Showcasing the downtown: Art walk highlights murals, music, shopping, dining
Art walk highlights murals, music, shopping, dining
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The Downtown Altoona Art Walk will be held from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 8, offering a free, self-guided opportunity to explore local art, music, shopping and dining throughout downtown.
The free event begins at the Railroaders Memorial Museum, where the Altoona Symphony Orchestra Summer Strings will perform a free concert at 11 a.m. Participants can pick up an Art Walk map at the museum or at participating locations and follow the route across the pedestrian bridge into downtown. Walkers may begin at any location and complete the route at their own pace.
More than 20 stops will be featured and the 18 newly-completed murals on the former Gables building will be unveiled. Visitors will have the opportunity to vote in a People's Choice mural competition, meet several of the mural artists and watch live painting demonstrations.
Live music will be presented at locations throughout the walk route, including performances on the pedestrian bridge and near the Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art and the Mishler Theatre. Downtown businesses and restaurants also will host local artists and pop-up art displays.
Artists of all ages are invited to participate in "Chalk the Walk." Advance registration is available through ArtsAltoona.org. Professional chalk artist Erik Greenwalt of Pittsburgh also will create a custom chalk mural during the event, beginning work Friday evening and continuing throughout Saturday's Art Walk. Greenwalt's work can be found on Instagram, where he has 66,000 followers @thechalkingdad or on Facebook.
Art walk stops include the Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art, where visitors can view the exhibitions "Under A Glowing Sky" by Philip Koch, "Conversations with Light" by Skip Allen and "A Mother and Child Reunion," featuring works by Joan Marie Seltzer and Michael Harris Seltzer.
The historic Mishler Theatre will be open for self-guided tours, allowing visitors to view its architecture and the Ward Memorial Chandelier.
At The Comics Vault, local cartoonist Eric Beeler will meet visitors and discuss his work. The shop also will display original comic artwork and published pages from a variety of artists and titles.
Other walk highlights include the Altoona Community Theatre and public murals, sculptures, statuary and notable architectural features throughout downtown.
While the Art Walk is free, a suggested donation is encouraged for those visiting the Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art. Museum admission to the Railroaders Memorial Museum is available separately for those wishing to tour the facility.
For those starting the walk on the Downtown side, parking is available throughout the area, including free on-street parking, public lots and the 11th Avenue parking garage.