The Long Legacy

Elmhurst resident turns dream of local art festival into reality

BY ANNA HUGHES | PHOTOS COURTESY OF ROZ LONG

Roz Long has called Elmhurst home for 47 years. The city’s charm and historical roots were enticing to Long, a newlywed looking for the perfect home to raise a family.

“There was a house available for sale, and I always wanted to live across the street from a college campus,” Long said. “So, it was like perfect.”

The one thing missing for Long was a more vibrant art scene.

Although Long’s degrees were in counseling and special education, she had an additional passion: the arts. She inherited the interest from her father, a Lithuanian immigrant, and his guardian, an art collector.

Roz Long and her twin sister at the very first
year of the art festival.

“After college, I went to an Old Town arts show. And I said, ‘One day I’d like to maybe have a show,’” Long said.

That passing thought resurfaced frequently over the years, and Long eventually decided that Elmhurst would benefit from an art festival — and she would be the one to make it happen.

“I just felt that there was a need for an art festival like the caliber of the one downtown,” Long said. “With the partnership of the [Elmhurst Art Museum], I just thought it would be a perfect fit to really make an impact on the town.”

This spring, Long’s creation, “Art in Wilder Park,” will celebrate its 29th year in Elmhurst.

“I had a one-day show the first year on a Saturday, and then the second year, I had another one-day show on a Sunday, and we had about 500 people, and I saw that this was going to start to grow into something bigger,” Long said.

The show started with about 50 artists, and Long decided to partner with the Elmhurst Art Museum and the Elmhurst Park District to expand upon her original concept.

“It was really a nice fit to be working with the museum and the park district. The grounds were perfect. And the destination in the center of Elmhurst was perfect,” Long said. “I decided that I would just add different elements: I added entertainment, and then years later, I would add a kids’ court. And then I thought it would be good to add a food court…little by little, adding those elements helped [growth] too.”

Now, the festival showcases over 130 artisans from across the United States. According to Long, the artists appreciate the Elmhurst community and their continued commitment to supporting the show.

“[The artisans] just thought that this town really appreciates art more than a lot of towns,” Long said. “They felt that they were very educated with the arts, they appreciated the arts.”

“[The art scene has] definitely evolved, and it continues to evolve in a really positive way.”

— Roz Long, Founder, Art in Wilder Park

Long also founded the Wilder Mansion Holiday Market, which celebrated its 14th year in November, and the city’s Public Arts Commission — both additional successes for the entrepreneur. Long joked that if she were younger, she’d still be in charge, spearheading more events in the city. For now, she’s proud of the progress that’s been made.

“[The art scene has] definitely evolved, and it continues to evolve in a really positive way,” Long said.

She credits the supportive city leaders and the community with allowing the arts to flourish in Elmhurst.

“It’s so cool to see all the generations… You see the sisters’ weekend, they come in. You see mothers coming in from out of state to be with their daughters. They make it a special event,” Long said. “So it’s, it’s definitely, you know, it has made a huge impact on our town.”

Although Long has passed the torch to new leadership, she’s still looking for the next way she can support her beloved community. Her next goal is to combine her passion for the arts with her counseling background to create programs to help people suffering from dementia and other mental illnesses.

“Art is healing,” Long said. “You get to a point in your life as I do that you start looking at how we can make a difference in this world.”

She hopes Elmhurst will embrace this new dream, just as it has for all her others.

“The sky’s the limit with this town,” Long said.

To learn more about Roz Long and her local art events, visit www.rglmarketingforthearts.com.