LF_121219

22 | December 12, 2019 | The lake forest leader LIFE & ARTS
LakeForestLeaderDaily.com
NO SILENT
NIGHTS
HERE.
HOLIDAY SAVINGS!
S!
2 TICKETS FOR $99
2 PONCHO SEATSS
FOR $109
USE CODE DRUM
BLUEMAN.COM | 1.800.BLUEMAN
Posted to LakeForestLeaderDaily.com 1 day ago
Art show offers unique holiday gifts
Katie Copenhaver
Freelance Reporter
The artists of Stirling
Hall presented their 15th
Annual Holiday Art Show
on Friday, Dec. 6 and Saturday,
Dec. 7 at their Lake
Forest facility.
Unlike many holiday art
and craft shows that include
both regional and out-ofstate
artists, this show exclusively
features the work
of artists who teach or take
classes at the art center.
“There’s a real community
here,” said teacher
Patty Kochaver. “It stays
small, and it attracts a serious-minded
student.”
The art center specializes
in ceramics, and there was
a wide array of both functional
and decorative works
for sale.
Mark and Carolyn Mc-
Mahon, of Lake Forest,
had perhaps the largest variety
of art on display. Mark
was selling his trademark
drawings of familiar local
and regional landmarks in
several formats, including
mugs, sketchbooks
and matted pieces. One of
the sketchbooks about the
whooping crane migration
from Wisconsin to Florida
shows his interest in nature
and conservation.
Mark was also selling
some of his new ceramics,
a medium he has recently
returned to for the first time
since he was in college.
Among them were lanterns
and a dip tower for serving
chips and dip. He noted that
he is in his third ceramics
class at Stirling Hall and
had a few works in progress
in one of the onsite
studios; his first bird feeder
and his first fountain for a
bird bath.
Carolyn had several animal
sculptures featuring
A guest at the Stirling Hall Annual Holiday Art Show
admires pottery for sale on Saturday, Dec. 7. Alex
Newman/22nd Century Media
fish, cats and deer. She also
was selling ceramic funnels
that can be used in brewing
coffee and other food
preparation tasks. She refers
to those as part of the
“domestic appliances” she
creates. In addition, she
had one of her handmade
ceramic chess sets that she
fabricates without the use
of molds.
Kochaver was selling
saggar fired ceramic bowls,
created with a Chinese
art form that incorporates
sawdust, salts and metals
to produce special effects.
She also had some highfired
ceramics that are safe
for serving food and beverages.
Skokie resident Kochaver
started teaching at
Stirling Hall three years
ago after many years as an
instructor at the Evanston
Art Center. She and Mark
McMahon both explained
that artists come to Stirling
Hall, which is operated by
the Lake Forest Parks and
Recreation Division, from
all over the suburbs and
city to take classes because
the center offers several
forms of ceramics creation
with high fire reduction,
raku, pit firing and soda firing.
“To have all of those in
one facility is unique,” she
said. “It broadens the opportunity
[for artists] to
grow.”
Debra Lerman, supervisor
of Stirling Hall, is in her
19th year of teaching at the
art center and has been involved
with the holiday art
show since its beginning.
“The reason I’ve never
left is the facility is top
notch,” she said, noting that
the setting on the wooded
Grove Campus in Lake
Forest is also lovely.
Lerman and Stirling
Hall Director Karen Avery
handle most of the
administrative tasks at the
art center, which include
managing the holiday art
show, developing the curriculum
and operating the
kilns. Both of them also
teach classes at the facility
to kids and adults. Lerman
noted they teach people
ages 5 to 95.
Lerman also pointed out
that while the artists make
most of the money from
the holiday art show sales,
a small percentage goes to
support Stirling Hall’s programming
and operations.
For the full story, visit
LakeForestLeaderDaily.
com.