BY STACY RAFFO, COMMUNITY COACHING PROGRAMS ASSOCIATE, THE HUB
The Madison, WV community is gearing up for their second year of the Madison Art Walk, an event designed to allow local artists to present their work to the general public and give them an opportunity to network with other artists. The Main Street Art Walk was dreamed up when sisters Teena Merlin and Myria Wade visited a similar event in Charleston, WV where they heard an artist speak of how they had used art to uplift their community. It inspired the two to try something in Madison, one of the areas participating in The Hub’s Energizing Entrepreneurial Communities program.
The sisters knew that they could not copy exactly what they had seen in Charleston, but could capture the spirit of the Art Walks in larger cities and make it their own.
Hosted on the first Sunday of each month from 2-6pm on Main Street in Madison, the Art Walks will kick-off for the year in April, or when the weather breaks, according to the event coordinator, Teena. Teena and Myria hope to grow the event this year with more artists as well as more visitors to the event, artists are able to sell their works during the event, commission-free.
Visitors having the ability to interact directly with the artist and talk to them about their pieces is one aspect that community members found enjoyable.
Community member Tess Myers shared, “Being able to talk directly about the piece empowered both the Artist and the visitor, I loved it.”
To learn more about the event or for information on displaying your art, visit the Main Art Walk Facebook page or contact Teena at 304-601-5789.
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