Art and Community: Monthly Gallery Walks as a Decentralized Project

This past Saturday was "Art Walk" here in our home town.

Art Walks-- sometimes called "Gallery Night," or "First Saturdays" or something similar-- are a common fixture in many towns and cities around the world.

Promoting Art Through Cooperation

The basic idea behind "Art Walks" is to promote art and artists, which is done through galleries and other art spaces in a town or area agreeing to launch new exhibits and stay open late on a specified day of the month. Having a number of art venues open at the same time encourages the public to come out and have a look-- since such an outing is now "more worthwhile" than-- for example-- going to an "art opening" at a single gallery.

Typically, when you have "events," some kind of steering committee and organization comes to mind-- somebody has to be "in charge" and make arrangements and "collect fees," spread the news and so forth. Many people have been trained to believe the outcome will be "chaos" if people are left to figure things out on their own.

Since Steemit is a celebration of decentralization, I wanted to share how the "Art Walk" here in our town exists as a completely voluntary decentralized structure.

Read on!

A Decentralized Gallery Walk Night

Gallery Walks in our town have been going on for many years. We're regionally known as an "Arts Community" and there are at least 15 art galleries here in close proximity, as well as a number of cafés and hotel lobbies that show art for sale on a rotating basis.

It is uncertain exactly how the first "Art Walk" came about here, but a couple of "old timers" I have spoken to point to a couple of gallery proprietors in the 1980's deciding there needed to be a more cohesive effort to promote art here.

Rather than try to create an "event," they simply went to other galleries and art spaces and let it be known that they were "experimenting with" launching new exhibits and staying open late one night of each month. At first it was first Thursdays, subsequently it was changed to first Saturdays to be more accommodating of people's work schedules.

There were no contracts, no agreements... simply a statement "We're trying this, and invite you to do the same." Completely voluntary.

Getting Local Newspapers Involved

They went to our two local weekly newspapers and gently "suggested" that there would be a good opportunity to sell advertising space to art galleries "if perhaps the art related ads were grouped together, and there were to be some editorial coverage of these new art exhibits opening up at the same time." The idea was sold as an "opportunity" rather than a "request" for anything... which works, since most businesses like the idea of making more money.

The newspapers saw this as an opportunity, indeed, and got onboard with the program. The fact that both papers created a special advertising section with reduced rates for art galleries only helped "anchor" these art evenings. Instead of needing an art walk "manager" to remind galleries, the eager ad sales reps from the newspaper now serve the reminders every month to potential participants.

Again, this all happened-- and continues to happen, every month-- without "leadership" and on a completely voluntary basis. There are no "membership fees" and no contracts; the monthly events are 100% self-guiding. Some art spaces are stalwart monthly participants, some are sporadic, and some are "once-a-year" participants. But somehow the format works!

If you live in a town that has good art for sale, but does not currently have a "Gallery Night," consider starting one-- using this type of voluntary format as a guide! It is low cost and uncomplicated, yet can be quite effective.

Thank you for reading! Red Dragonfly is a proud member of the @sndbox creative initiative.

The Red Dragonfly is an independent alternative art gallery located in Port Townsend, WA; showcasing edgy and unique contemporary art & handmade crafts by local and worldwide artists. All images are our own, unless otherwise credited. Where applicable, artist images used with permission.