Art Walking

On the first Wednesday of every month Jacksonville hosts its monthly Art Walk through the gorgeous streets of downtown. Starting up near Hemming Plaza, Christmas lights are strung to and for across trees, the fountain edged by local artists setting up displays, and people walking around the brick laid streets with wine and beer in plastic glasses. Galleries, which are plentiful in Jacksonville’s downtown, open their doors for the night. Shops stay open in hopes that people will spend a quick buck along their curious stroll. And restaurants are packed, with lines bulging out of doorways. It has got to be one of my all time favorite local events. And it happens every month!

This month’s Art Walk, being December, was additionally festive and merry for the upcoming, or occurring, holiday season. Suddenly the lights strung from tree to tree seemed a little more cheery. And the shopping along the way seemed a little less greedy. Children nestled on Santa’s lap with a long list of toys. Wreathes were hung, the air was chilled, and Christmas trees could be seen through windows here and there.

Jacksonville’s library came out full force with the Christmas trees this year, our first stop of the evening. A gathering of about ten or more people all came together to commence the walk at the library. On each level Christmas trees, donated by local companies around town, had been decorated around the theme of a book that could be found in the library. A couple trees used the exotic bird theme, with brightly colored peacock feathers sticking out of the branches and various types of (plastic) birds tweeting away on their own little kindling. One tree was based on the Secret Life of Bees, with clusters of glass ball ornaments in yellow and red, and little bee’s and beehives nestled inside the green pine. Another tree took a fashion theme, another music, and still another on Pirates, donated ironically by the Bank of Jacksonville. Many trees were themed around children’s books, Tonka trucks, mittens and cute little forest animals splattered across the limbs. Food was another great theme, with all things from wine to popcorn serving an ornamental purpose. Even the all time rivalry, Florida versus Florida State, made an appearance with two small trees themed in the school colors positioned right next to one another. They should have just made a Tim Tebow tree, instead. Because, really, what else matters anymore.

Following the library, we made our way from gallery to pub, to outdoor concert, to live art being created on the street (cans of spray paint and knee pads unite!). It was crowded. The city skyline looked beautiful viewed from below instead of afar and I began to wish downtown could always be this way, crowded and alive. We really do have a fine-looking downtown, gone to waste most nights of the month.

What is so interesting and amazing about Jacksonville’s Art Walk is how involved the city is in the whole process. MOCA shines bright onto Hemming Plaza. The libraries, old and new, open their doors with awesome exhibits, and JPD come out to protect us. It is very different from the Art Walks in other cities I have gone to.

Tallahassee has a fabulous Art Walk, called First Friday, that takes place in the art district of Railroad Square. It’s really more like an Art Street Party aside warehouses turned galleries, their walls splashed with vivid murals, clustered together in the remote col-de-sac. The Fine Arts program from Florida State opens their studio spaces so the art students can showcase their work. There is a bonfire with guitar and dancing and lots of dreadlocks. And wine is sold in Styrofoam cups for two bucks a pop. It’s very different. Very hippie. And wonderful in its way, but not so encompassing of the entire city.

Oakland has a First Friday as well. Suggestive of a wanna be version of Jacksonville’s Art Walk, it also takes place downtown. But the turnout was meager, usually consisting of hipsters and hippies (which seems to be a popular combination). It had a great display of art, something that Oakland does not lack, but the unity, the organization, and the involvement of major city endeavors was lacking very much. It seemed more as if the city turned a blind eye for the night to let the artists wonder the streets like hooligans. Which was fun, in its own kind of way, but also gave one a slight sense of grime. Which could have also been caused by the insanely dirty streets. Or the hoodlums watching for you from around every corner.

In general, in any city, I think Art Walks are an awesome experience. But, Jacksonville has really hit this nail on the head. That’s probably why it’s on Wednesday instead of Friday. Because it’s better. It has to come first. Maybe every other night of the week will soon catch up. I would sure like to make every night in downtown Jacksonville a walk of art.