February’s Gallery Walk will celebrate more than just the visual artists in Bloomington’s art scene.
Along with shows coming up in the various gallery spaces across town starting at 5 p.m., members of Bloomington’s poetic community will come together starting at 5:30 p.m. to perform readings in Fountain Square Mall.
By Hand and Gather, located within Fountain Square Mall, will open their latest exhibits on the walls and tables of their shops.
Tova Lesko, manager of By Hand, said the combination of poetry and physical artwork is natural.
“I think celebrating the arts, whether that be pottery, poetry or any number of other things, together only makes the night more rich and robust,” Lesko said. “I think that by conjoining these two events, more connections are likely to be made.”
Lesko said By Hand’s space will be decorated with Larry Spears’ pottery in a show called “Vessels.”
“By giving the artist the entire space that is reserved for Gallery Walk events, the public is able to see a wider range of their works,” Lesko said.
Talia Halliday, founder of Gather handmade shoppe & co., said her space will display the work of Ryan Woods, working in mixed media.
The show differs from past exhibits running at Gather, which are usually painting- or pottery-based.
“This is the first time in a while that we’re having a mixed-media artist come in,” Halliday said. “Ryan uses a lot of different media than what we’ve had before, even using some elements of collage, oil paint, etc.”
Lesko said she loves Spears’ pottery work, which plays with shape and form.
“I love the painterly designs he creates in his glaze work and the altered forms that his pieces take,” Lesko said. “I also think that his color schemes reflect the natural environment surrounding him.”
Gallery Walk unites art lovers and members of the Bloomington scene to come together and appreciate the work of all types of artists, Halliday said.
“I like getting to see the community come out and enjoy art and walk all around downtown — taking in the sights and the smells — and just being part of a community,” Halliday said.
Gallery Walk also provides the opportunity for artists and fans of art to mingle.
“My favorite part of Gallery Walk is connecting the Bloomington community with artists, and vice versa,” Lesko said. “It is a time of coming together and celebrating what makes Bloomington the beautiful and diverse community that it is.”
