Art to the Avenue transforms Greenwich into a gallery
GREENWICH — A serious splash of color will hit Greenwich Avenue, with a variety of art on display throughout the month, as Art to the Avenue makes its return to town.
The event kicks off at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, with art fans invited to see artwork in a diverse variety of mediums at participating businesses, hear live music, listen to a choir performance at Richards and watch dancers in front of the Greenwich Senior Center building.
The art will be on display in businesses up and down Greenwich Avenue through May 31.
This is the 25th anniversary for Art to the Avenue, which is organized by the Greenwich Arts Council. The GAC is ready to celebrate after canceling the 2020 event due to COVID-19 and scaling it back for 2021.
“This is vital for us to be able to show off art in the community,” said Tatiana Mori, the GAC’s executive director. “People need to see each other in person, and we’re very eager to have this celebration to kick this month off.”
To hold the event “in person is a big win for us,” Mori said.
“We haven’t been able to do this in full for three years — and it’s so different and better when you can see it and experience it and be part of it,” she said of Art to the Avenue. “This is very important for us.”
Due to ongoing concerns about COVID-19, Mori said there won’t be “a party in every corner” as in years past. But artists will be available for meet and greets on opening night in the stores where their work is displayed.
“These are just minor adjustments,” Mori said. The GAC is excited for the event because it’s “like seeing your old friends come back,” she said.
“Now to be able to come back and see the artists again, some who are local and some who came from far away, and have that recognition is a big thing for us,” Mori said.
About 50 artists are showing off their work and 45 businesses are participating by serving as “galleries” for the art displays, she said. As in past years, the artists took their work to the GAC building and participating merchants picked what they wanted most to display.
A map of art locations and participating stores is posted at www.greenwicharts council.org/art-to-theavenue-2022. The website also has information about the artists and their work.
In a new addition to Art to the Avenue, members of the Greenwich Senior Center, which shares its building with the GAC, will be putting on an art show of their own for visitors to enjoy.
Residents look forward to the annual event, said Marcia O’Kane, president and CEO of the Greenwich Chamber of Commerce.
“This event showcases local artists who might not otherwise be given such a wide audience,” O’Kane said. “Everyone is looking forward to it, including our retailers, since it encourages people to come to the central Greenwich Avenue area to visit stores.”