This Friday, the monthly Artwalk Gainesville event will be taking place around the downtown area. There will be 19 venues exhibiting local art at the event, which is free and open to the public.
Artwalk acts as a self-guided tour of downtown Gainesville. By visiting each gallery participating in the event, attendees will get to explore areas of the city they might not have known about before.
Locations of the venues, descriptions of the art featured at each of the venues and a map of the downtown area are all available at artwalkgainesville.com.
The Gainesville art walk happens on the last Friday of each month. Though it has been going on for more than 30 years, many Gainesville residents don’t know about it.
“Over the last 30 years, the artwalk has gone through different phases,” Artwalk Gainesville coordinator Frank Curtis, 56, said. “I have been the Artwalk coordinator for a little over a year, and I’ve been trying to bring it up to more modern standards.”
Artwalk starts at 7 p.m. and ends at 10 p.m. However, the Gainesville Fine Arts Association, located at 1314 S. Main St., will open early at 6 p.m. for an opening reception by Curtis.
“The GFAA is hosting an art in education program at the Artwalk,” Curtis said. “A lot of artists, including myself have donated pieces. One hundred percent of the proceeds from this will go to elementary art education in Alachua County.”
A unique exhibition that is new to Artwalk Gainesville will take place at local woodworker Marcus Collier’s home. Collier makes Asian-inspired wood furniture, including everything from desks to cigarette dispensers to wooden shoji screens. Collier’s home gallery also opens at 6 p.m.
“Everything I make is Asian-inspired,” Collier, 57, said. “I was originally inspired by my mom, who filled my childhood living room with Asian antiques and art.”
