Romance & Broadway!

This Valentine’s Day weekend, skip the off-key serenade and leave the music to the masters. The Lake Forest Symphony and Maestro Vladimir Kulenovic—named “Chicagoan of the Year in Classical Music” by the Chicago Tribune—will dazzle audiences with selections from Andrew Lloyd Weber’s Phantom of the Opera and Cats, and Leonard Bernstein’s West Side Story. The Symphony’s principal clarinetist, Kathryne Pirtle, will also be in the spotlight, performing Mozart’s Concerto for Clarinet. For more information, visit lakeforestsymphony.org.

Meet the Author

In her debut novel, Minor Dramas & Other Catastrophes, Minneapolis-based author Kathleen West pokes fun at the privileged bubble that envelops the fictional town of Liston Heights. The book has been received by critics as a smart take on the follies and foibles of micro-managing parents, overworked teachers, and the children who are caught in the middle. On Tuesday, February 11 at 6 p.m., West—a veteran middle and high-school teacher with plenty of personal experience from which to mine—will make an appearance at Lake Forest Book Store to talk about her work. Refreshments will be served and copies of the book will be available for signing. For more information, visit lakeforestbookstore.com.

Her Heart is in Havana

Last September, local photographer Kerri Sherman published Cuba Captured, a coffee table book full of colorful images from her recent travels to Havana. Her vivid street photography—produced under the tutelage of Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist Alex Garcia—captures everything from boxers to back alley dominoes players. On February 6 at 7 p.m., Lake Forest Library will host Sherman as she discusses her experiences abroad, as well the personal process of distilling the essence of this exotic locale. Enjoy a chance to chat with the artist and absorb the brilliant colors and textures of her photography. For more information, visit kerrisherman.com or lakeforestlibrary.org.

Visual Escapes

Trade the dreary winter blues for dreamy coastal vibes without ever having to leave town. On February 25, New Orleans-based artist Elise Allen comes to The Gallery in Lake Forest for her debut show, “Ebb & Flow.” Curated in collaboration with art director (and Lake Forest resident) Vickie Marasco, the collection includes Venetian plaster and acrylic paintings, many of which are “influenced by the beach and seascapes” for an effect that “instills a sense of serenity and calm.”

Allen, who studied at Spring Hill College in Mobile, Alabama, and The Finishing School in Floral Park, New York, began her career as a professional decorative artist, specializing in faux finishes. She later worked as an assistant to New York muralist Andrew Tedesco and was mentored by celebrity pop artist Ashley Longshore before making a natural transition to fine art. In 2014, nine original pieces commissioned by Pottery Barn sold out, bringing her profile to a new level.

Viewers of the show can expect abstract work that plays with texture. Pieces are intensive labors of love, involving up to a hundred layers of plaster and paint. “We are grouping by colors,” explains Allen. In addition to tranquil blues, she says, “there are bright, fun colorful pieces with hot pink, orange, and lime green; a dark group with tans, taupe, black, and white; one with lavenders and purples… It’s kind of a transition, which is why it’s called ebb and flow. A lot of my work comes from trial and error, so it’s constantly evolving and I’m always trying new, different things.”

The show is free and open to the public; food and wine will be served on opening night from 5 to 7 p.m. For more information visit thegallerylf.com.