ART is in the WALK
by Luticia “Lou” Pauls
N
ot rain, nor wind, nor heat,
nor cold, nor snow can put a
cloud over the festive spirit of
Alpine’s ArtWalk. The event is held
each fall on the weekend before
Thanksgiving and draws visitors from
all walks of life and many foreign
countries. Most even make hotel
reservations upon departure from the
previous year in anticipation of the
next.
It began as a grass roots effort by a
handful of local gallery owners and
artists. The first event, known as
“Gallery Night,” was held the first
weekend of December in 1994 with
six galleries and the bookstore partici-
pating. Donations were collected
from the exhibiting artists and they
had an art silent auction, with the
proceeds benefiting the Craft
Emergency Fund. It was so well-
attended and welcomed by the com-
munity that it was decided to make it
a bi-annual event. After a couple of
years, with the event consistently
growing, the committee decided to go
to an annual two-day event on the
weekend before Thanksgiving.
Over the years many event extras
were attempted and some have
become ArtWalk staples. Music has
always been a part of the event and
started with local musicians playing at
various opening receptions. Several
years ago, Joe King Carrasco head-
lined the Budweiser Stage at Arbolitos
Park. This venue has continued over
the years, with the stage being set up
on 5th Street. Many years ago, a long-
time friend of Keri Blackman, Gallery
Night’s founder, asked if they could
have an Art Car Parade. Blackman
thought it was a great idea. This pop-
ular part of ArtWalk draws art cars
from all over the country. In 2012,
event goers and local students were
awed with the addition of the Austin
Bike Zoo. The group’s Human
University and the Alpine Public
Library. Along with the silent and live
auctions, they have also raised over
$12,000 in the past two years from
raffles, rummage sales and auctions
for their public and private schools’
art programs and scholarships.
Thanks to this organization and sup-
port from the community, Alpine has
been designated an Arts Cultural
District by the Texas Commission on
the Arts.
Marking the 20th anniversary of
ArtWalk, a gift of public art was com-
missioned and painted by renowned
mural artist Style Read and area
artists during the Viva Big Bend
Music Festival this past July. The
mural, which is located on the side of
the building at the corner of 5th
Street and Holland Avenue, is a
vibrant salute to the Hispanic heritage
of the Big Bend Region.
This year’s ArtWalk, slated for
November 22 and 23, will again fea-
ture a host of gallery and artist open-
ing receptions, art cars, the Austin
Bike Zoo, silent and live auctions and
evening entertainment on the
Budweiser Stage with headliners Ray
Wylie Hubbard (Saturday) and Billy
Joe Shaver (Friday). For more infor-
mation, visit their website at www.
artwalkalpine.com.
Art Walk, 1998. Oil on canvas by Tom Curry
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With the event being such a huge
success, Alpine’s Gallery Night, Inc.
became a 501(c)3 non-profit in 2005.
One of the favorite venues of ArtWalk
is the silent and live auction held at
the Granada Theatre. This event rais-
es tens of thousands of dollars to ben-
efit art scholarships at Sul Ross State
Cenizo
Fourth Quarter 2013
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