First Friday ARTWALK February 4th! 5:30 to 9:00 pm
By Michelle Smythe
It’s February and love is in the air! Love of music, love of art, love for your Valentine! Join us downtown for the First Friday ArtWalk, February 4th, and you just might find the perfect, original gift for your sweety!
ArtWalk is a self-guided tour of galleries, studios, businesses and gallery-for-an-evening venues in Downtown. ArtWalk now has 57 participating venues opening their doors for the event. New venues include Makeshift Skateboards – Expression Gallery and coming in March the Ritz Theater. As always, Downtown businesses will feature great art, music, refreshments, specials and discounts.
ArtWalk begins and ends in La Retama Park where visitors will find artists, food and live music in a festive atmosphere. Live music will be provided by Jimmy Wilden. Hop a ride aboard the DTown Tram, which transports ArtWalkers to venues located in the heart of Downtown with HOBO aboard serenading the crowds with their special blend of “Honkadelica”.
The Regional Transit Authority has also joined ArtWalk with its ArtWalk Express, a bus that transports ArtWalkers to the far-reaching venues of ArtWalk, such as the Yachting Center, Art Center of Corpus Christi and Water Street Center. Both transports’ routes are approximately 15 minutes. Both begin and end at La Retama Park.
Notable exhibitions for the February ArtWalk include: WYSIWYG at K Space Contemporary, Mud & Merriment at the Art Center, and Amor Loco at Produce Gallery. In addition to Jimmy Wilden in La Retama Park and Hobo on the tram, great music will be heard all over Downtown. Enjoy music by Steven James and the Shakedown at Water Street Market. Subject to Change and Flat Broke will be playing at House of Rock.
WYSIWYG at K Space Contemporary is a wild, mixed-media and interactive exhibition by Canadian artist Wendy DesChene. Visitors are invited to play with toys and noisemakers and to create “frankensteined” stuffed animals in the on-site workstation. Items made by visitors will be included in and travel with the exhibition. Also, on view at K Space Contemporary are the irreverent collages of Reformat in the gift shop and Seeking Purity, a retrospective of work by Day Wheeler in the Hot Spot. Entertainment for the evening will be provided by 14-year-old singer Lili Banta and 11-year-old magician Steffen Banta.
At the Art Center of Corpus Christi, the Clay Studio Group is hosting their Mud & Merriment open house with demonstrations and refreshments. Dance group Celtic Flair will be performing at 6 and 8 pm in the Meadows Gallery surrounded by artwork from the annual All Membership Show. Additional exhibitions include Sue Sill’s Watercolors in the Lockett Gallery and Annette McPherson’s Clickr Snappers- children’s photography in the Hall Gallery. Desiree’s will have live music.
Produce Gallery always presents something hip, cool and interesting. Amor Loco, featuring works of art by local artist La Lisa Hernandez, is an “adults only” tribute to Valentines Day.
House of Rock will be hosting Bizarre Guitar, a fundraiser for the Del Mar Friends of Music Fund featuring donated guitars that have been turned into art. Participating artists are Bridgette Cadena, Laurette Escobar, Carlos Garcia, Anissia Hedrick, Al Molina, Stephanie Molina and Angela Schwengler. Guitars will be auctioned off in a silent auction throughout ArtWalk. Auction winners will be announced at 9:30 p.m.
ArtWalk wraps up at 8:45 pm in La Retama Park with drawings for door prizes and the grand prize – an original work of art. Local artist David Phillips has donated a work of art to be given away in the drawing at the end of the night. To win, ArtWalkers may collect tickets at various venues, then drop them in the drum at La Retama Park. (Must be present to win.)
ArtWalk is a great opportunity to check out what’s happening Downtown and see the exceptional talent of our local artists, musicians and performers. For a complete list of events and venues visit www.artwalkcc.com or join us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/artwalkcc.
Artwalk information and maps are available at La Retama Park, and from ArtWalk Ambassadors wearing orange ArtWalk t-shirts. Traveling between venues is easy; walk or catch the DTown tram or RTA ArtWalk Express, which provide free transportation to various stops throughout Downtown. Free parking is available and all venues are near favorite Corpus Christi eateries. Admission is FREE.
ArtWalk is organized by the Corpus Christi Downtown Management District. If you are interested in becoming a sponsor of or a participant in the ArtWalk, or have any art related business, suggestions or ideas in regard to the Art Walk, contact Alan Albin, Downtown Management District (alanalbin@dtowncc.com, 882-2363). To become a vendor in La Retama Park contact Michelle Smythe of K Space Contemporary, info@kspacecontemporary.org.
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