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View Full Version : NEW Aberdeen Artwalk


iowasculptor
09-12-2006, 07:45 PM
We we have kicked off our Downtown Artwalk program. This was an idea I got after watching Pepon Osorio in Art21(highly recomended viewing). He was doing home visits with his are where the art would go to homes for a month and while there the residents would have parties and gatherings and people would see his work...anyway I thought we could do this in businesses. So I got with our local downtown association and organized the Downtown artwalk. In our world it works like this: we have 11 businesses that agreed to participate, I invited 11 artists that I felt were of high quality for this area. We will have new artists or at least new work next month. Each business is providing a place to show art and each artist is supplying several pieces of art. The businesses get increased foot traffic and the artists get exposure and the public gets educated. Oh, the businesses get 15% of sales, the artwalk gets 5% and the artist gets 80%. The business gets free art to hang on their walls too. I get ...nothing, oh well its one of my contributions to the art world. On Friday we are having our reception from 11-1 and each business will have snacks and the artists will be on hand to talk to the public, I am hoping to have a roving band to walk and stop at all of the participating businesses to play and entertain the patrons. There really isn't a market to support an art gallery here, but now we have eleven and it cost less than $50. We are printing up maps for people and I was interviewed by the paper today for a story that is going to run on Thursday. Hopefully we will have a good turnout. If anyone wants any of the materials so they can copy this program let me know and I will gladly send them to you.
Matt

ironman
09-13-2006, 09:39 PM
Hi Matt, I applaud your initiative in getting this "art walk" going. I hope it's successful for you and all the other artists involved.
I live in a small town (12,000) and we used to have an "open studio" tour once a month, that disintegrated due to the influx of "Sunday painter" types and the fact that the REAL artists wanted to stay in their studios and CREATE!
We now have a "Weekend at the Galleries" every Columbus day weekend and although it's only once a year, has become quite successful.
Have a great day,
Jeff