The 2015 Greenwich Village Art Fair (GVAF) takes place Saturday, Sept. 19 and Sunday, Sept. 20—rain or shine—on the grounds of Rockford Art Museum at Riverfront Museum Park, 711 N. Main St., Rockford.
The 2015 Greenwich Village Art Fair (GVAF) takes place Saturday, Sept. 19 and Sunday, Sept. 20—rain or shine—on the grounds of Rockford Art Museum at Riverfront Museum Park, 711 N. Main St., Rockford. The annual two-day outdoor event features 135 artists, live music, a gourmet marketplace, children’s art activities, and more. Established in 1948, Greenwich is the longest running art fair of its kind in the Midwest. Alpine Bank is the presenting sponsor for the 22nd consecutive year; premier sponsors are the Blazer Foundation, Dean Alan Olson Foundation and The Rock River Times.
Gates are open 10 a.m.–6 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Sunday. Admission at the gate is $5 for adults, free for children 12 and younger. Advance tickets are $3 and are available at any Alpine Bank location and at Rockford Art Museum Store. Ticket proceeds support RAM programs throughout the year.
Exhibiting at this year’s fair are 135 artists from across the nation. Types of artwork represented include paintings, jewelry, sculpture, glass, ceramics, textiles, photography, wood, mixed media and more. Artists compete for awards on the first day of the fair, where their work will be viewed by 2015 Judge Thad Duhigg, a sculptor and art professor at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. A Rockford native, he is represented in the RAM Permanent Collection as the recipient of the 1994 Jessica Holt Purchase Award. Awards, including Best of Show and six Judge’s Choice awards, will be presented Sunday, Sept. 20. List of exhibiting artists follows.
For the second year in row, fairgoers can park at any of many downtown parking lots and catch a free ride to Greenwich. The Rockford Mass Transit District Trolley will run a 15-minute loop with seven stops, 10 a.m.–4 p.m. both days. Four stops along Main Street are close to Elm Street (near BMO Harris Bank Center), State Street (near J.R. Kortman Center for Design), Veterans Memorial Hall, and Park Avenue (near Coronado PAC). New stops include Harlem / Sheridan Blvd, Walker School, and John St / North Church St.
Special events at the fair include Greenwich After Hours (Sat, 6–8 p.m.) at Point Bar, Bistro Breakfast both days, and the annual Art Raffle, announced Sunday, with raffle prizes of original artwork donated by five exhibiting artists.
Kryptonite Music Stage features live music all day, both days, by local musicians. All shows included with fair admission. The 2015 roster includes Taboo Blah Blah, Pink Beam, Austin Karr, Ron Rawhoof, Y-Knot, Fresh Hot Fritters, Echo Beach, Jeromy Darling, Richard Douglas Band, plus special performances by Rockford Dance Company and demonstrations led by Discovery Center Museum.
Gourmet Marketplace offers handmade favorites from local and regional vendors, including Maytag Dairy Farm, CACAOCUVEE fine chocolates, Wind Ridge Herb Farm, Dip’n Good Dips, Annette’s Italian Cookies, Etim’s Beauty, Candle Crest Soy Candles, Soap of the Earth, Cellar Door Designs, The Beaded Zoo, Redesigned Relics, and more.
Located near the Kryptonite Music Stage, Bud Light Village Pub serves grilled fare favorites, sodas, teas, Budweiser brands and more. Food and beverage vendors throughout the fair include Carlyle Brewing Company, Woodfire Brick Oven Pizza, JavaMania Coffee Roastery, Hey Ice Cream, and We-B-Popp’n Kettle Korn.
Kortman Gallery Point Bar features signature cocktails, mixed drinks, fine wines, and hosts several Greenwich activities. Point Bar hosts GREENWICH AFTER HOURS on Saturday night (6–8 p.m., FREE admission and open to the public, DJ/cash bar). Point Bar also features the Better Business Bureau of Rockford EMERGING ARTIST BOOTH, with its own Local Emerging Artist Award sponsored by Kortman Gallery and J.R. Kortman Center for Design, featuring their selected local artists. BISTRO BREAKFASTS—featuring made-to-order crepes (Saturday) and omelets (Sunday)—are served both days from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.; $7 includes complimentary coffee or cocktail. LIVE MUSIC at Point Bar both days, 12–1 p.m., with Jimmy Z (Saturday) and Jim Grass (Sunday). RAM MEMBERSHIP BOOTH is also located near Point Bar, where visitors can easily join the art museum or renew their membership for the upcoming year.
Creations by Kids is an area where children can make their own take-home art based on this year’s theme, “Under the Sea.” Sponsored by Children’s Medical Center at Rockford Health System and Blick Art Materials, the hands-on art activities are $1 each, or $5 for all 6.
Also on sale now are tickets for the 2015 Art Raffle, $5 each or three for $10. Raffle tickets are available at Rockford Art Museum Store and will be available on site during the event. Drawing will be held Sunday, Sept. 20; ticketholders need not be present to win.
Admission to the fair also includes FREE admission to Rockford Art Museum; feature exhibition is Printmakers Ball, on view through Sept. 27.
Presenting Sponsor: Alpine Bank; Premier Sponsors: The Blazer Foundation, Dean Alan Olson Foundation, The Rock River Times. Supporting Sponsors: Blick Art Materials, Children’s Medical Center at Rockford Health System, ComEd, Northern Public Radio WNIJ/WNIU, OSF Saint Anthony Medical Center, Rasmussen College, Rock Valley College, Rockford Mass Transit District, Rockford Mutual Insurance Company, Joan Stonecipher, SwedishAmerican Medical Foundation; Contributing Sponsors: Better Business Bureau of Rockford, Keep Northern Illinois Beautiful, Larson & Darby Group, Peak Sports Club, and Perryville Pet Hospital. Award Sponsors include Lon and Dick Behr, Rockford Association for Minority Management, WilliamsMcCarthy LLP, Wipfli LLP, Women’s Art Board of Rockford Art Museum, River District Association, Kortman Gallery and J.R. Kortman Center for Design. In-Kind Sponsors include Altamore Ristorante, Auburn High School Key Club, C & E Specialties, Cherry Valley Sign Company, Court Street United Methodist Church, Custom Copy & Printing, CVS Pharmacy, Deli Italia, Dr. Stillwater Company, Edwards Apple Orchard, Great Harvest Bread Co., Harlem High School Key Club, Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP, International Paper, JavaMania Coffee Roastery, Keith Country Day School, Kortman Gallery & J.R. Kortman Center for Design, Kryptonite Bar, Little Caesars Pizza, Meijer Inc., Mondelez International, Meridian Implement Co., Mrs. Fisher’s Inc., Octane Interlounge, The Olympic Tavern, Papa John’s, Pizza Hut, Prorok Law Office PC, Rock River Service, Rockford Brewing Company, Rockford Christian Middle School Art Students, SAVOR–BMO Harris Bank Center, Schnucks, Stone Eagle Tavern and Jim Vitale, Trickie Enterprises, Vintage @ 501.
FULL LIST OF 2015 GREENWICH ARTISTS
Exhibiting artists include: Valerie Abramat (Winnebago IL), Sherry Ackerman (Cottage Grove WI), Eric Anderson (Markesan WI), Larry Anderson (Lake Zurich IL), Michael Anderson (Madison WI), Audra Baade (Milwaukee WI), Melissa Banks (Chicago IL), Shawn Barbagallo (South Beloit IL), Salem Barker (South Beloit IL), James Becia (Mt. Horeb WI), Jill Bedford (Delafield WI), John Berglund (South Haven MN), Viviana Bermudez (Chesterfield MO), Jacqueline Bevan (Round Lake Beach IL), Vilma Birbilaite (Chicago IL), George Bragg (Panama City Beach FL), Peter Brenner (West Dundee IL), Beverly Broyles (Rockford IL), Joelene Brydon (Rockford IL), Brenna Busse (Minneapolis MN), Debra Capriola (Rockford IL), Randi Chervitz (St. Louis MO), Robert Cholke (Rockford IL), Ron Clevenger (Machesney Park IL), Robert Coleman (Belvidere IL), Rick Cortez (La Grange Park IL), Venus Cramer (Elmhurst IL), Debra Dembowski (Pewaukee WI), Terri & Ed DeVoe (Seymour IN), Kathleen Eggert (Shorewood WI), Debra Ehmann & Martin Rowe (Rhinelander WI), Joyce Fritz (Green Bay WI), Dianne & Chuck Geier (New Lenox IL), Janice Gilkey (Fort Atkinson WI), Jacqueline Gomez (Edwardsville IL), Kate Grinnell (Rockford IL), Ronald Grobert (Warrenville IL), Tom Guirl (Belvidere IL), Mark Hakomaki (St. Paul MN), Karen Harding (Rockford IL), Jeff Hart (Aurora IL), Gary Hartsfield (Nashville TN), Daryl Harwood (Panama City Beach FL), Sara Hoffland (Winfield IL), Brian Horan (La Grange Park IL), Dale Horn (Hawthorn Woods IL), Ingrid Hyde (Rockford IL), Benedicto Ixtamer (San Juan La Laguna, Guatemala), Chris Jensen (Oak Creek WI), Kiaralinda (Safety Harbor FL), Marlene Kleckler (Davis IL), Norm Knott (Rockford IL), Charles Kraus (Wauwatosa WI), John Lamar (Rockford IL), Marilyn Lamar (Rockford IL), John Larsen (Clear Lake IA), Ben Laskov (Rockford IL), William Lemke (Waukesha WI), Tom Linden (Rockford IL), Cynthia Linnabary (Roscoe IL), Kimberly & David Lotton (Lowell IN), Paul Lueders (Lac du Flambeau WI), Marie Mahan (Elkhart Lake WI), Jill Martin-Golden (Roscoe IL), Matt Matheney (Morton IL), Taylor Mazer (Grand Rapids MI), Bill McCamish (Three Oaks MI), Chris McCarthy (St. Louis MO), Eileen McDaniel (Wautoma WI), Kari McDonald (Rockford IL), Barbara McNamara (Rockford IL), James Meade (Hoffman Estates IL), Laura Meddaugh (Madison WI), Paul Meddaugh (Madison WI), Mary Merrill (New Berlin WI), Charlotte Miller (Mukwonago WI), Stephen Mineck (Vinton IA), Erika Mock (Superior WI), Annie Mohaupt (Chicago IL), Anne Morris (Moline IL), Margit Moses (Madison WI), Michelle Moss (Stevens Point WI), Mike Murray (Deforest WI), Iwona Narolewska (Bridgeview IL), Tom Nedobeck (Milwaukee WI), Hironobu Nishitateno (Loves Park IL), James Oblack (Nashville IN), Darren Olson (Minneapolis MN), Christopher Parris (Fall River MA), Constance Pelzek (Hales Corners WI), Jeanmarie Petro (Chicago IL), Wanda Pitzele (Hanover Park IL), Paul Prorok (Chicago IL), James Rasmussen (Mount Prospect IL), Dawn Reeves (West Bloomfield MI), Barry Reithmeier (Rockford IL), Anna Repke (Chillicothe IL), Ilene Rezman (Buffalo Grove IL), Chris Robleski (Milwaukee WI), Janus Rose (Rockford IL), Peter Rujuwa (Indianapolis IN), Lori Salamone-Limbachs (Janesville WI), Demetra Saloutos (Stoughton WI), Stacey Scepkowski (Monee IL), Michael Schael (Cambridge WI), William Schueler, Jr. (Hartland WI), Jae Seol (Wilmette IL), Jeff Shawhan (Racine WI), Pamela Siehr (Madison WI), Amy Simpson (Elgin IL), Shelley Smith (Janesville WI), Ivy Solomon (Oak Park MI), Teresa Soriano (Middleton WI), Julie Spangler (Galena IL), Angel Steege (Belvidere IL), Karen Stefanoff (Mendota IL), John Stoeckley (Louisiana MO), Ann Stoever (Beloit WI), Ken Swanson (Racine WI), Linda Thevenot (Naperville IL), Bill Thumm (Rockford IL), Kate Tillman (Lakeville IN), Thomas Trausch (Woodstock IL), Paul Van Duyn (Anderson IN), Jennifer Volkodav (Northfield IL), Jason Washa (Dodgeville WI), Adam Weiss (Omaha NE), Scott Westgard (Buffalo Grove IL), Sylvia Westgard (Buffalo Grove IL), Claudia Winter (Long Grove IL), Tess Yeager (Noblesville IN), Betsy Youngquist (Rockford IL), and David Zahn (Moline IL).
Learn more about Greenwich Village Art Fair at rockfordartmuseum.org. Connect on social media: facebook.com/greenwichvillageartfair ; twitter.com/gvaf_artfair ; Instagram @greenwichrockford #greenwichrockford
