Art Revitalizes Downtown Flint
2nd FridayArt Walk takes place on the second Friday of every month throughout the year in Flint, Mich. It started back in July 2000. The Greater Flint Arts Council (GFAC) is the organizer and promoter of the event. Greg Fiedler, President and CEO of GFAC said the event is for the community and he wants to see them participate. Cathy E. Johnson, Program Director of GFAC helps out with the event along with the Board of Trustees and volunteers. Together they work to revitalize the city by using this event to encourage the growth of an art community in Flint, which in turn has been working to attract people and businesses to the downtown area. “It’s probably the best thing that ever happened to the city,” said Fiedler. Captured in the image to the left is President of GFAC, Greg Fiedler, standing in the back of the GFAC gallery during the 2nd Friday Art Walk looking out at the event in progress on April 11, 2014. This story is written and photographed by Sheryl Reed |
Artists can make arrangements to display their works with individual downtown businesses who open their doors for the event. Artists like Willie Mccraw Jr. who had never showcased his art publicly before this year are welcome to join in. A group of artists in the community encouraged Mccraw to embrace the experience and share his work and he did, and now Mccraw looks forward to setting up each month with a group at Churchill’s Bar.
Two women who volunteer at the New Path clinic in Flint, Mich. provide therapy by teaching residence how to make "Cast-Aways" jewelry using smooth glass pieces that were originally discarded beer bottles, broken up, then tumbled smooth. Residents of New Path are court ordered to live there while they are going through recovery of substance addictions including alcohol. The program's motto is "Cast off by society - we cast-away into recovery." And their belief is that broken lives like these broken bottles are transformed when the tools are available. Anastasia Riley who is pictured facing front to the camera is filling an intern position as an assistant in the program, and she brought the jewelry to the Feb. 14, 2014, 2nd Friday Art Walk to promote the program. It was the first time she or the program made an appearance at the monthly event.
A school in Flint, Mich. received a grant for funding that allowed the children in all ages groups from 14 months to 6 years of age to create enough art to fill the GFAC gallery during the 2nd Friday Art Walk last Friday to celebrate the month of the child in Michigan. The Alpha Montessori School has been participating in the 2nd Friday Art Walks in the month of April for the last 15 years, and received their grant from the GFAC, that was made possible by the Ruth Mott Foundation.
It is the 15th year of the Flint Art Walk, and Fielder says he sees it continuing to grow, especially in the warm months where performance art is in the streets. For the 2nd Friday Art Walk in the month of August this year the council is planning to also start the Jazz Festival on the same day with special guest Shelia E, and they expect together this will attract a lot of people to the city.
The council has received some criticisms about the monthly event not being more organized, so Fiedler purchased some sandwich boards to set out on the street corners to assist in giving directions to businesses that are participating in the event each month. He said, "I facilitate collaboration, listen to ideas and organize and advertise for the event, but I also appreciate an element of spontaneity as that is what creativity is all about." He walks through it each month and finds pleasant surprises and says it's the organic feel that makes the event. It is informal so people can freely come set up, they do not need permission, or a permit as he wants the community to feel welcomed to just come and participate. Fiedler said " I get excited seeing things I did not know where going to happen."