WESTFIELD-Six artists will descend on the “Gaslight Gallery District” in the downtown on Feb. 16 for ArtWalk Westfield’s first pop-up art adventure show of the year.
Gallery spaces located at Blended Vintage Marketplace, Mama Cakes, Two Rivers Burrito Co., Rosewood Home & Gifts, and Fast Feet Inc. will host the artists from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
“This is our first official ArtWalk Westfield event of 2019, having taken January off to warm up, rest and re-energize,” said Bill Westerlind, president of ArtWorks of Westfield, Inc., sponsors of the event.
Anna Mastropolo will be among the artists participating in ArtWalk Westfield on Saturday. (Submitted photo)
ArtWalk Westfield was launched last June and is traditionally conducted on the third Friday of each month.
“We knew the cold, dark evenings of winter would prove challenging to get folks to participate in ArtWalk so, out of our annual strategic planning session came the idea to give Saturdays a try,” said Westerlind.
Westerlind added that ArtWalk Westfield events will be conducted on the third Saturday in February and March from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and switch back to third Fridays from 5 to 7 p.m. in May for the remainder of the year.
“We have something special planned for April to double the size of ArtWalk Westfield,” said Westerlind, adding that more details would be shared in the coming weeks.
Westerlind noted that the block along Elm Street between Church Street and School Street has been “branded” the Gaslight Gallery District by ArtWorks of Westfield members. Three of the stops along the artwork route – Blended Vintage Marketplace, Mama Cakes and Two Rivers Burrito – have permanent gallery installations which also allows artwork to be promoted all month.
“During the warm weather months this block looked like a scene from a seaside tourist town with sidewalk cafes, art displays, buskers and a lot of pedestrians,” said Westerlind. “We are excited about the possibilities in 2019.”
Work by Ashley Bernal will be showcased during ArtWalk Westfield on Saturday. (Submitted photo)
This Saturday, the artists showcasing their works are either new to Westfield or are making their gallery debut. Among the artists participating is Anna Mastropolo, a mixed media painter who will make her Westfield debut at Two Rivers Burrito, 36 Elm St.
“I was born an artist,” said Mastropolo, adding, “it is what I love doing the most.”
Mastropolo, who also expresses her artistic side through jewelry and clothing, said she was encouraged by a friend to become involved with ArtWalk Westfield.
“I want to be involved in this organization because I’ve always wanted my art to be recognized by as many people as possible,” said Mastropolo, who will showcase her recent paintings with gouache paint. Mastropolo describes gouache paint as a thick watercolor.
“I adore the ‘washy’ effects, the drips, and the opaque matte application,” she said, adding, “I am so grateful that painting sales are so greatly welcomed during this ArtWalk, and I hope to give some paintings away to good homes.”
Ashley Bernal, an illustrator and digital graphic artist, echoed those sentiments. She will make her debut at Fast Feet, 26 Elm St.
“I wanted to get involved with the organization because I love Westfield,” said Bernal, who recently joined ArtWorks of Westfield. “I wanted to get to know the community artists and people in our area that are interested in the arts as well. Supporting our town businesses is a beautiful collaboration that I’m happy to be a part of.”
Bernal said her traditional paintings are made with acrylics and at times she uses gouache.
“Most of my art is done digitally through Photoshop, but I have recently transitioned to paint on my iPad Pro through a program called Procreate,” said Bernal. “The type of artwork I will be showcasing will be portraits. I tend to paint about shows and games I love, so there will be a Game of Thrones portrait, Bioshock Infinite, and some anime as well.”
For business owners hosting the artists, the opportunity is a “win-win” for all, according to Andrea Bruno, owner of Blended Vintage Marketplace.
“I have found hosting ArtWalk since the beginning has been beneficial for the artists as well as for the foot traffic it has created for the downtown area,” said Bruno, noting that area residents who have stopped in to her shop say they always wondered what she offered.
“The foot traffic that ArtWalk creates is great because it brings more people downtown, and it is always a good thing when local artists can be showcased,” said Bruno, adding, “it’s a win-win to host one of the artists.”
Artists also participating in the ArtWalk include Shannon Chiba at Rosewood Home & Gifts, 34 Elm St., displaying examples of her mural art, acrylic, oil and watercolor pieces; Natalie Avery will display her works in mixed mediums at Mama Cakes, 40 Elm St., and Danny and Lucille Nason, who work in photography and mixed media, will be featured at the Blended Vintage Marketplace, 48 Elm St.
Each artist will be on hand to answer questions and all art work will be available for purchase.
“Since inception we have aspired to build out ArtWalk Westfield to include more businesses and gallery spaces,” said Westerlind, noting the Artworks of Westfield team recently met with the leadership team at Westfield Creative Arts to explore collaboration options to expand ArtWalk Westfield and to grow the cultural opportunities for artists and the community in downtown Westfield.
“The outlook is very promising,” said Westerlind. “Several businesses located at both the north and south end of Elm Street between Franklin Street and the Westfield Athenaeum have expressed interest in joining ArtWalk.”
Westerlind noted the group is also exploring some “new, exciting and collaborative efforts” to leverage the gallery space at the Westfield on Weekends facility on Elm Street.
“Imagine, at least one evening each and every month, downtown Westfield is buzzing with cultural vibrancy and activity,” said Westerlind. “We are thrilled about the possibilities.”
Businesses and artists interested in participating in ArtWalk Westfield or becoming active with ArtWorks of Westfield are asked to visit www.artworkswestfield.com or send an email to [email protected]. ArtWalk Westfield is supported in part by a grant from the Westfield Cultural Council.
“The arts are alive in Westfield and we aspire to make it better than ever … for the good of our community,” said Westerlind.
