From woodworking to large murals and small paintings, this year’s Fenton Art Walk returned July 29 after a three-year hiatus.
“The City of Fenton…take pride in bringing back the Art Walk to downtown Fenton,” said Ed Koledo, executive director of SLPR. “Being our first year back in three, we’ve consolidated it a bit, but we are looking forward to an even larger event in the years to come and returning it to the sidewalks, spread throughout our downtown.”
Art Walk featured an entertainment tent, artist’s exhibits, beverage and food trucks.
“A lot of our artists, I would say about three-quarters of them, are local in Fenton, but including the surrounding areas in Genesee and Livingston County,” said Pat Lockwood, mayor pro tem of Fenton. “We’re really proud of the fact that we’re able to let them have an opportunity to display their art.”
Art Walk began seven years ago but has offered lots of opportunities for artists in and around the area of Fenton. The event was brought together to bring art and crafts to the community.
“We’ve always had quite a bit of craft shows at our community with our farmers markets and we also had a desire,” said Lockwood. “From our city of Fenton Arts and Cultural Commission. To work very closely with any of our artists locally and give them an opportunity to lay their fine art and fine crafts.”
The process of setting up Art Walk is a long process that involved many people.
“We sit down together and we assign people into subcommittees and they each have their own little job to do whether it’s the logistics part or getting the decorating or doing the entertainment,” said Lockwood. “We meet every month and then as it gets closer to it, we meet every week. But it’s people that really love the arts and love doing events and have successfully put this together.”
Artists from the local area, Genesee County and farther out, come and show off their talents and art for those to enjoy or even buy a piece.
“My daughter and her wife recently moved to the area, so they let me know (about Art Walk),” said Kristal Serna, an Ann Arbor-based artist who displayed her art. “So far I love it here. It’s such a cute little town.”
Artists come and present their artwork for those to either buy or just simply admire.
“I’m a professional artist, this is how I make my living,” said Serna. “I was really pleasantly surprised when I arrived this morning. They had tons of people to help me unload my car because there were so many pairs of hands waiting out.”
The most exciting part about this experience is the music and the many types of art featured according to Lockwood.
“It’s all venues, all forms of art,” said Lockwood. “It just kind of brings people downtown, brings them together. We have terrific music going on all day. We have food and just a lot of wonderful artists that come together.”