Chicago’s Historic Annual 57th Street Art Fair
If you’re in the Chicago area this weekend, check out the 63rd Annual 57th Street Art Fair – taking place this Saturday and Sunday (June 5th and 6th). The fair is Chicago’s oldest juried art fair, taking place in the historic streets of the city’s Hyde Park neighborhood.
Mary Louise Wormer, a silver smith artist from Kansas City, started the art fair in 1948 as an event where local artists could showcase their work to the community. The first 57th Street Art Fair showcased the work of 51 artists – many of whom were students at the Art Institute of Chicago and the Institute of Design. The art fair was a huge success, and by 1963 the demand from artists wishing to participate was so high that the 57th Street Art Fair Committee implemented a jury system to assign the limited available space.
Today, over 250 artists from all over North America take part in the long-running tradition, which always occurs during the first weekend of June and receives over 20,000 visitors annually!
The 63rd edition of the annual event is selling a plethora of items from glass, jewelry and leather to photography, prints, paintings, sculpture, wood pieces, ceramics and more. There are also hands-on activities and playgrounds for children, along with a selection of vendors selling delicious food.
Another unique aspect of the art fair – there’s an “Art buying Boot Camp” (which includes a guided tour through the art fair with art-buying experts).
