artXposium Breaks New Ground for West Chicago's Downtown Art Scene

West Chicago, Illinois: September 5, 2007 - The West Chicago 'art scene' gathers steady momentum this month with a 3-day multimedia art experience that will feature the work of more than 50 artists. The site of a former hardware store (Grobe's True Value) at 103 W. Washington Street will open its doors to artXposium, on September 21, 2007 and bring local, national and international talent together to display a variety of art work ranging from traditional painting and sculpture, to interactive and multimedia installations.

artXposium is the brainchild of local resident and internationally shown artist Anni Holm and West Chicago City Museum Registrar, Brian Reis. With help from the Cultural Arts Commission and the City of West Chicago, Holm and Reis gained access to the site in the heart of West Chicago's historic downtown for the 3-day art event. "This event reinforces the evolving reputation of downtown West Chicago as a community with a niche in the arts," commented Reis.

Part expo, part symposium, artXposium will revolve around art in its many forms. Most artists will be present during the event to discuss their work and/or interact with the audience. According to Holm, "The ultimate goal of the exhibition is to develop an International Artists Residency in the City of West Chicago." The Grand Opening night is planned on Friday, September 21, 2007 from 6:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m. Besides entertainment, food and drink, a Silent Auction featuring original art and other donated items will take place to raise funds for the residency program. A variety of small performances from the musical to the whimsical will take place throughout the weekend. A screening of International Short Films, some of which have been shown worldwide and which have won various awards, is planned for Saturday, September 22, 2007 starting at 8:00 p.m.

artXposium hours are: Friday from 6:00 -11:00 p.m., Saturday from 12:00 -11:00 p.m., and Sunday from 11:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. The Silent Auction is scheduled on Friday from 6:00 - 10:00 p.m., and the Film Screening will be held on Saturday from 8:00 - 10:30 p.m. This event is open to the general public and is free, with a suggested donation of $2. Gallery 200, located at 200 Main Street and the West Chicago City Museum, located at 132 Main Street will also feature gallery hours in conjunction with artXposium. Gallery 200 artists will demonstrate various techniques in art with hands-on experiences for all ages and the West Chicago City Museum will offer tours of its current exhibition.

This event has been sponsored in part by the City of West Chicago, the West Chicago City Museum, the Danish Embassy, Visicswire, Carlsberg, Columbia College Chicago, Creative Danes, Teashoppe Gallery & Imagine Art Studio.

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