Cottonwood fluffs floated through the air as sunlight warmed Bloomington’s downtown sidewalks well into Friday evening. Bloomington residents and visitors alike hit the pavement June 2 to explore the galleries that keep their doors open late for First Friday celebrations.
These downtown galleries stay open late on the first Friday of every month to play host to exhibits and serve refreshments. Visitors can enjoy exhibits by 11 downtown galleries within a half mile radius. Despite IU students’ recent exodus from Bloomington for the summer, June’s Gallery Walk thrummed with activity.
Lauren Kniss, the gallery director at Pictura Gallery on Sixth Street, said that it can be hard to predict the turnout for summer Gallery Walks. June’s Gallery Walk, though, was a success.
Pictura Gallery has participated in Gallery Walks since it first opened in 2008, and the momentum gained by Gallery Walk events since then has been obvious to Kniss.
“Every year, it’s been getting bigger and bigger,” she said.
Servers circulated throughout the gallery with platters of food in hand as visitors leaned in to examine the photographs on the walls.
“It’s been a great crowd,” Kniss said. “We have a loyal following, and they always come out.”
For its summer exhibit, Pictura Gallery showcased Kevin Horan’s show “Chattel.” Featuring studio-lit, black-and-white portraits of farm animals, the show exhibited a more playful side of photography. According to gallery curator Lisa Woodward, this was no accident.
“There are a lot of unfortunate things in the world right now,” she said. “So we thought it would be a good time for a fun summer show.”
Next door, gallery406 featured artist Kevin Pope, whose mixed-media pieces reflect his work as a cartoonist for his show, “Paintings to Eat TV Dinners To.”
IU PhD student Rachel Hopf wandered inside gallery406 to survey his art. This was her first time attending Bloomington’s Gallery Walk after six years as a Bloomington resident.
“This is a really cool chance for artists from around town to show their work,” Hopf said. “The diversity of the artwork represents Bloomington.”
Just down the street, Blueline Gallery hosted the colorful show “High Chroma.” Recent IU MFA graduates Madeline Winter and Mitch Raney collaborated to create their exhibit of paintings and mixed-media works in a show that harnessed the intensity of color.
“It’s a dream come true to walk around and see all this cool work and say, ‘I want to be a part of this,’” Raney said. “And then suddenly, you are a part of it. It’s very exciting.”
Kniss said she was encouraged by the sense of community Gallery Walk creates for artists like Raney and visitors alike.
“There is so much culture in this town and I think it’s great that all these galleries and institutions work together,” Kniss said. “It’s a fabulous event that people know on a Friday night they can just come out and walk around downtown and experience all these art forms.”
