In what has become an annual collaboration, downtown Columbus merchants and area artists team up again Thursday for the Downtown Columbus Art Walk.
Nearly 30 visual artists will be paired with more than two dozen downtown businesses for an evening of creative exploration, live music and after-hours shopping from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Presented by Main Street Columbus and the Columbus Arts Council, the fifth annual Art Walk has been named one of the Southeast Tourism Society’s Top 20 Events for September.
What began with local artists displaying inside downtown merchants’ shops has expanded to include artists on the sidewalks and in Leadership Plaza at the corner of Fifth Street South and College Street as well. Local musicians performing on the street add to the warm, hometown atmosphere, said Barbara Bigelow, executive director of Main Street Columbus.
“We enjoy partnering with the Columbus Arts Council each year so that this fabulous community event can take place in our historic downtown area,” Bigelow said. “We believe that having a well-defined art and cultural district proves vital and is a part of today’s new economy.”
Artist Faye Asadi of Columbus has participated every year, bringing her watercolor, oil and acrylic paintings. She describes the Art Walk as an “awesome night.”
“It’s people getting together, they can see your work and meet face to face,” she said. “I really love that environment.”
Jennifer Garner of Jennifer Garner Designs, located on Main Street, likes the event’s casually festive atmosphere.
“It’s come-and-go, a time to just enjoy and get to talk to people, check out local artists and shop locally downtown,” she said.
Like many other businesses involved, her shop will offer select promotions that night. “The Art Walk can be a good start on Christmas shopping,” she noted.
Where to go
Art Walk business and artist pairings as of Thursday are:
For more Art Walk information, contact Main Street Columbus, 662-328-6305, or the Columbus Arts Council, 662-328-2787.
Jan Swoope is the Lifestyles Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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