The much-loved triangle of public land known as Wicker Park, the neighborhood’s namesake, will be the site of the first annual Wicker Park Fine Art Fair on Saturday, September 6, 10:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.

Chicago is rife with weekend art and craft festivals during the summer months, but the Wicker Park Fine Art Fair stands apart. It is a different type of event with unique origins and aspirations. The WPFAF springs from a series of art classes organized by the Wicker Park Garden Club and instructor Maria Mariottini called the Garden as Inspiration (2020-present). The classes have proven extremely popular and have led to an exciting level of interest in the gardens, artmaking, and the camaraderie from participating in both. A natural next step is a major event highlighting art and its relationship with the Wicker Park community and gardens.

The gardens date back to 1988 and have served as artistic inspiration before now. An iteration of the art fair was held in 2002 when garden designer Douglas Wood joined the Chicago Park District. Wood’s task was to renovate the 10,000 square feet of garden space, and in so doing he took on fund-raising projects that also included his other artistic interests. As a dancer in Iowa City and Chicago for twenty-three years, Wood had choreographed dozens of performances in collaboration with visual artists, poets, composers, playwrights, and film makers. In 2004, he started the Garden as Gallery, Stage, and Forum, a weekend event that combined performing and visual artists situated among the gardens. It was then he met Maria Mariottini, an artist in many disciplines who was one of the founding members of the Bucktown Arts Fest. Mariottini knew the importance of bringing quality art directly into a neighborhood to foster a sense of community. Among other projects, she had worked with Judy Chicago on her Dinner Party installation, a moment when she observed the joy of the social aspect around art appreciation. 

Mariottini and Wood hit it off in 2004, and when she was considering her capstone project for her MFA in adult art education in 2020, she contacted Wood to propose a collaboration with the Wicker Park Garden Club. She is now the instructor of the art classes in the park, and she and Wood are coordinating the Wicker Park Fine Art Fair.

Artist Roster

The call for artists went out to local art organizations and on social media for people working in 2D and 3D media whose work shows quality of craftsmanship and clarity of vision. Artwork with a connection to the natural environment, either in theme or materials, was given extra consideration to reinforce the idea of gardens as inspiration. Maria received more than one hundred applications, and the fair committee selected thirty-five artists. See the list of artists here: https://mariamariottini.com/wickerparkfineartsfest/

The current event layout places groups of artists’ booths lining the pathways in the park, along with a small stage for classical music performances. Gardener Doug Wood will give tours of the gardens. Some artists will be asked to create work especially for installation in the gardens, bringing back the idea of ‘the garden as gallery.’

The Wicker Part Fine Art Fair will be a free event sponsored by the Wicker Park Garden Club working in collaboration with the Chicago Park District. Follow @wickerparkfineartfair on Instagram for more information about the event. The main entrance to Wicker Park is located at 1425 N. Damen Avenue (at Schiller Street). For more information about the art fair, contact Maria Mariottini at wickerparkfineartfair@gmail.com and see https://mariamariottini.com/wickerparkfineartsfest/