Artists and art lovers will fill the sidewalks and businesses of Madison Avenue on Saturday, October 11th for the third Madison Avenue Lakewood ArtWalk. This is an extraordinary event. The the City of Lakewood has marked October as Arts and Humanities Month as part of the National initiative. ARTober is here to stay in Lakewood! 

The Lakewood ArtWalk was designed to increase exposure for participating local artists, organizations and area businesses, as well as further establish Madison Avenue as a vibrant and evolving neighborhood with a meaningful connection to arts and culture. The ArtWalk stretches from Ample Duds (17008 Madison) to the Coffee Pot Restaurant(12415 Madison) with over 30 Madison businesses participating. Off the beaten track and part of the ArtWalk are the Hilliard Theatre (16200 Hilliard) and Omega Cuts (11833 Franklin). 

The Art Walk is a collaborative effort between Madison Avenue businesses and LIA (Lakewood is Art) with the support of the Lakewood Observer, MAMA (Madison Avenue Merchants Association) and Cox Cable. Committee Members from LIA and Madison Avenue businesses have worked together to give the community another opportunity to gain exposure to the various art forms that are abundant in our area. Vance Music Studios Owner, Chris Vance, and Wobblefoot Owner, Tubal Cogar who are Madison Avenue business owners along with Ruth Koenigsmark, Chris Roberts, Phil Florian, Rhonda Loje and Barbara Michel of LIA volunteered their time to work closely with Madison Avenue business owners in creating enthusiasm for the Show. Businesses were encouraged to find their own artists. Additionally, Lakewood is Art volunteers worked with business owners and artists placing additional artists of all kinds.

“This Artwalk is made up of a wide variety of people - artists, performers, business owners and art enthusiasts. Yet everyone involved has contributions that are very creative," says Vance Music Studios Owner, Chris Vance. "The whole thing is driven by a kind of grassroots, slightly unhinged energy that a handful of volunteers keep organized. Then, it all comes together in an intense burst of activity, right up to the last moment."

Traditional galleries, like Wobblefoot Gallery and bela dubby will host a variety of visual artists and performance artists. Wobblefoot will host two poets, Hazel Chapman and Ray McNiece. Chapman will be on hand all evening to sign her book “The World as I See It” a collection of new poems. And internationally performing and leading poet, Ray McNiece, will provide “poetry, singing and hyjinx.” Starting at 8p.m. bela dubby will finish off a culturally fulfilling evening with live, original music being performed late into the evening.

ArtWalk attendees will have another opportunity to experience the architecturally significant neo-classic styled Hilliard Theater, as the Friends of Hilliard Theater and a variety of artists create an event to showcase this hidden treasure. Movie buffs will also have a chance to see three of indie director Johnny Wu’s films: “A Joker’s Card” (18mins) a Batman parody fan film with some wire-work, martial art and comedy; Taiko Drummer live performance of song Chimera from the movie “The Rapture” (5mins) and “The Lesson”, a martial art short film, teaches kung fu is not for fighting(5.57mins).

 

There will be musical performances at Vance Music Studios, Coffee Pot Restaurant, Pet’s General Store, Mahall’s Twenty Lanes, and bela dubby that will host anything from folk to jazz to blues to rock. A mixed bag of talented musical artists! Additionally, Sirens Hararidance will perform at 5pm and 7pm at Omega Cuts(11833 Franklin) . “Lakewood ArtWalks are one great way of getting the business owners working together towards something positive. We just need to continue working to come up with more and more creative ideas to show-off Madison Avenue” says Terrilynn Amos, owner of Turnstyle. You can pick up your Artwalk Map for a full list of events at any of the participating businesses which will be listed on the Lakewood is Art website(www.lakewoodisart.com or myspace.com/lakewoodisart) by October 1—or pick up the September 30th edition of the Lakewood Observer to find the full Artwalk map!