JANESVILLE — Janesville’s annual Art Infusion starts Friday and will continue through Sunday.
Christine Rebout, executive director of the Janesville Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, chairs the event. She said one of the main goals of this year’s Art Infusion is to enhance existing murals in the city’s downtown.
“You run out of real estate or you run out of brick you have to add to them or enhance them,” Rebout said.
Among the featured artists will be the Speece family, who have been doing chalk art in Art Infusion since 2014. The family consists of mom Beverly, 21-year-old Sophia, 19-year-old Cecilia, 17-year-old Bella, 16-year-old Claire, 14-year-old Monica and 12-year-old Genevieve. Beverly’s mother-in-law, Judy, brought up Art Infusion and suggested the family participate. They’ve been competing every year since.
“It became a mother-daughter thing. It’s fun,” Beverly said.
Each year, they’d stay overnight at Judy’s house, becoming even more of a family outing.
Now it has come full circle, a decade later, as now the Speeces are featured artists in Art Infusion.
“This year we were asked to be a featured family. It’s fun. How cool is that?” Beverly said.
“It seems like every year someone wins out of the team but that’s not why we do it,” Beverly added.
Other events include interactive art at Raven’s Wish, 101 W. Milwaukee St. from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. It’s free to participate.
There will be an art exhibit at the Hedberg Public Library, 316 S. Main St., which is also free, Friday and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. There will be art tours in the Lincoln-Tallman House, 426 N. Jackson St., at 10:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. It’s $20 per person and tours are limited to 10 people. Tickets are available to rchs.us/events.
On Saturday and Sunday, there will be free self-guided tours of the Janesville Art League Art Gallery from noon to 4 p.m. at the Janesville Woman’s Club, 108 S. Jackson St. On Saturday from 2-4 p.m. with Sandi Walton and Sunday from 1-3 p.m. with Maddie Heise at the Olde Town Mall, 20 S. Main St., there will be rock painting for fun. There will be lessons on rock painting and then participants will be able to paint their own. It is while supplies last, and they are included. It’s free to participate and it’s for all ages.
There will be free walking tours of the downtown murals at 11 a.m., 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. Participants are to meet in front of the Olde Towne Mall. Each tour is limited to eight people and last for 45 minutes. Pre-registration is required at roamaroundtours.com.
No Limits LDA will have a free dance performance at 2 p.m. at the Cope Ryan Pavilion, Janesville Town Square, 65 S. River St. No Limits LDA is a 501c3 organization with programming based on Rhythm Works Integrative Dance certification. According to the Rhythm Works Integrative Dance website, it’s a dance-based learning curriculum for individuals with autism, Down Syndrome, Sensory Processing Disorder, intellectual disabilities and other learning differences and physical challenges.
The Rock County Historical Society will have a 19th Century Art and Wine event, which will showcase the “passions of early Rock County residents.” Tickets, available at rchs.us/events, are $30. That includes a drafthouse coupon.
On Sunday, there will be a Makers Market and Creator Space from noon to 4 p.m. at Olde Town Mall. There will be handmade and original works, artist demonstrations and child-friendly activities.
Rebout said that the Rotary Botanical Gardens will integrate its Optimistic Owls and storywalk into Art Infusion as well.
The Janesville Farmers Market is going on at the same time as Art Infusion, Saturday at the Town Square from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. There’s also the Downtown Sidewalk Sale at 10 a.m. Saturday.
“We’ve really worked hard to integrate the community in what we’re doing,” Rebout said.
Art Infusion is free for spectators. This year’s chalk art competition features a theme of “Live Your Art.” The cost is $15 per person to compete. There is a registration link at www.janesvillecvb.com.
In-person registration is available at the Janesville Area Convention and Visitors Bureau office in Olde Towne Mall at 20 S. Main St. Suite 11. Awards for the competition will be at 3:30 p.m. at the Makers Market at Olde Towne Mall.
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