Tony Fitzpatrick’s etchings that have never been exhibited and Kirk Kerndl’s landscapes will exhibited Sept 22-Oct. 28 at Park Art Center in Villa Park.

DuPAGE COUNTY

Circuit judges elect their new leader

The Circuit Judges of the 18th Judicial Court in DuPage County elected one its colleagues – Judge Daniel Guerin – to the position of chief judge. He will succeed Chief Judge Kathryn Cresswell, when his term begins Dec. 4. Guerin is a graduate of DePaul University College of Law. He was appointed an associate judge in 2003 and appointed a circuit judge in 2009. Guerin was elected a circuit judge in 2010. He is currently the presiding judge of the Felony Division of the 18th Judicial Circuit.

FOX VALLEY

Hall of fame seeks outstanding artists

The Fox Valley Arts Hall of Fame welcomes nominations of outstanding artists for its 2018 Class of Inductees. Nominations may be submitted by Nov. 1.

The hall of fame recognizes artists associated with the Fox Valley by birth, education, residence or service, who have achieved international or national acclaim. Candidates should have completed 20 years in their professional field. The honor is for living artists or can be awarded posthumously.

Anyone may submit a name for consideration, and artists previously recommended may be nominated again. The nomination form and requirements can be found on the Fox Valley Arts Hall of Fame’s website, foxvalleyarts.org.

To date, 56 individuals representing the literary arts, media arts, performing arts and visual arts have been inducted. A fifth category is for an arts educator, director, curator or benefactor.

Aside from honoring artists, a second objective is to ensure a strong cultural legacy in the Fox Valley for future generations.

The Class of 2018 inductees will be announced in early 2018.

VILLA PARK

Very different artists are linked in one way

Tony Fitzpatrick draws inspiration for his art from a variety of sources from Chicago street culture to politics to circus posters and more. Kirk Kerndl draws from the tranquility found in the Midwestern landscape. These two divergent artists have one thing in common: their Lombard roots.

Their work will be shown together in an exhibit Sept. 22 through Oct. 28 at Park Art Center, 9 E. Park Blvd., Villa Park.

Fitzpatrick is a contemporary artist, actor and writer. In recent years, he has turned to large-scale mixed media drawings, paintings and collages. In the Park Art Center exhibit, will be Autumn Etchings, five-color etchings of earlier work that have never been exhibited.

Fitzpatrick’s work is exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. With nearly 200 prints at the Art Institute of Chicago, there are nearly as many prints by Fitzpatrick as by Rembrandt, Goya and Picasso. Enjoying international success at the prime of his career, Fitzpatrick suggested Park Art Center pair his work with Kirk Kerndl, a landscape artist whose work he admires.

Kerndl is drawn to capturing the light and stillness in the landscapes he depicts, finding that the understated calmness of his work helps to provide a counterbalance to the chaos of everyday life. His paintings are evocative of road trips through rural America, complete with farms, cows, large skies and a wide-open country feel.

The public can meet both artists at a reception, 6-9 p.m. Sept. 22.

OAK BROOK

Softball game added to Oktoberfest

 The Oak Brook Park District Oktoberfest will have all the elements needed for a good Oktoberfest: beer, live German music and food. But this Oktoberfest celebration ventures outside of German tradition by adding a softball tournament to the mix. The event will be held 12-8 p.m. Sept. 23 at Central Park, 1500 Forest Gate Road, Oak Brook. Children’s activities such as balloon artist, crafts and bounce house will be held from 1-5 p.m.

GLEN ELLYN

League of Women Voters hold state of village speech

Stacey Hulseberg, director of planning and development for the village of Glen Ellyn, will address the Glen Ellyn League of Women Voters’ State of the Village meeting. She will talk about downtown business district revitalization plans and other village matters. The meeting, which is open to the public, will be held 7:15 p.m. Sept. 21, at the Glen Ellyn Police Headquarters, 65 S. Park Blvd.

Crash survivor recounts accident caused by cell phone use

The tragic story of an accident caused by someone using a cell phone will be told by a survivor of the crash to the next Glenbard Parent Series: (GPS) Navigating Healthy Families meeting. Jacy Good and Steve Johnson will present “Hang Up and Drive” 7 p.m. Sept. 21, at Glenbard North High School, 990 N. Kuhn Road, Carol Stream.

On the day of Good’s graduation, a young man distracted by his mobile phone conversation drove through a red light, collided with an 18-wheeler, and hit Good’s car head-on.  Good’s parents were killed instantly, and Good was left with permanent injuries.  Determined to use her family’s tragedy to change behaviors and laws, Good became an advocate for phone-free roads.  She has brought her message to the United Nations.

NAPERVILLE

Outstanding firefighters can be nominated for award

The Naperville Citizen Appreciate Public Safety (CAPS) board is asking the public to nominate firefighters who have displayed outstanding service to the city and its residents.

Nominations are due by Oct. 1, and can be completed on the Naperville CAPS website, napervillecaps.com. The firefighters who win the award are given the George Winckler Award, named for the 26-year veteran of the fire department who passed away in a 1991 training exercise.

The award recipients will be honored at the CAPS Recognition Dinner at 6 p.m. Oct. 19, at Meson Sabika, 1025 Aurora Ave. Tickets can be purchased at the Naperville Fire Department or from Ruthi Sommers by calling (630) 305-5900.

–DuPage County News Briefs–