ROCKFORD ART MUSEUM | RAM TALKS ART | LIVE MUSIC AT 60TH GREENWICH VELLAGE ART FAIR SEPT. 13-14

RAM Talks Art: Live music at 60th Greenwich Village Art Fair Sept. 13-14

Sarah Bursley McNamara, Community Relations Coordinator, Rockford Art Museum

You can't beat living here when seasons change, with so many festivals and celebrations all around the region. Downtown Rockford is home to two of the biggies—the largest music festival in the state, and the oldest continuous “outdoor fine art fair” in the entire Midwest. Held only two weeks apart, On the Waterfront marks the end of summer each year, while Greenwich Village Art Fair is the annual kick-off to fall!

Greenwich began as a fund-raiser for Rockford Art Museum (RAM) in 1948. From the beginning, the fair's primary focus has always been connecting artists and their work with our community. And music plays an important part of the annual two-day event, too.

At the 60th Greenwich Village Art Fair, Sept. 13-14, you can hear live music by local musicians on the Krypto Music Lounge Stage. You can walk around the fair all day, both days, and hear different types of music—jazz, blues, country, rock—by different musicians the whole time. Kind of like hitting shuffle on your iPod.

Saturday's line-up features: Joe Peterson (acoustic blues/rock, 10:15 a.m.), Ken Curtis (folk, 11:45 a.m.), Witalia Brothers (1 p.m.), Jodi Beach Trio (a blend of jazz, blues and contemporary music of the '40s and '50s Big Band Era, 2:30 p.m.), Jim Hagerty and Steve Fierz (acoustic folk, 4 p.m.), and the Ryan Swanson Trio (a versatile style of jazz and blues, 5 p.m.).

Sunday's performers include Boulas with Ryan Swanson (New Orleans jazz, 10:30 a.m. at The Rock River Times Wine Bar), Mark Hobbs (contemporary folk, 11:30 a.m.), Cover Story (1 p.m.), Sara Abramowitz (modern progressive with smooth vocals and accomplished keyboard, 2:30 p.m.), and the Richard Douglas Trio (4 p.m.).

The best part? No cover charge for two full days of music. A dozen bands. Hour-long sets. All included with your Greenwich admission. So, come for the art, and stay for the music.

To celebrate the fair's remarkable 60th anniversary, the hard-working committee has brought back favorites from past decades like Love Lemons (lemons you eat with peppermint sticks) and puppet shows for the kids. And they've planned a stellar weekend of live music, to boot. Don't miss out on this only-in-Rockford tradition.

The 60th Greenwich Village Art Fair takes place Saturday, Sept. 13, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday, Sept. 14, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., on the grounds of Rockford Art Museum at Riverfront Museum Park, 711 N. Main St., Rockford.

Advance tickets are available for $3 at the Rockford Art Museum Store or any Alpine Bank location. Or, wait until the gate and still pay only $5. (Free admission for children 12 and younger.)

Presenting Sponsor—for the 15th consecutive year—is Alpine Bank. Supporting Sponsors are SwedishAmerican Medical Foundation, Bud Light/La Monica Beverages, Prismacolor and The Rock River Times. For more information, call (815) 968-2787 or log on to http://www.rockfordartmuseum.org/gvaf.html.

Contact RAM Community Relations Coordinator Sarah Bursley McNamara at smcnamara@rockfordartmuseum.org.

From the Sept. 10-16, 2008 issue

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