As I have for the past two months, and continuing into the future, I will post Art Walk related links here all day long. I hope for Urban Jacksonville to become the place to go on First Wednesday Art Walks to find out what’s going on. Please send me Art Walk related events and news. joeymarchy[at]gmail.com or just post your Art Walk related event or link in the comments. Art it up dawgs!
Artwalk Rundown: You can lead a whore to culture, but you can’t make her think.
Brian Gray at The Art Center
100,000 EXPECTED FOR TONIGHTS ARTWALK
Update: I was asked to be in the bike show, so come down and check out my ride.
In conjunction with free Wednesday evening admission courtesy of Target, MOCA Jacksonville will start serving dinner in Cafe Nola on Wednesdays later this month.
Opaq Gallery presents a group show featuring Shanda Smith, Adam Reed, Jonathan Lux & Brittni Wood. 5-10, with the bar open downstairs till 2am. 333 E. Bay st. (above TSI)
Official Art Walk guide from Downtown Vision
Map of Art Walk events (PDF)
Bike show at May Art Walk
Interview with the bike show organizer Richard Reichstadter
Jacksonville Confidential meet up at the Burrito Gallery
New Painting for Upcoming Show, “The Assembly Line”
The history of Downtown Jacksonville’s First Wenesday Artwalk by Tony Allegretti. He also lists some frequently asked questions like “Why Wednesday?”:
Originally we thought that trying this event on a Friday or Saturday would be too competitive with other events. At the time there were very few people coming Downtown during the weekends. There was no precedent for an event like this.
When asked on the day of the first Art Walk (by the board of DVI) how many people would come out, I had to guess. I said 250. We have never had a walk (even in hurricane-ish weather with less than 1000 walkers). We needed a week night were we could compel the 60,000 plus employees to come out after five and enjoy some local art and flavor. Thursday was out because the JMOMA was closed on Thursday nights.
A large number of folks attend church on Wednesday which by most accounts is our biggest attendance drawback for having the walk on this night. Going forward, patrons, artists, and venues alike are interested in changing to a weekend night to increase the universe of people who can attend. It is simply more difficult to get folks out on a school or work night. The early consensus favors Friday. Worth noting here is that the Art Walk does not close streets down, import portable restrooms, or otherwise make an “event†out of the walk, making any night a prospect.
The real value of downtown and a street-front experience is seeing it for what it really is Monday through Friday and on the weekends. The City of Jacksonville does a most excellent job of throwing events, parties, concerts, and fests. The Art Walk should be thought of as a promotion not an event. I think of it as a monthly symphony of private downtown businesses, artists, and patrons.
tags: jacksonville, art walk, downtown, art
