It was Sept. 16, 2001. I remember sitting in church before the service started, where an uneasiness cast an unusual pall over the nave. Gone was the congenial banter that normally filled the air, and soon seating was at capacity, another strange occurrence for a late summer Sunday. Parishioners were fearful, shocked, angry and grieving. They needed answers and reassurance, and came to the place where they hoped to find it.
I left after the sermon. Did I feel better? I’m not sure. I still needed time to make sense of the senseless. I drove without direction until I found myself in downtown Naperville, where the Riverwalk Fine Art Fair was in full swing. Although smaller than in previous years due to U.S. airspace being shut down after 9/11, leaving many artists unable to travel to the show, the fair exuded life, color and energy. A full display of handmade art lined the street and brightened the Riverwalk.
Did I feel better? Yes. I experienced what many studies have found: viewing art reduces stress, sharpens one’s focus and elevates mood. With renewed energy, I realized beauty endures, community exists while art and tragedy unite us. I then knew that recovery would be possible.
What I didn’t know at the time was that I would be co-directing the Riverwalk Fine Art Fair the very next year and that tens of thousands of people would return to revel in the life, color and energy that this art market brings to Naperville’s downtown streets.
Twenty-five years later, I am still running the show, which has grown to be one of the best in the country. I give thanks to Stacey McMurphy Forand, my mentor, who showed me the ropes and sparked my love of this annual event. When she turned the show over to me in 2004, she told me that art fair directors burn out quickly, as I would soon discover. Sadly, Stacey passed away in 2021, but I remain at the helm – grateful, energized and still love every minute of it.
This year’s Riverwalk Fine Art Fair is prepped and ready to go! Come see it from 10AM to 5PM both days on Sat. and Sun., Sept. 19 and 20, on Jackson Avenue between Main and Eagle Streets.
For more info, visit napervilleartleague.com.
