North Cook News

Enhancing Elgin’s edge on the map, the city’s Cultural Arts Commission will introduce its brand-new art database in tandem with its downtown Art Harvest, scheduled for 1-4 p.m. on Sat., Oct. 29.

The database was born after thorough cataloging of all public art pieces located throughout the city. Cultural Commission workers carefully logged each piece, along with its location, artist information and other data.

The project’s premiere was scheduled so that it would complement the Art Harvest, also a first-time event. The Art Harvest will be held at DuPage Court and other downtown sites, giving residents and families a chance to enjoy both harvest-oriented and Halloween festivities.

Four local businesses will offer family-friendly events. Elgin Knit Works will sponsor a “Yarn Bomb Spider Web," Side Street Studio Arts will offer a Kids Costume Contest and Lifestyle Options will feature a “Paint Your Own Pumpkin” activity.

Bigger’s Mitsubishi will provide materials for pumpkin carving and an “Art Treasure Hunt” for families to visit artworks, receive stamps on a map, and bring the map to DuPage Court for prizes.

Additionally, “Art Central” (DuPage Court) will spotlight a haunted path with scary stories and kids’ craft stations. Blue Box Café will provide coffee, hot chocolate and cider. Costumes are encouraged, and various businesses will be open for trick-or-treating.

“The art database is an effort taken on by the Cultural Arts Commission to locate and catalog all public art as part of the Public Art Plan development,” Cultural Arts Commission Liaison Amanda Harris said. “The database and its map are living documents that will continue to grow as cataloging moves outward from downtown.”

Harris said the database will be accessible worldwide via select national and global databases.

for more information, call 311 (or 847-931-5613 if outside of Elgin), or email Harris at harris_a@cityofelgin.org.