South Third Street in downtown Geneva will host the juried Geneva Arts Fair this weekend, highlighting artists from across the country. The event runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, July 25-26. For more details, visit the Geneva Chamber of Commerce’s website at www.genevachamber.com.

Elizabeth Kindig, a Geneva-based painter known for her still life and landscape work, will present her art in front of the Kane County Historic Courthouse, located between James and Campbell streets. Kindig works with oils, acrylics, and pastels. Originally from Indiana, she moved to Geneva two years ago with her husband.

“I often play with color and abstraction to evoke my memories of the farm where I grew up,” Kindig shared in a statement on her website.

Kindig found her niche in painting, particularly in raising awareness of cherished objects forgotten in attics. As a child, she explored old farmhouses, developing an interest in the stories and histories of the items she discovered.

“In my still life work, I aim to give pride of place to heirlooms often stored away,” Kindig explained. “The process of painting these objects lets me honor the people who once valued them.” Her passion led her to paint familial heirlooms, evolving into accepting commissions for others’ cherished items.

One notable project was a painting of a grandfather’s Standard Oil work coat, complete with personalized stitches and repairs. “Capturing those details was important,” Kindig said. “Now it’s an heirloom for the next generation.”

Kindig moved to Geneva with her spouse, Ross Adams, and their daughter Maggie. She shifted from teaching middle school humanities to pursuing painting full-time, drawing inspiration from her family’s farm history and elements like cornfields and grain silos.

Linda Girardi, a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News, contributed this report.