Art crawl combines culture, economics
RUSSELLVILLE — Lela Ray, who was an art teacher in the Russellville City Schools for 35 years, said the art crawl is a showcase for local artists that draws attention to the importance of visual arts and brings people to the downtown area.
“I thought it was very successful last year,” Ray said. “We had groups of people that walked their dogs and just enjoyed the art, and others stopped for a treat or a meal. This is a way of drawing people together to enjoy the community and art by people in Franklin County.”
The second annual art crawl will take place March 22-April 6. It is sponsored by the GFWC Book Lovers Study Club, Russellville Main Street and CB&S Bank.
Participants are limited to non-professional artists who live in Franklin County. Divisions include child, intermediate and adult. Categories include painting (watercolor, oil, acrylic, mixed media), drawing (pastel, graphite, pen and ink, mixed media) and photography (color, black and white).
The Book Lover’s Art Crawl Committee will collect pieces of art in the Russellville First Baptist Church Chapel on March 20-21 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the First Baptist Church in downtown Russellville. (Note: The date in the print paper was listed as March 14; however, the correct dates are March 20-21.) Club members will contact businesses to place art pieces for display and judging.
The crawl will feature artwork on each side of North Jackson Avenue from Grissom Cleaners to CB&S Bank (one side), and from First Baptist Church to the unoccupied bank (next to the chamber of commerce office (one side). Art will be placed in business windows or inside the main store at the business owner’s preference.
“This event highlights the potential for economic development by showcasing unoccupied buildings and spaces while celebrating the current business community within the Main Street district,” said Julie McKinney, Book Lovers member and board member of Russellville Main Street.
“The increased visibility of these spaces not only benefits those looking to lease or sell properties but also encourages visitors to explore downtown’s existing businesses, inspiring potential entrepreneurs to invest in our community,” said Russellville Main Street Executive Director Kara Shelnutt.
