Foundry

Today we went to the Foundry Art Center in St Charles as a class. You're never too old for field trips!

It was a struggle to get there because my 6 year old was sick and I had to find someone good enough to watch a vomiting child for a few hours. I have the best neighbor in the world! And I was exhausted from being up all night with him...

But it was a great experience (the Foundry, not the vomiting). Its an old train car crash testing site from the early 1900's. Its been restored to a contemporary design. They have a large gallery for traveling exhibits and a few smaller galleries, like one for local children's artwork. And upstairs are working artist studios. They have classes and story-telling, and even lunch from Spiros on Thursdays...lots of great stuff!

My photo 2 class was privileged to be the first to see the Andy Warhol exhibit that begins Friday night. I am not familiar with him but I learned a little bit today and just might make him my next artist blog, or his photographer. The curator explained a little bit of the process of preparing for the exhibit and I was feeling a little interested in volunteering at the gallery. Then I remembered how little time I already have...

Upstairs was my favorite part. The studios are used by local artists for different mediums. The front of each studio is all glass so you can see them work. Only a few artists were in their studios during the time I was there. A fellow student, Zac, walked around a few of them with me and we got to talk to 2 painters. One gentlemen paints landscapes, including barns, and he had some really great pieces. If only I had $1500! His studio mate does watercolors and has a printing press he designed and built himself (with his dad). His style is very different from his studio mate's, but really interesting in his own right. Another studio was for bronze work, but no one was there. I'm dying to go back to meet the artist in that studio and ask about their process. Sounds like a fun date night idea....