Anderson's First Friday Art Walk
Art exhibits, theater, food, concert on tap for inaugural event
By Traci L. Miller The Herald Bulletin May 30, 2018
ANDERSON — An evening of music, celebration, laughter and food is planned for downtown Anderson with the city’s First Friday Art Walk.
"I’m looking forward to it,” said Eliot Reed, owner of Park Place Arts, 515 E. Eighth St. “I’m excited.”
He said his gallery and custom frame shop attempted to start a similar event a couple of years ago, but was unable to get momentum behind the effort. He said with the addition of several new businesses the event will have something to offer everyone.
“I’m excited we can all work together and try to get something going on a monthly basis like this,” Reed said.
Park Place Arts is extending its hours on Friday for the event until 8 p.m. for those who want to visit the gallery or purchase merchandise from local artists featured at the business.
The First Friday Art Walk is being organized by A Town Center Inc. and begins at 5 p.m., said Sonia Caldwell, program director of A Town Center.
“We have been anticipating First Friday events for years,” she said.
Caldwell said the first Friday of each month her organization will host another walk featuring different artists and highlights to showcase Anderson’s downtown area as “a great place to live, shop, eat, drink and have fun.”
In addition to A Town Center, several businesses and arts organizations throughout the downtown area plan to participate in the event’s First Friday Walk including the Anderson Museum of Art, Anderson’s Mainstage Theatre, Jackrabbit Coffee, Kettle Top Brewhouse, Oakley Brothers Distillery, Park Place Arts and the Union Building with Art Association and East Side Studios.
The event coincides with the city’s Summer Concert Series, featuring Martha Green from 7 to 10 p.m. on the stage at Dickmann Town Center, 12th and Meridian streets.
Caldwell said the businesses will have specials and extended hours for the event. Jackrabbit Coffee is extending its hours until 9 p.m. and both Kettle Top Brewhouse and Oakley Brothers Distillery are offering drink and food specials, she said.
A Town Center plans to feature a number of artists from 5 to 8 p.m., including Caryn Gorman, Pip the Potter, Karen Upperman and Levi Rinker, along with appetizers, drinks and live music.
Other highlights include the Art Association of Madison County and East Side Studios having a “pop-up shop” inside the Union Building with potters Kameron Robinson and Chelsea Dawson as well as art for sale from local artists, Caldwell said.
Those wishing to enjoy a play can go to Anderson’s Mainstage Theatre for its comedy “I Hate Hamlet,” directed by Sara Fields. The show begins at 7:30 p.m. and tickets are $15 each.
The Anderson Museum of Art is extending its gallery hours until 8 p.m. during the First Friday Art Walk to allow people to visit the current Furniture Guild of Indiana Artisans exhibit. Greg Adams, an artist in the exhibit, will be demonstrating making willow trellises on the museum lawn from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
For more information regarding the 2018 First Friday Art Walks, email atowncenter@gmail.com, visit www.atowncenter.org, or contact Sonia Caldwell at 765-274-6553.
Follow Traci L. Miller @_TraciMiller on Twitter, email her at traci.miller@heraldbulletin.com, or call her at 765-640-4805.