PREVIEW OF A DEBUT

Mark your calendars for the inaugural Starved Rock Country Festival of the Arts

Story By Annette Barr Photos provided by Starved Rock Country Festival of the Arts

This fall, as nature begins to put on a colorful show in Starved Rock Country, regional artists will be doing their part to add sights and sounds to Ottawa.

The Starved Rock Country Festival of the Arts, known as FOTA, is in its inaugural year and includes a juried visual arts and film competition, artist market, free children’s activities, demonstrations, live music and a film festival Sept. 24-26 throughout downtown Ottawa.

“We are pulling together a very grassroots, artist-led, three-day, art, music and film festival in downtown Ottawa,” says Shanna Dugan, arts fund administrator with Starved Rock Country Community Foundation. “We have a juried art show, with several different categories for artists to submit and win prizes in their category and also a best of show.”

In addition, Ottawa’s annual Scarecrow Festival will take place Sept. 25 with both events intertwined between Washington Park, the Jordan Block and the business district. Films from the festival will be shown at Roxy Cinemas, and juried art will be displayed at Jeremiah Joe Coffee in the 807 Building on La Salle Street.

The artisan market will feature vendors, some participating in the juried show, selling handmade, oneof-a-kind works. Demonstrations in various media will take place throughout the three days, along with a lineup of live music featuring genres from gospel and rock to bagpipes and bluegrass.

“Part of what I really focused on was putting artists in charge of our artists and our committees,” Dugan says. “So we have an artist and art teacher and gallery owner in charge of our visual arts committee. I have a playing and teaching musician in charge of our musicians committee. I have a filmmaker in charge of our filmmaking committee. I have another art teacher in charge of our children’s art programming.”

The music and youth art activities are free to the public and will be available as first come, first served. FOTA is able to offer so many free activities through federal grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, grants from the Illinois Arts Council Agency as well as inkind and monetary donations from area businesses and individuals. There will be a charge for movies shown at Roxy Cinemas as part of the film festival, with nearly 40 movies from participating filmmakers from throughout the country.

“My focus really is making this an amazing festival for the artists. And if it’s an amazing festival for the artists, it’s going to be amazing for the community,” says Dugan. “We want our community to come out and enjoy and support (FOTA).”

For more information on the festival, visit www.fotasrc.org.

CS R

FESTIVAL OF THE ARTS MUSIC LINEUP ’21

FRIDAY, SEPT. 24

(sound provided by Jeff Manfredini) 5 p.m. Steve Cerqua 6 p.m. Open Mic 7 p.m. Reverend Hellbilly 8 p.m. Manny & the OK Boys 9 p.m. NBG DR3K0 9:30 p.m. Cody J (DJ Famou5) SATURDAY, SEPT. 25

(sound provided by Kevin Kramer) 2 p.m. Jeff Manfredini 3 p.m. Amber Kay 4 p.m. Nicodemus 5 p.m. Josh Robson (Shamandala) 6 p.m. Student Band 1 (the Timekeepers) 6:30 p.m. Student Band 2 (Matriarchy) 7 p.m. Urban Posers 8 p.m. Half Shell Heroes 9 p.m. Dead Rest SUNDAY, SEPT. 26

(sound provided by Kevin Kramer) 11:45 a.m. Bagpipe music by Mark Dudek Noon Templeton Family Gospel Music 1 p.m. Zomnyet Webster

2 p.m. Joseph Templeton

3 p.m. Henry Torpedo Boys

4 p.m. 5 p.m. Katie Belle & the Belle Rangers Brad Byrd

6 p.m. MMCM

The Best of Starved Rock Country 2021

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From August 20-September 14, pick your favorite Starved Rock Country businesses in more than 50 categories. Votes will be counted, and winners will be announced in early November. Categories include:

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OR VISIT: QR.SHAWLOCAL.COM/SRCFINEST21

You never know just what you might find in Utica during the annual Burgoo Festival. Though canceled last year due to COVID-19, a smaller-scale festival was still held with craft vendors participating. This crafted exotic bird keeps an eye on things as festivalgoers make their way along Mill Street in Utica. Photo by Tom Sistak

Starved Rock Country Postcard

Star v e d Rock Cou n try August 2021

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