The Arts in Elgin – Talent Goes Full Circle
This Guest Blog is courtesy of Bartlett High School Student Arjun Sivasankaran.
The City of Elgin has been a strong arts-built community for centuries now. In 1835, The Gifford Brothers founded the city and named it after a Scottish hymn, “The Song of Elgin.” As even the name derives from music, the whole town was blessed with the gift of the arts. As you go through Downtown Elgin, you will see the talents of the people in music and in visual arts. Below you will find details on some of the talented artists of Downtown Elgin, and where to find them.
Musical Prowess of Downtown Elgin
Brian Doroba entertaining the shoppers at the Downtown Elgin Farmers Market.
The Farmers Market is brought to you on Spring Street every Friday from 3-7pm, rain or shine! Some 40+ vendors attend every week with a wide variety of goods, and many leave with a sign “Sold Out!” sign on their booth. With thousands of people coming in and out, you’ll enjoy many different interactions with multiple different people and have plenty of opportunities to run into old friends, or make some new ones too. As you stroll through the market, you will also hear some amazing music playing, thanks to the different talents that flourish through Downtown Elgin.
Most people come to the market to kick-off their weekend. They can enjoy live entertainment while they shop, and stay long after to enjoy the restaurants and bars downtown. On June 3rd, the Farmers Market had the Frank Liston Trio play some familiar as well as original tunes. They received a well-deserved standing ovation and every single person was grinning from ear to ear as they watched them perform. The intense combination of acoustic guitar and drums accompanied by Frank Liston’s beautiful singing made it a treat for everyone who was in attendance. Go check him out!
Another beautiful expression of the talent in Downtown Elgin is Brian Doroba. His wonderful performance at the Farmers Market was a perfect compliment for everyone to take a break from shopping and enjoy some tunes. His amazing voice paired with his skill in drums and the guitar can be put together to make absolute art. Whether he speeds it up or slows it down, it keeps everyone’s heads swaying. As a blues musician, he has been an astonishing artist and street performer for many years. He is the embodiment of melodic blues, and he has everyone listening to every word of it.
Vivid Visual Arts
The crew at Funky Rooster Tattoo and Art Gallery is a diverse group of local artists who live and breathe art everyday.
As a demonstration that Downtown Elgin is no one-trick pony when it comes to talent, we also have the Funky Rooster Tattoo and Art Gallery! This place is a visual representation of beautiful art that can be put on to your body. As tattoo artists, they make it their mission to provide everyone a clean experience when getting tattoos. Their art also symbolizes their cultural and ethnic backgrounds. If you are an art connoisseur or are interested in tattoos, give their place a visit!
Oddball Art Labs is a group that has a different take on the art scene. Their goal is to progress the art scene of the City of Elgin. To increase acknowledgement of those wonderful artists who crowd the Downtown area, they host art shows and promote artists on their social media. On top of featuring them and connecting the artists with their branch, they will also work to support them monetarily and they have prepared grants for artists to run their own shows. Their upcoming art gallery exhibit, Totally Tiki, is running from July 1st to July 16th at Elgin ArtSpace Lofts.
What makes Oddball Art Labs even more intriguing is their very own Oddball Art Machines. They used the style of old 1950s cigarette machines, but instead of cigarettes, they dispense $5 pieces of artwork. There are 21 slots in the machines, and each slot is filled with art from an individual artist, in order to further promote those artists. This machine’s interactivity and customization makes it so unique to Downtown Elgin. It further shows the talent and creativity of the City of Elgin and is located at a gallery called Side Street Studio Arts.
Elgin Is a True “City of the Arts” Where All Artists Can Thrive
“Communication Station” is a colorful piece of public art located in the newly renovated Civic Center Plaza.
There are talented artists all over Downtown Elgin such as the talents displayed in the drum circle at the Farmers Market. On the Opening Day of Farmer’s Market, you could see kids crawling up onto the seats in the drum circle, seniors picking up their hand drums, and teenagers starting to feel the rhythm of the drum circle. The opportunity to showcase your talent in Downtown Elgin reaches beyond the typical performer. You’ll also find everyday people, who don’t really consider themselves artists, exploring and enjoying the opportunities to express themselves through the arts. For those who really just prefer to admire art you’ll want to come explore all the amazing Downtown Elgin public art scattered throughout town. New pieces of public art are installed every year!
As a city tuned with talent, Downtown Elgin never fails to impress. The performances held at different establishments or at the Farmer’s Market, and the visual-artistic ability displayed by the galleries really showcase the talent of this city. The city has majorly embraced the arts, and they have not lacked in shining light on it yet. With art galleries mixed with tattoo shops, or local music gigs at a restaurant, the talent of Elgin will only flourish in the future.
The Arts in Elgin – Talent Goes Full Circle
This Guest Blog is courtesy of Bartlett High School Student Arjun Sivasankaran.
The City of Elgin has been a strong arts-built community for centuries now. In 1835, The Gifford Brothers founded the city and named it after a Scottish hymn, “The Song of Elgin.” As even the name derives from music, the whole town was blessed with the gift of the arts. As you go through Downtown Elgin, you will see the talents of the people in music and in visual arts. Below you will find details on some of the talented artists of Downtown Elgin, and where to find them.
Musical Prowess of Downtown Elgin
Brian Doroba entertaining the shoppers at the Downtown Elgin Farmers Market.
The Farmers Market is brought to you on Spring Street every Friday from 3-7pm, rain or shine! Some 40+ vendors attend every week with a wide variety of goods, and many leave with a sign “Sold Out!” sign on their booth. With thousands of people coming in and out, you’ll enjoy many different interactions with multiple different people and have plenty of opportunities to run into old friends, or make some new ones too. As you stroll through the market, you will also hear some amazing music playing, thanks to the different talents that flourish through Downtown Elgin.
Most people come to the market to kick-off their weekend. They can enjoy live entertainment while they shop, and stay long after to enjoy the restaurants and bars downtown. On June 3rd, the Farmers Market had the Frank Liston Trio play some familiar as well as original tunes. They received a well-deserved standing ovation and every single person was grinning from ear to ear as they watched them perform. The intense combination of acoustic guitar and drums accompanied by Frank Liston’s beautiful singing made it a treat for everyone who was in attendance. Go check him out!
Another beautiful expression of the talent in Downtown Elgin is Brian Doroba. His wonderful performance at the Farmers Market was a perfect compliment for everyone to take a break from shopping and enjoy some tunes. His amazing voice paired with his skill in drums and the guitar can be put together to make absolute art. Whether he speeds it up or slows it down, it keeps everyone’s heads swaying. As a blues musician, he has been an astonishing artist and street performer for many years. He is the embodiment of melodic blues, and he has everyone listening to every word of it.
Vivid Visual Arts
The crew at Funky Rooster Tattoo and Art Gallery is a diverse group of local artists who live and breathe art everyday.
As a demonstration that Downtown Elgin is no one-trick pony when it comes to talent, we also have the Funky Rooster Tattoo and Art Gallery! This place is a visual representation of beautiful art that can be put on to your body. As tattoo artists, they make it their mission to provide everyone a clean experience when getting tattoos. Their art also symbolizes their cultural and ethnic backgrounds. If you are an art connoisseur or are interested in tattoos, give their place a visit!
Oddball Art Labs is a group that has a different take on the art scene. Their goal is to progress the art scene of the City of Elgin. To increase acknowledgement of those wonderful artists who crowd the Downtown area, they host art shows and promote artists on their social media. On top of featuring them and connecting the artists with their branch, they will also work to support them monetarily and they have prepared grants for artists to run their own shows. Their upcoming art gallery exhibit, Totally Tiki, is running from July 1st to July 16th at Elgin ArtSpace Lofts.
What makes Oddball Art Labs even more intriguing is their very own Oddball Art Machines. They used the style of old 1950s cigarette machines, but instead of cigarettes, they dispense $5 pieces of artwork. There are 21 slots in the machines, and each slot is filled with art from an individual artist, in order to further promote those artists. This machine’s interactivity and customization makes it so unique to Downtown Elgin. It further shows the talent and creativity of the City of Elgin and is located at a gallery called Side Street Studio Arts.
Elgin Is a True “City of the Arts” Where All Artists Can Thrive
“Communication Station” is a colorful piece of public art located in the newly renovated Civic Center Plaza.
There are talented artists all over Downtown Elgin such as the talents displayed in the drum circle at the Farmers Market. On the Opening Day of Farmer’s Market, you could see kids crawling up onto the seats in the drum circle, seniors picking up their hand drums, and teenagers starting to feel the rhythm of the drum circle. The opportunity to showcase your talent in Downtown Elgin reaches beyond the typical performer. You’ll also find everyday people, who don’t really consider themselves artists, exploring and enjoying the opportunities to express themselves through the arts. For those who really just prefer to admire art you’ll want to come explore all the amazing Downtown Elgin public art scattered throughout town. New pieces of public art are installed every year!
As a city tuned with talent, Downtown Elgin never fails to impress. The performances held at different establishments or at the Farmer’s Market, and the visual-artistic ability displayed by the galleries really showcase the talent of this city. The city has majorly embraced the arts, and they have not lacked in shining light on it yet. With art galleries mixed with tattoo shops, or local music gigs at a restaurant, the talent of Elgin will only flourish in the future.
“Hi, my name is Arjun Sivasankaran and I’m a senior at Bartlett High School! I’m interested in pursuing a finance degree and have plans working in technology-related fields. Being an intern at DNA not only solidified my ideas for post-secondary, but it also gave me a peak into an entire area that I had never explored. It helped me meet new people and create connections with people that I never thought I would!”
