With the last of the autumn colors fading, Bloomington is transitioning into the exciting holiday season. Wish lists are written and shoppers begin the daunting task of buying the perfect gifts for their loved ones. When holiday shopping gets overwhelming, the most wonderful time of the year can quickly turn into the most stressful.
The Gallery Walk of Bloomington is the perfect solution to solve these holiday shopping woes. Every first Friday of the month, 11 downtown galleries open their doors to host special exhibits and serve refreshments from 5-8 p.m.
The galleries offer a wide range of unique holiday gifts, including paintings, photography, pottery, sculptures, jewelry and more from a collection of emerging and established artists. Some galleries also offer classes, workshops, and special events for the community. Every purchase directly supports hard-working gallery owners and talented artists, making everyone’s holiday a little brighter.
All member galleries are within walking distance of each other. Every first Friday, the galleries display new exhibits, giving the public a unique experience every visit.
“I saw joining [Gallery Walk] as a step up to participate in the greater gallery community in Bloomington,” auxiliary member Erin Tobey, general manager and co-owner of Rainbow Bakery said. “I appreciate that Gallery Walk provides a context for folks working in the visual arts to collaborate and connect, and to give the community an accessible point of entry into the visual arts scene outside of the university.”
Gallery Walk was founded in 2003. The concept was to strengthen the art scene in Bloomington by having various galleries come together with a mutual purpose of promoting local, national, and international artists.
“The idea is to create a festival-like atmosphere that makes it fun for people to come see great art,” Martha Moore, chair of Gallery Walk and co-owner of Pictura Gallery said. “They’ll get some refreshments, they’ll see friends, and hopefully do some shopping as well.”
Gallery Walk is safely re-opening spaces to the community at large. Please take note of the events, exhibitions and locations open and available to the public. If you can't stop into the galleries on a First Friday, there are plenty of opportunities to find your unique gifts from the member galleries. Look for individual gallery hours at gallerywalkbloomington.com/exhibits-galleries.
