Amdur Productions Holds Tenth Annual Millennium Art Festival
Photography, jewelry and paintings. Handbags displaying vinyl record covers, wooden toy train sets and a lot of “do not touch” signs. Cartoon caricatures superimposed on the Chicago skyline and a very large AT&T truck.
This is a small sample of things attendees found at the 10th annual Millennium Art Festival this weekend. Over 100 artists arrived at Lake Street at Michigan Avenue to display their work and greet both Chicagoans and visitors from around the world.
Caitlin Pfleger, director of artist relations for Amdur Productions, said that after seven years of working on the festival, it’s exciting to see how far it has come.
“Every year we do this festival, the energy surrounding it just builds and builds,” said Pfleger. “Every year it just seems that people just get more and more excited about it.”
Pfleger added that artists are juried into the festival and must apply in order to display their work at the three-day event, which sees tens of thousands of people walk throughout the area over the weekend.
Pfleger said that Amdur Productions has made a concentrated effort to include artists who show unique work. Whether it be photographers using creative techniques or more abstract painters, visitors will find artists at the festival that otherwise might not be recognized, she said.
Kevin Lahvic, a five-year veteran of the Millennium Art Festival, fits Amdur’s strategy perfectly.
The 61-year-old Chicago native explained that his work combines acrylics and oils, something very unique in his field.
“I get a lot of positive reactions from the crowd,” said Lahvic. “It helps a lot when you do something that helps you stand out.”

Many artists said that what makes this festival great are the people, and that it reaffirms their passion for their work.
John Post, 67, a wooden toy train designer from Wisconsin, said what’s most amazing to him is the continued success of his trains throughout the years.
“I’ve been making these products for the last 35 years,” Post said. “Even after all that time, kids still love playing with these toys.”
As Millennium Art Festival comes to a close, Amdur Productions will continue hosting more art festivals this month. Still to come are the Southport Art Festival, the Michigan Avenue Artfest and the Glencoe Festival of Art.
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