Please Note: All events takes place at the Hemmens Cultural Center unless marked with an asterik*, in which case, they take place at the Elgin Art Showcase, 164 Division Street on the 8th floor.

FALLBACK ARTS FESTIVAL RETURNS IN DOWNTOWN ELGIN

Featuring workshops and demonstrations of painting, photography, puppetry, performance

The Elgin Cultural Arts Commission and the City of Elgin presents the second FallBack Arts Festival. The festival runs October 26 – 28 and is free and open to the public.  

WHAT IS FALLBACK?

By recognizing the annual ritual of turning back time, the Elgin Cultural Arts Commission encourages members of the community to immerse themselves in the arts, and take the time to participate in a workshop and connect with their artistic side. 

WHAT’S THE SCHEDULE?
 

On Friday, October 26

*7:30 p.m. The sixth Page To Stage play reading series will kickoff the festival with a performance of the new play Diorama by award-winning playwright, artist and Elgin native Jeff Whipple. Set in a small natural history museum, this original play celebrates friendship and loyalty in the workplace as the staff copes with unexpected job loss in the face of flashy new technology. The performance starts at 7:30 p.m. at the Elgin Art Showcase, 164 Division Street 8^th floor in downtown Elgin. The performance is free and open to the public.

On Saturday, October 27

9:00 a.m. Award-winning photographer/artist Susan McConnell, whose work is in several public collections and published in magazines across the country, will lead the three-part photography workshop Photo Art 1,2,3 on how to take the greatest pictures, turning your shots into a coffee table book, and how to share your photos with the world. The workshop runs inside the Exhibition Hall at the Hemmens Cultural Center, 45 Symphony Way, from 9am-1:00pm. The workshop is free. Participants should bring their own camera.

9:00 a.m. Regionally recognized artist and teacher Anne Von Her, who encourages students to follow their own creative vision by providing them the necessary tools, will lead a painting workshop Painting the Landscape, which will place the emphasis on experimentation. The workshop runs inside the Exhibition Hall at the Hemmens Cultural Center, 45 Symphony Way, from 9am-1:00pm. The workshop is free and materials will be provided, but participants should bring basic painting materials if they have them.

*10:00 a.m. Award-winning playwright and visual artist Jeff Whipple, who’s plays have been produced in Chicago and throughout the country, will lead a writing workshop Creating Your Own Idea Generation Machine, which is designed to develop personalized creativity skills for artists and writers. The workshop runs at the Elgin Art Showcase on the eighth floor, 164 Division Street, from 10am – 1pm. The workshop is free. Participants should bring basic writing materials.

11:00 a.m. Chicago’s award-winning and nationally recognized Redmoon Theater will present a workshop on the comprehensive study in handcrafted puppets and shadows where students would work with carefully designed handcrafted puppets to create shadow projections. The workshop runs inside the Exhibition Hall at the Hemmens Cultural Center, 45 Symphony Way, from 11am-5:00pm. The workshop is free and support materials are provided.

*7:30 p.m. The sixth Page To Stage play reading series continues with a performance of the new play Diorama by award-winning playwright, artist and Elgin native Jeff Whipple. Set in a small natural history museum, this original play celebrates friendship and loyalty in the workplace as the staff copes with unexpected job loss in the face of flashy new technology. The performance starts at 7:30 p.m. at the Elgin Art Showcase, 164 Division Street 8^th floor in downtown Elgin. The performance is free and open to the public.

On Sunday, October 28

*7:30 p.m. The sixth Page To Stage play reading series concludes with a performance of the new play Diorama by award-winning playwright, artist and Elgin native Jeff Whipple. Set in a small natural history museum, this original play celebrates friendship and loyalty in the workplace as the staff copes with unexpected job loss in the face of flashy new technology. The performance starts at 7:30 p.m. at the Elgin Art Showcase, 164 Division Street 8^th floor in downtown Elgin. The performance is free and open to the public.