03.13.2008
Downtown Statesville set for art crawl
The first ever Statesville art crawl in September made way for the spring art crawl Friday.
Organizers hope the event will promote downtown Statesville businesses while celebrating local and regional artists.
“The art crawl brings people downtown, and they see businesses they didn’t know were here,” Carolina Mountain Sports owner and art crawl participant Richard Griggs said.
Griggs’ shop will features artists Faron Young (clay) and David Hicks (woodworking).
“It’s just as important to let people know what can be found downtown as it is to get people to come downtown.”
About 27 downtown businesses will showcase more than 60 area artists’ work.
“We had the only rain downpour in six weeks at our first event last September, and over 700 people attended, so Friday’s event should be packed,” Downtown Statesville Development Corporation Executive Director Marin Tomlin said.
The opening night’s reception showcases the artwork of Ladianne Mandel, whose exhibit includes detailed abstract works that range from an inch to more than 85 inches in length.
Mandel’s sculptural piece, titled “Artemis,” took 13 months to create by painstakingly applying thousands of beads with tweezers.
Several downtown businesses, including the Frame Gallery and Gifts, where Statesville native Robert Grant Steele will premier his canvasses depicting “Fort Dobbs 1756,” will host events throughout the day.
A St. Patrick’s Day concert, sponsored by the Iredell Arts Council, follows the art crawl at 8 p.m. in Shearer Hall at Mitchell Community College. The concert will also feature Statesville Traditional Irish Session and St. Joseph Irish Dancers.
Other event highlights include student artists from Statesville High School displaying acrylic, watercolor, oil, pastels and charcoal works inside Phoenix Martial Arts Academy and strolling outdoor music provided by Fiddler’s Grove Ole Time Fiddlers and Bluegrass Festival.
“We really wanted to try and offer artists an enclave and business opportunity that will also offer exposure for downtown Statesville retailers,” Tomlin said. “We’ll plan on having the art crawl twice a year now, in both the fall and in the spring.”
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