Get in the Scene with First Wednesday Art Walk

Art Walk is one of those instances in which the sum is truly greater than all of the parts. Of course there's art, and plenty of it, covering the full spectrum of art--painting, photography, sculpture, multimedia, performance, culinary; in museums, galleries, restaurants, shops and on the street. But it's even more than that. Downtown becomes a celebration of the people who live here and enjoy everything Downtown has to offer. Take this mini-tour of a recent Art Walk with us and meet some of the artists, athletes, artisans, merchants, entrepreneurs and personalities who pull it all together. Hemming Plaza is the heart of Art Walk, and its beat spills onto the surrounding streets and blocks with art, music, food, people-watching, laughter and pure energy, in every direction. You never know who you're going to run into. We met an Olympic gymnast, a future Olympic gymnast, a future singing star and an entrepreneur who combined his artistic and business talents to create his own company. A walk-through of Next! Gallery resulted in a chance encounter with Sharla Valeski, the owner, who unbeknownst to us at the time, is an alumna of the former FCCJ. Look for her Alumni Spotlight on this Web site (Keyword: What's Up Next). And on that night, Florida State College students inhabited the entire Hayden Burns  Library to showcase their painting, sculpture, photography, multimedia, instrumental jazz, choral and dance artistry. If you've been to Art Walk before you know what you can expect: it's always different! If you haven't been, you need to take a trip Downtown on the first Wednesday of any month, find a free parking space, explore Downtown on foot (it's Art WALK, remember, and it's free). If you want to spend a few bucks, stop and have a hot dog at the corner of Hemming Plaza or stop in one of the many restaurants to have a glass of wine or enjoy a full meal. You might even find some work of art that speaks to you, saying "Take me home!" Yes, artwork is for sale. Find out what you'll see at the next Art Walk by going to http://downtownjacksonville.org/Marketing/First_Wednesday_Artwalk.aspx. I'll probably see you there.

The Campus Voice recently covered an Art Walk Event. Click here to read the story.