An annual event promoting the local arts scene made its return to the streets of downtown Chatham on Friday night.
An annual event promoting the local arts scene made its return to the streets of downtown Chatham on Friday night.
The Thames Art Gallery and ARTspace presented the Summer ARTcrawl, with many area businesses collaborating to animate their spaces with exhibits, or to provide demonstrations.
This year’s theme was titled, “All Dressed Up… And Places to Go,” and was centered around fashion. The block in front of ARTspace and the Cultural Center was closed to traffic to facilitate the various displays and entertainment acts.
“It’s been great. We’ve had a lot of interested business partners,” Phil Vanderwall, Thames Art Gallery curator, said of the free, family event.
The event also included a ‘passport’ that visitors could have stamped for a chance to win a prize.
Vanderwall believed that many participants were happy to do something in-person again, as opposed to viewing virtual exhibits, which were prevalent throughout the pandemic.
He expects the ARTcrawl will continue to grow in the future.
“It’s fantastic to be able to see people come in again,” he said. “It’s a different vibe.”
Becca Giles, a glass blower making pendants on King Street West, said she enjoyed her experience downtown.
“It’s amazing. It’s the first one I’ve been to,” she said of the ARTcrawl. “It brings people together, that’s for sure.”
The Thames Art Gallery is open from Wednesday through Saturday from 11 am to 4 pm ARTspace is open Wednesday through Saturday from noon to 5 pm