ArtsCrawl season slated to start off the season with new concepts
Gallup ArtsCrawl, a monthly event that is held in downtown Gallup on the second Saturday of the month, showcases the region’s mix of talented artisans from all walks of life.
It’s an event that also enriches the community with its display of culture and diversity.
Artisans come to ArtsCrawl in hopes of displaying their talent to the admiring eyes of the public. Many also hope to sell their work so they can keep painting, sculpting, and/or shaping new masterpieces.
But there is much more to this behind the scenes, such as attracting new artists and themes to keep ArtsCrawl fresh and original.
The 2nd Annual ArtsCrawl Community Brainstorm is an opportunity for ArtsCrawl coordinators to gather input from the community by hosting the interactive event.
The meeting was held a few weeks back, on Jan.13, at El Morro Theatre and Events Center.
Different tables featured pop up cards, listing the main topic to which a group of people would discuss with one another at the table.
Each session would last about 15 minutes and then they would head to another table and do the same thing over again. Everyone in attendance seem to have fun, and a wide range of people attended the event, ranging from business owners to artists, and everyone in between.
gallupARTS Executive Director Rose Eason was impressed with the turnout and the ideas brought to the table.
“Last year this group generated hundreds of ideas for ArtsCrawl and we actually implemented over 50 of them,” she said. “So, I think it’s a great chance for people to make an impact on this event and contribute in a really meaningful way.”
An agenda was set out at each table for ArtsCrawl 2018 dates and themes:
March 10 – Time Travel
April 14 – Say What?!
May 12 – Pop!
For the month of April “Say What?!” ideas that were presented were possibly having a poetry month, street graffiti, and poetry in one’s own native language.
Shirlene Rogers Cheramiah loved the idea of a poetry done in one’s own language.
“My family and I love the ArtsCrawl, and just decided to come to this meeting and give our input and to be a part of something fun and exciting,” she said.
What makes the Brainstorm meeting a fruitful event is that fact that new participants joined in this year, and that keeps it fresh, Eason explained.
“The vast majority weren’t here last year, so we don’t have a lot of repeats,” she said. “We have a lot of new people here, so that is awesome; it just expands our networking and it expands our pool to draw from, and ideas to be inspired by.”
The proof is in the pudding, according to Eason, who says the ideas from brainstorming sessions implemented at ArtsCrawl results in positive feedback.
“The feedback has been great,” she said. “We did a longitude survey each month and the comments were people were impressed by the events.”
Eason added that the community has been supportive of the monthly event, and she’s thankful for the support.
“It’s really reflective of the community, and its inclusive and representative, and we really couldn’t do it without the community,” she said.
gallupARTS Board Secretary Carol Sarath shared in Eason enthusiasm for the annual brainstorming event.
“I think the meeting was great,” she said. “… We’re looking forward to another fabulous season of ArtsCrawl.”
New community member and artist Arnulfo Pena attended the meeting and was blown away when he first witnessed ArtsCrawl.
“We moved here last September and fell in love with the talent here, and I’m an artist myself … and seeing all this made me feel at home,” he said. “It’s nice to meet people who appreciate what you do and it’s a great feeling to be a part of it.”
Tosawi Pena, Arnulfo’s wife, came across the ArtsCrawl by means of a flyer.
“I saw a flyer and we fell in love with the Arts123 gallery, and the people are just great … we fell in love with the area,” she said. “We wanted to be a part of it, so here we are throwing out some ideas.”
For more information on ArtsCrawl or becoming a member of gallupARTS visit website www.galluparts.org
By Dee Velasco
For the Sun