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If You Go ...
Edler Glass Studio, 100 N. Stephenson St., Cedarville, Ill., 815/563-4601. www.edlerstudio.com. Open daily.
Colony Woodshed, 103 Bishop Hill St., Bishop Hill, Ill., 309/927-3571. Daily 10 a.m.-5 p.m. through Dec. 23.
Colin Folk Art, 6111 Mill St., Salisbury, Ill., 217/626-1204. Open daily.
Mississippi Mud Pottery, 310 E. Broadway St., Alton, Ill., 618/462-7573. www.mississippimudpottery.biz. Mon.-Sat. 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Sun. 12-4 p.m.
West Street Sculpture Park, 620 S. West St., Galena, Ill., 815/777-9591. Open daily.
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Across the
Illinois landscape – a sweeping prairieland anchored in shades of cornstalk yellow – unexpected dashes of color pop up, thanks to local artisans who ply their trades in small towns and in the country. One of the most innovative craftspeople is Daniel Edler, a renowned glassblower who has worked out of a private gallery in the bucolic town of Cedarville since 1974.
Called Edler Glass Studio, the spot exclusively showcases his hand-blown glassworks and free-form sculptures – all catching light with a rainbow-burst of hues. Edler welcomes visitors to watch him while he works, and he's developed quite a following – some collectors have been snapping up his pieces for 30 years.
Art of a functional sort is available in the tiny community of Bishop Hill in the western part of the state. Here, one-time town mayor Bob Funke creates brooms made from broomcorn that he grows himself. Don't pass up the chance to see Funke at the Colony Woodshed store where he creates everything from cobweb brooms to fireplace sweepers. What's more, Funke always has a story to share about Bishop Hill and its interesting history as a magnet for Swedish immigrants.
Another artist who loves to meet and greet visitors is George Colin, who, along with his wife, Winnie, runs Colin Folk Art out of a gallery near his home in Salisbury, a suburb of Springfield. Colin creates abstract works on canvas using Rembrandt pastels, and his subjects range from prima ballerinas to studies of Abraham Lincoln. His fans include George Bush Sr., U.S. Sen. Dick Durban and Oprah Winfrey, who all have acquired his work.
While Colin Folk Art remains a largely quiet space, there is always a crowd milling around Mississippi Mud Pottery, an artisan shop found in Alton in the southwestern part of the state. Owner Ken Barnett and other expert potters are always at the wheel creating unique hand-thrown stoneware. Any pottery lover will want to snoop around inside. The shop sells everything from clay vases and dishes to souvenir pieces engraved with pictures of city landmarks.
Into seeing art in the great outdoors? Stop by West Street Sculpture Park, found on the fringes of Galena. The park is packed with large steel sculptures created by local artist John Martinson. Taking mostly abstract, obscure forms (you'll love his quirkily named "Eye-Ful Tower"), the sculptures are made of scrap metal found by Martinson. You can catch him at work in the on-site studio, a huge garage-like space where he always seems to have a few projects going on at any one time.