throughout the United States. Her work will soon be at the WNDR Museum in Chicago and the Rockford Art Museum in Rockford, Illinois.
The inspiration behind this piece is the geographical location of Elgin, sitting along the Fox River. The Fox River serves to connect communities. Floatis informed by the notion that we are all connected. The abstraction of boat shapes used in the work is my expression of diversity and individuality. The palette is intended to offer a sense lightness, an ease similar to what it might feel like floating on calm water. You can see “Float” on the intersection of Highland Avenue and Riverside Drive in downtown Elgin.
“Noize!”: Travis Roozeé
Travis Roozée is an artist and a professional photographer. His personal projects examine forces relating to population growth, industrial practices, and material decay. Recent works combine nineteenth century chemical processes with virtually conceived images that suggest architectural blueprints and computer generated scenes. Mr Roozée’s work has been included in numerous exhibitions, including solo shows at the Museum of the City of New York, Arsenal Gallery, and 0.00156 Acres, all in New York City. Select group exhibitions include “Human Nature” at the Houston Center for Photography, “Out of the Woods” at the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit, “Context 2019” at Filter Photo Chicago, and “Sound The Alarm” at Wave Hill, Bronx, NY.
“Noize!” is a stylized design that take cues from camouflage, aerial perspectives of the landscape, and the 1982 movie “Tron”. Its colors, cyan and magenta, are two of the four colors used to print consumer packaging-yellow and black are the others. The dazzling forms allude to Midwestern landscapes which have been altered for industrial or agricultural purposes. Unlike camouflage, which is meant to conceal, my pattern is bright, loud, and designed to attract attention. You can see “Noize!” on the corner of Spring and Chicago Streets in downtown Elgin.
“Ducks on the Fox”: LeRoy Smith
LeRoy Smith is a limb of the artistic Megazoid known as @we.are.not.siblings. Raised in Illinois and educated at Luther College, LeRoy’s work blends classic New Yorker cartoons with a contemporary twist.
“Ducks on the Fox” is rooted in the old, inky comic strips of yesterday’s paper and is brought to life with nature’s vibrant hues. In essence, the Ducks are here to remind us to put on our sunnies and float along the beautiful Fox River: To simply enjoy our day. You can see “Ducks on the Fox” on the corner of Prairie and Spring Streets in downtown Elgin.
This article originally appeared in BRAVO Magazine, an Elgin, Illinois ink-and-paper monthly magazine devoted to arts, entertainment, community events & dining. In continuous publication since July 2015.