On the first Friday of each month, 11 art galleries in Bloomington open their doors to the public for an evening of food, fellowship and art.
The monthly Gallery Walk, which returns on the first Friday of every month, will take place from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday. Attendees can view new exhibitions from many of the city’s local art galleries while enjoying snacks and refreshments.
The Gallery Walk has been part of the arts scene in Bloomington for over 10 years, said Paul Daily, artistic director of the Ivy Tech John Waldron Arts Center. The center has five galleries and takes pride in displaying a wide range of artistic mediums and artist abilities, Daily said.
“It’s a concerted effort by each of the galleries to allow the public to enjoy our art,” Daily said.
Local, regional, national and international artists have previously been featured. Each gallery features a variety of different artistic mediums such as paintings, sculptures, jewelry, ceramics and photography.
Artisan Alley program coordinator James Tanford said this weekend is an opportunity to not only enjoy the art, but to meet more people in the Bloomington community.
“The First Friday creates a little art community,” Tanford said. “It’s one of our more exciting weekends.”
Artisan Alley is a local space for Bloomington artists to collaborate and showcase their work in a flexible space, Tanford said. This month, it will feature an exhibition of photography from Nepal, Kentucky and southwestern states.
The gallery walk also allows students to explore areas of the Bloomington community outside of IU.
Jennifer Sova, marketing and outreach coordinator for Bloomingfoods’ Gallery B, said she hopes to attract more IU students to the gallery.
Gallery B, inside Bloomingfoods Near West at 316 W. Sixth St. will participate in the gallery walk for the second time. It will feature work by MFA student Caroline Gerberick and a live performance by local musician and farmer Salem Willard.
“Our shoppers are already involved at the gallery,” Sova said. “Being a part of the larger community of Bloomington arts will be beneficial for us.”
The gallery walk is free and open to the public. A map of the galleries is available here.
