Bloomington gears up for Downtown Gallery Walk

Four times a year fine art patrons have the opportunity to take a self-guided tour of nine downtown art galleries, each exhibiting and showcasing one particular artist's work as part of the Downtown Gallery Walk. The next walk will be from 5 to 7:30 p.m. Friday. \nPatrons are provided with maps so they can visit each gallery at their own leisure during the course of the evening. All of the galleries are conveniently located within walking distance of each other.\n"The community has come out in droves," said Lorraine Merriman Farrell, owner and designer of the participating Fossil Rain Gallery.\nThe Fossil Rain Gallery will be displaying the work of local artist S.K. Quigley, whose art Farrell described as "mixed media with an emphasis on raku-fired ceramics."\nQuigley will do a sidewalk demonstration of this unique way of firing ceramics in which patrons can participate.\nThe Wandering Turtle Art Gallery, voted Best Art Gallery by the Bloomington Convention and Visitors Bureau, will also participate in the event. They will be showing artwork from local artist James B. Campbell, whose work consists of traditional paintings and an assortment of carved plastic PVC pipes.\n"It's a very fun, festive community event," owner Jaime Sweany said. \nSweany said some of the galleries, including Wandering Turtle, will be open past 7:30 p.m. when the walk officially ends.\nThe Gallery North on the Square is also participating in the event. It will showcase art selected from more than 20 of its members, including visiting Louisville artist Albert Nelson, who specializes in limestone carvings.\n"The walk gets people coming in and looking at our art," said Gallery North President Jackie White. \nArtist Glenn Carter's work will also be on display at Gallery North.\nAs a boy, Carter said he saw a two-headed salamander and it stayed with him and inspired many unusual metal pieces such as a two-headed fish and a "gargoyle" with a head at both ends.\n"Basically, I'm modifying nature," Carter said. "I make what Mother Nature didn't." \nDavid Shipley also has work on display at Gallery North. His work consists of limestone sculptures, tribal heads carved out of wood and some metal pieces. He is also a gardener and has many pieces on display with such practical uses as plant hangers and garden decorations. \nShipley said he doesn't really plan his works out in advance. He just starts them and continues working on them until they are finished.\n"It evolves," he said.\nMaps and brochures for the event are available at any of the participating galleries. \n-- Contact staff writer Christopher Gagnon at cjgagnon@indiana.edu.