by Max Marbut
Staff Writer
First Wednesday Art Walk celebrates its 7th anniversary Wednesday evening. A full slate of activities will include a new transportation option and the one-year anniversary of the largest “Off the Grid” gallery.
The theme this month is supporting “Movember,” which challenged men to change their appearance by growing a mustache to raise awareness and funds for cancers that affect men.
The Movember Jax table will be set up at Hemming Plaza where Art Walkers can make their own mustache. At Bee Gallery at the Landing, visitors can play the “Pin the Mustache on Salvador Dali” game. The Jacksonville Roller Girls street team will be passing out free mustaches and information about Movember.
F13RCE Dance Theatre and Tribe K Martial Arts will perform “Courage” upstairs at 111 E. Bay St. at 7 p.m. and 7:45 p.m. It’s a tribute to man’s strength against adversity.
The Art Center II on Hogan Street will present an exhibit of mustache-themed art to support Movember. At The Art Center I at The Carling on Adams Street, Annelies Dykgraaf is the featured artist for November. She’s showing her latest series of paintings on the importance of touch.
Dykgraaf was one of the founders of The Art Center, which opened in October 2006 as a venue for local artists to cooperatively show their work. Art Walk has been an asset for the artists, she said.
“Art Walk generates excitement about the art community,” said Dykgraaf. “It also gives us the opportunity to show our work to more than 1,000 people who attend the event every month.”
Sharla Valeski is an artist and owner of The Next Gallery on Laura Street. She agreed that the monthly event helped attract quite a bit of exposure for her gallery and the artists who exhibit there.
“Art Walk has brought huge crowds and we didn’t have to advertise. It gave the gallery an immediate audience and it helps our artists sell their work,” she said.
Southlight Gallery on Forsyth Street at Laura Street will mark its one-year anniversary at the November Art Walk with an exhibit featuring photographs by Jacksonville historian Dr. Wayne Wood and special recognition for the local design and architecture community.
“Everybody come and bring champagne,” said Southlight Gallery Director Michael Dunlap, an architect and artist.
New for November is the Riverside Trolley, which will extend its hours for Art Walk. The trolleys will pass each stop every 35 minutes with the last trolley leaving the Landing at 11:55 p.m. headed to Riverside, Avondale and Florida State College at Jacksonville Kent Campus.
Art Walk is from 5-9 p.m. rain or shine. Maps are available at at Hemming Plaza and from Downtown Ambassadors or download the map at www.downtownjacksonville.org.
356-2466