All galleries to open tonight for Gallery Walk
Gallery Walk returns tonight as part of Arts & The Park, and for the first time in over a year, all of the local galleries will be open.
Mary Zunick, executive director of the Hot Springs Area Cultural Alliance, noted all the galleries reopening is a good sign.
“It’s so exciting that maybe we have turned the corner on COVID — hopefully. It’s wonderful to see the galleries all open for business for Gallery Walk and I encourage everyone to get out, shop for art. Art makes graduation and Mother’s Day gifts,” Zunick said.
Several of the people who run galleries also expressed excitement for this Gallery Walk.
Rita Turner, publicity chair for Artist’s Workshop Gallery, said she is looking forward to tonight’s Gallery Walk.
“We have two featured artists … and they will be here, as well as several of our other people.,” Turner said, noting the gallery will “have wine, first time since the pandemic started.”
The two featured artists are Teresa Widdifield and Joanne Kunath.
Turner said they are expecting a good turnout for this Gallery Walk. “The first time we were open since the pandemic was last month and we had a really good turnout,” she said, with around 200 people attending.
“We’re excited and we feel like it’s going to be very successful,” she said.
“It’s amazing how many people come
in, not only from not only adjoining states but Ohio and Wisconsin. Hot Springs is just taking off,” Turner said.
“It’s always a great weekend because we have so many people at The Waters next door checking in. People have already come in asked if we are going to be open late,” Laura Scott said, owner of Gallery Central, said.
As this Walk is part of Arts & The Park, Scott said she expects there to be a good crowd.
“It was crowded last weekend and I’m sure it will be even more so. The weather will be perfect,” she said.
This will be Scott’s first Arts & The Park Gallery Walk at her new gallery location, 340 Central Ave. Her gallery was previously located up the street at 800 Central Ave. She said she is looking forward to showing her new gallery location.
“It’ll be interesting to see the comments,” Scott said. Since moving to the new location, Scott has added clothing to her store. “It’ll be interesting to see how it goes over,” she said.
Scott said since opening at the new location, “It’s been great. This location has been just awesome, a Godsend.”
The new Gallery Central is smaller than her old one and “due to the space” she will not have artists doing demonstrations at Gallery Walk, she said. ”Several of them will be here, just I’m not featuring that particular artist.”
Dolores Justus, owner of Justus Fine Art Gallery, said that “historically Arts & The Park events have been well attended when we’ve done Gallery Walk because there’s just a lot more promotion going on about creative arts events in the city, so I hope that we get a lot of folks in.
“We have a new exhibit opening. We’re going to feature some new work by Linda Palmer, more of her color pencil trees, which are fabulous,” she said, noting Gary Simmons “has a series of water colors that he’s exhibiting as well.”
Several artists will be in attendance including Palmer, Simmons and Dan Thornhill, Justus said. “That’s the thing that really is one of the really special things about Gallery Walk is that most of the time the artists … will be in attendance.”
Getting to talk to the artist of a piece of art “really gives additional meaning and understanding and that enriches the viewers experience of the work,” she said.
The weather is supposed to be nice, Justus said “so I hope we have a good turnout.”