By JENNIFER K. BAUER of inland360.com
MOSCOW — Cities around the country are using art walks as a way to unite communities in a new way.
The first Moscow Art Walk paired a couple of dozen artists with a couple of dozen businesses. It wasn’t business as usual with stores staying open after hours to become impromptu galleries offering free food and receptions, but art proved to be good business in Moscow, which will celebrate its 10th annual Art Walk Friday.
The event grows a bit each year, says city of Moscow Arts Director Kathleen Burns.
Burns took over the event in 2007 after moving to the area from Olympia, which also had an art walk.
“Coming from art walk in Olympia, it was for everyone,” says Burns, who put that stamp on the Moscow event. “Now we have children in art walk — preschool, middle school, high school. It just opens it up to artists. You don’t have to be an acclaimed Northwest who’s who to be in art walk. That’s the fun of it. It just involves more people.”
Two of the founders of the first walk were Paul Kimmell of Moscow and Burns’ predecessor, Deena Heath. She recently retired as the executive director of ArtsEast in La Grande, Ore., and now resides in Lewiston. Heath plans to attend art walk for the first time since 2006.
“It’s really exciting how much the event has grown,” Heath says. “It’s just kind of become one of the social events of the season.”
Heath directed arts programs for cities and organizations around the Northwest before retiring. She says two top career highlights were helping create the Moscow Art Walk and writing Moscow’s public arts ordinance that requires 1 percent of the total cost of capital projects be dedicated to public art in the community.
“The fact the community continues to embrace arts and culture, that’s really commendable,” Heath says.
This year’s art walk will feature more than 125 artists exhibiting at 71 Moscow businesses. It coincides with the Idaho GOP state convention taking place today through Saturday in Moscow.
if you go The 10th annual Moscow Art Walk will feature more than 125 artists exhibiting at 71 Moscow businesses. Free demonstrations, live music, street buskers, food and receptions will run from 3 to 10 p.m. Friday. Maps with times and locations can be found in the Friday editions of the Lewiston Tribune and Moscow-Pullman Daily News. Maps will also be available at the Moscow Chamber of Commerce. Art will remain hanging at many of the businesses throughout the summer.
Friday highlights: -- Catered barbecue at the city of Moscow Water Department, 3 to 6 p.m. -- Bands at Friendship Square, 5 to 10 p.m. -- Vendors on Main Street selling world cuisine, 5 to 9 p.m. -- Demonstrations at Moscow City Hall include arts and crafts from the medieval era, 5-9 p.m.
