April 2011 - First Friday ArtWalk

First Friday ArtWalk
By Alan S Albin

April 1st
5:30 to 9:00 pm
It’s April 1st but it’s no joke in Downtown Corpus Christi because on the First Friday of every month more than 60 businesses open their doors and welcome ArtWalkers in for an evening of fun, food, and fantastic art.
Always remembering that the definition of “art” on ArtWalk encompasses everything from sculpture, pottery, photography, performance, painting, music, jewelry, food, film, dance, and pretty much anything else you could imagine which guarantees that there will always be something for every taste at each event.

ArtWalk is a self guided tour of galleries, studios, businesses, and gallery for an evening venues in the  Downtown area which now encompasses venues from S.E.A. Town to The Center at 505 S Water Street and all points in between. ArtWalk has expanded so much recently that it is no longer possible to tour every venue on foot in one evening.
However, thanks to the Downtown Management District who own “Trammie” the DTown Tram which operates in the Central Downtown area and The CCRTA who provide the ArtWalk Express using their Community Bus to service the outlying areas to the North and South of Downtown,  dedicated “ArtWalkers” could actually visit every venue if they put their minds to it! Both these transports are provided free to ArtWalkers.

Photo by Alan S Albin

As always the official ArtWalk band, HOBO, play on board the DTown Tram entertaining tram riders and, thanks to the installation of a power inverter on the tram, most everyone else within a four block radius with their particular brand of “Honkadelica”. Sometimes serious, sometimes funny, but always with a careful mind to our mixed audience the guys moderate their less subtle lyrics to suit this family oriented event!

Photo by Alan S Albin

In La Retama Park visitors will find artist vendors, food vendors, live music, which in April will be provided by Get Off The Lawn! Bluegrass band, and a festive atmosphere permeates this delightful small Downtown park throughout the evening. It is the ideal place to start your ArtWalk as both the Tram and the RTA Express service connect here on the Peoples Street side of the park. The DMD has a booth in the Park where you can pick up a copy of the ArtWalk map and information about events specific to the April ArtWalk. Also T-Shirts decorated with the ArtWalk walking man logo can be purchased here for only $10 or you might even win one in the prize draw which takes place at 8:45pm. Details of all prizes can be found on the ArtWalk website.

K Space Contemporary art gallery will feature in the Main Gallery: Fear & Loathing: Works by Sonia Berg, Rosemary Cantu, Jorge Lopez, and Justin Varner.
In the gift shop: Art Star: Photography by Jennifer Arnold and in the Hot Spot Gallery on the third floor, Indelible: works by the artists of Electra Art – Axis Tattoo

Moving on to the WaterStreet Market and the musician of the month is Dennis Ramos, famous for his song about “Corpus Gus”, which he may sing for you if you ask.
The WaterStreet Group of restaurants are all offering their own ArtWalk specials and to entertain you in Executive Surf Club during Friday night happy hour – Cruise Control. The Treehouse Art Collective will have a featured artist of the month on site to discuss their work and many of the Associate Artists will be in the market place selling their art.
Surf Club Records and the Texas Surf Museum will be hosting a beer tasting.
Up on Shoreline The Corpus Christi Center for the Arts will be featuring two performances by dance group Celtic Flair at 6pm and 8:30pm. To entertain you at other times there will be performances by Lili and Steffen Banta who are singer and magician respectively. Art on display during April includes: “Going Green” – Festival of the Arts exhibition. Ed Boyd, Recent work from 2010 Dimension Exhibition Best of Show award winner and Object Art, Group exhibition curated by Dianna Bluntzer and Miller H.S, Student artwork
Further afield, at The Center 505 S Water Street, the Tango Tea Room will be featuring the art of Lisa Olsen whilst Studio 111 will be hosting the South Texas Underground Film Group. Abba Bellydance will have live music, dancers, and goodies to eat. Many other businesses within this complex will be open on ArtWalk night so pay them a visit and show support for their efforts. The RTA ArtWalk Express operates a 30 minute schedule to this location.

Photo by Alan S Albin

New for April, The Art Museum of  South Texas will be open to ArtWalkers who may wish to attend a free screening of David Lowery’s film – St. Nick. The film will start at 7pm and lasts 86 minutes after which there will be a Q & A period with the director.  The RTA ArtWalk Express will include this venue in its’ schedule between 6:30 and 9:00 pm.

Many other venues will be open in the Central Downtown area and information on these, and maps of the ArtWalk, can be obtained from First Friday Ambassadors who wear orange polo shirts and circulate Downtown on Segways, or from First Friday Volunteers wearing orange T-Shirts. They will be on the DTown Tram, The RTA ArtWalk Express, in the park, and at various other Artwalk venues. If you see an orange shirt – Just ask them! Parking Control staff will again be circulating Downtown throughout the evening  and they also will have a supply of maps.

Photo by Alan S Albin

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.


FMI: www.artwalkcc.com or www.facebook.com/artwalkcc