The ArtWalk Machine (Part II)

I write a monthly column in Northern Arizona's arts and news monthly publication, The Noise. My column is called "Letters from the Creative Bureaucrat." Here follows the column as published in the January issue... (pick up a copy of The Noise, too).

Note: This is Part Two of a series on the First Friday ArtWalk events in Flagstaff.  Read part one here.

In this space last month, I introduced ArtWalk in Flagstaff as a machine that provides business and exposure for downtown, but also leaves some artists and galleries with some degree of uncertainty about the helpfulness of its impact.  What does that mean exactly?  And why would any artist question such a popular art event?

Well, for starters, some folks question if ArtWalk is an art event at all.  One gallery owner I talked to said that he closed his doors for the event years ago, because “people only come for the food.”  He said that when it first started, over 10 years ago, the event was populated by patrons interested in seeing and sometimes buying art.  Now people come into his space looking for food and wine, and move on if they don’t find it.  “ArtWalk,” he says, “should be about the art and not the parties.”

This isn’t the perception amongst all gallery owners, but it does exist.  And it blurs into another question of what “real art” is, and what is a gallery versus a retail storefront.  John Vanlandingham, owner of Black Hound Gallerie, a store that sells clothing and oddities in addition to providing framing, said that his store was kicked out of ArtWalk several years ago.  “Because,” he says, “we were told that we aren’t a ‘real art gallery.’ What’s real art?”

In an act of defiance, Vanlandingham asked several of his staff members create their own original works of “art.” They put wet paint of various colors on their – ahem – bare asses, and then sat down on white foamcore.  The result was a rather crude creation that clearly depicted a colorful outline of the body part involved.  Black Hound then signed up for the next ArtWalk event, listing that they had special guest artists displaying work. Vanlandingham changed the name of the store for that one ArtWalk night to “Back Hound Gallerie.”

This was all in good fun, of course, but also represented some of the awkwardness that exists.  While you might think it’s ridiculous for someone to kick a business out of the ArtWalk, you’re also probably not trying to make your living off of your art.  Understand that ArtWalk brings many downtown bars and restaurants their busiest night of the month.  They see more patrons and have more sales than any other night of the month.

Do those sales happen with art?  Usually not (although there are exceptions).  So imagine how hard it is, coming from the artist perspective, to see all the OTHER non-art-based businesses downtown rake in the sales during an event that is supposedly built upon the attraction of the arts.  Imagine, from their perspective, watching popular art galleries like Echo Canyon and Grandon Art Gallery close due to lack of sales.  In those shoes, you might also try to create weird rules to exclude anyone other than art galleries from participating in, and benefiting from, that event.

The reality is, of course, that they can’t.  Nobody owns ArtWalk.  The event has become it’s own machine, and each store participates in its own way.  Nobody is going to change that patrons will treat it as a party, or force them to buy art.

And for some galleries, the equation is different. Joni Pevarnik, who serves as manager for the Artists’ Gallery, says that sales during ArtWalk are strong.  But she recognizes the challenges that exist, and also has experienced some problems with food and alcohol.  “So now we only serve non-alcoholic drinks,” says Pevarnik. “When school is in [session], we tone down the variety of food [we offer] as the college crowd seems to see it as a buffet.”

She also recognizes the complexity of an art event versus a party. When I asked her about restaurants and retail stores showing artwork during First Friday, she said, “It has two sides to it, doesn’t it?  It adds to the draw of the event and helps the business community. The downside is that people may think of it as an ‘event’ rather than an ArtWalk.”

This exploration of ArtWalk will continue for the next few months in this space.  Questions still remain.  What do the owners of bars and restaurants think about ArtWalk and the issues raised herein?  What about the patrons of ArtWalk – what are they seeking from the event?  Stay tuned.
 

Cheers,

JT