Review: The smART show 2008
As everyone in Chicago knows, it rained this weekend. No, it rained this weekend—for almost three days straight.
Poor Lincoln Park Art Faire and the Renegade Craft Fair. They were both outdoors and suffered for it. I hear that sales were still pretty positive for the Renegade though. As for me, rather than braving the elements, I stayed indoors at the smART show.
Whether it was due to the weather or because the organizers advertised so well, the place was jumping. Talk in the halls was that over seven hundred people packed in on Friday night. From my perspective, they did a great job putting together this first-time arts festival.
For the regulars of Around the Coyote, which used to be the main arts organizer around this neighborhood, they’ll certainly recognize the labyrinthine hallways of the Flat Iron Building. And no one who’s ever trekked these twisted corridors can forget the weird heat that is always there, regardless of the weather outside.
But this time around, there was a fresh coat of paint on the walls. And with the smaller artist line-up, there was an increase in overall quality. The art itself was strong but it also seemed like the artists themselves were more serious.
My overall impression is that this group took pride in how their artwork is presented. They also cared about how they present themselves as artists. But in the casual setting of the Flat Iron, they—and their art—were accessible. For example, the live painting demo is a great idea.
The patrons must have agreed with me because I saw a lot of people walking out with purchases. In this economy, it’s a tough time for artists so I was very happy to see people selling.
