Artwalk brings art to the masses!

Jonathan Hicks, Staff Columnist
Published On: 09/ 8/2008

Yearly there is an exciting event that draws hundreds of people around Birmingham. This year, bands such as the smooth playing Hypsys put on a great funky show. There’s a lot of great art at this event. It’s loud and outside half the time. Places like Matthew’s Bar and Grill provided food and entertainment. And sometimes, like this year, it’s really youth friendly.

It’s the Birmingham Artwalk! It stretches across several streets and from Morris Avenue through 2nd Avenue North, and it’s what people do in between drinking wine, multiple street conversations and of course more alcohol. Besides the good exercise from walking off drinks and buying a lot of art, actually being an artist and trying to make your art accessible is the most exciting thing. At least, I’m feeling that way after displaying my own chemical transfer photographs and art, like many other UAB-affiliated artists at Artwalk this year.

It’s one thing to sell your art and then another to peer inside stores for art to purchase, some of which this year ran for prices more than $2,000. Many smaller prints (16” x 20” and smaller) sold at this year’s Artwalk more quickly than larger works.

According to UAB art student Chad Johnson, he loves events like this because it allows for lower prices for the working person who deserves a chance to purchase work that’s a must-have but affordable.

“Art is what it is. It should be engaging, and fun, if it permits. Subjects are various but I try my best, coming from a working family, to make things accessible ’cause it should be. I want the average person to have something I think is good work hanging up.”

Apparently, this year affordability isn’t the only positive feature for which many artists are aiming. Another key feature artists are bringing out has been a sense of real personality in their work.

UAB student Alex McClurg is a good example of this year’s focus on personal work. McClurg’s work this year is a personal look into his life, memories and relationships with objects, people and places.

McClurg said to an interested customer who wanted his written thoughts on the work, “my work is really just an attempt at showing personal ideas and thank you for liking that.”

Sometimes McClurg’s work seems distant and almost random, but is actually quiet personal and uniform, usually displaying his thoughts in the form of collage, transfer and drawing. Similar to Johnson, his work has more affordability then some artists; but like Johnson his work is strong in its full-on mixed/multiple media presence. Mixed media and alternative processes ranked high in popularity this year.

So what does the not-so-normal artist, like Johnson, McClurg and, well, myself, go through for Birmingham Artwalk? A lot of hilarious preparation but mostly some really good socializing. For instance, arriving on time helps. That’s something I rarely do but definitely encourage for artists as well as buyers. By arriving on time you get a good space and get to mingle and connect. This year at Artwalk mingling is a positive. Minus some humidity issues, the Artwalk provides an upbeat look at various local and UAB artists and voices of Birmingham.