prizes Archives - Side Arts

Park Forest Art Fair (Illinois) – Call For Artists

Park Forest Art Fair (Illinois) – Call For Artists

[Side Arts Certified Sponsored Listing] The Tall Grass Arts Association announces a call for artists for the 67th Annual Park Forest Art Fair. The Fair is the second oldest, continuously juried fine art fair in the Chicagoland region. For several years, it has been voted one of the top Five Small Town Art Fairs in the country by the ArtFairCalendar annual survey of “Best Art Fairs in America.”

The fair features 80+ artists exhibiting painting, pastels, print-making, photography, glass, stone, ceramics, fiber, jewelry, and wood. Several of the artists have exhibited continuously for nearly three decades. Artists are welcome to demonstrate their artwork techniques during the fair.

Click here for the application / registration

Apply by: 5 May 2023

This is an extraordinarily artist-friendly fair. The downtown street provides awnings under which new and emerging artists who have not yet invested in a tent can display their artworks. Volunteers can help unload and load vehicles, provide water all day on both days, and provide time for bathroom breaks. The Tall Grass Board of Directors serves breakfast on Saturday and Sunday, snacks at mid-day on Saturday, and a scrumptious dinner Saturday night along with an awards ceremony.

Prizes are awarded in the areas of 1-dimensional art, 2-dimensional art, and jewelry as well as two judges’ choice awards and a peoples’ choice award.

There is a music fest on Saturday hosted by the Village of Park Forest. It features latin, jazz, rock, and blues. Along the sidewalk in front of the Tall Grass Arts Association Gallery, the “Kids Art Alley” includes many art activities for young children such as painting, face-painting, and several craft projects. Food trucks and local food vendors are on site for lunch and snacks.

The Tall Grass Arts Association Gallery will be open during the fair and will feature the Annual Gallery Artists’ exhibit. The gallery and art fair are open to the public free of charge.

I want to thank you and all the wonderful volunteers for putting on the Tall Grass Art Fair! You all do such a beautiful job of creating an atmosphere of community. That, more than anything, brings me back each year! – Ellen Grenier Bevill

To all the wonderful people who worked so hard to put together such a great art fair; I have always thought that you, at Tall Grass, accommodate the vendors most thoughtfully. Tall Grass art fair is a wonderful experience for participating artists, art aficionados and the Park Forest community. – Sue Wade

The Park Forest Art Fair was simply amazing. I have never experienced an art fair such as this before. The attention and support given to the artists made one feel like royalty. I enjoyed the breakfast and was more than grateful for the spread that was laid before us for dinner. The award ceremony left me speechless. I have never experienced that level of appreciation for vendors at an Art Fair before. Wow!!! Is all I can say. I enjoy meeting the other artists. Their work floored me. The kind spirit of the artists and the staff was felt throughout the weekend. I am more than satisfied with my sales. – Tara McGee

About Tall Grass Arts Association

Tall Grass Arts Association promotes public education and appreciation of visual art through exhibitions, classes, and the Park Forest Art Fair. Since 1956, the association has served artists, children, and the south suburban communities of Chicago in some of the most ethnically diverse and artistically and economically underserved communities in Illinois.

Their mission statement, and thus major goal, is to promote public arts; to encourage artists; and to support high-quality visual arts programming through art school classes, exhibits, gallery, and mini gallery/gift shop sales; the annual Park Forest Art Fair; and special programs accessible to the general public of all ages. In recent years, the association has made great strides in developing and expanding its arts programming in an effort to reach out to artists, children, seniors, and the general public.

For more information, contact jmuchnik@sbcglobal.net.

...