As founder and president of Amdur Productions, Amy Amdur has cultivated one of the most respected art festival enterprises in the nation. (Photo courtesy of Amy Amdur)
Nothing defines a Chicago summer quite like its street festivals, including its vibrant art fairs. But how did these events become such an integral part of the city’s culture?
Much credit goes to Amy Amdur. As founder and president of Amdur Productions, she has spent more than four decades cultivating one of the nation’s most respected art festival enterprises, producing events in more than two dozen communities. Her portfolio includes some of the Midwest’s most celebrated events, such as the Gold Coast Art Fair, Millennium Art Festival, Art at the Glen, and Third Ward Art Festival in Milwaukee.
Amdur fondly recalls being 5 years old, gazing into the window of an art school in her local shopping center. She was captivated by the colors artists brushed onto their canvases. Soon after, her parents enrolled her in painting classes—an experience that would shape her lifelong perspective on art. Her instructor, Flo Singer, emphasized that there was no single “correct” way to paint. That philosophy has continued to influence Amdur’s approach to art—and to the juried festivals she produces—ever since.
“My first painting was a beach in Highland Park. I remember pressing sand into the painting. That was my introduction to being an artist,” Amdur recalled. Her art was featured in a community art show that very summer, and a life-long passion took root.
After graduating from Northwestern University, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and the Kellogg School of Management, Amdur joined her father, Steve Amdur. An accomplished developer, he helped revitalize downtown Highland Park through the creation of Port Clinton Square. Tasked with planning the development’s grand opening, Amdur chose to center it around an art fair—recognizing the power of art to bring people together and draw her community into its newly revitalized space.
What began in 1984 as a one-off featuring just 40 artists has grown into a nationally recognized festival. The annual Port Clinton Art Festival is now ranked among the country’s most prestigious by Sunshine Artist magazine. Four decades later, Amdur Productions produces more than 25 juried, family-friendly art festivals each year.
Amdur is proud to have cultivated a lasting local tradition while making art accessible to broad audiences. “It’s been really gratifying for me, over the span of 40 years, to hear people tell me they came when they were little kids, and now they come with their own children,” she said.
Through her events, she also champions critical causes, including PFLAG and the WINGS Program, which provide support, respectively, for LGBTQ+ families and women and children escaping domestic violence. Amdur has also partnered with the Chicago Furniture Bank, encouraging artwork donations that help transform empty living spaces into homes for families transitioning out of homelessness.
Deeply connected to her community, Amdur serves on the Highland Park Arts Commission and as president of the Highland Park Property Owners Association. She is also active with Jewish organizations like the Anti-Defamation League, and her festivals are often graced with Jewish and Israeli artists, while partnerships with groups like JCC Chicago offer family-focused programming.
“Art reflects what’s going on in the world,” Amdur said. In her case, it also responds to what is going on, by creating opportunities for representation and inclusion, such as tactile works accessible to partially sighted festivalgoers.
This summer, when you’re at one of Amdur Productions’ arts festivals, enjoy knowing that you are part of a living tradition for both the Jewish and greater Chicagoland communities. After all, creating meaningful festivals is an art in itself.
For the 2026 Art Festival Lineup, visit amdurproductions.com.
Jenna Cohen is a marketing and communications professional living in Chicago.
