"Outdoor galleries, outright cool" is the slogan of the East Buntyn ArtWalk, a local art festival that showcases local artists and artisans from the Mid-South area. The festival, which is on April 27, will also have live music, food trucks and a silent auction.
The front yards of the historic residential neighborhood, which stretches from Highland Street to Greer Street and from Central Avenue to Southern Avenue, will display the artwork in an open-air, bazaar-style atmosphere. Music begins at 2 p.m. and lasts until 7p.m., and the event is pet-friendly
"It's essentially an outdoor art gallery in a neighborhood," Public Relations Coordinator Shannon Little said. "Think South Main Trolley Night without the trolley and add live music and walkability. It's all about meeting the neighbors and seeing the hospitality that we represent."
The fifth-year festival was created to help local artists gain exposure, to help the members of the neighborhood become more acquainted with one another and to showcase the diversity of East Buntyn neighborhood itself.
"We have such talented artists all across town," Little said. "It's a way for them to showcase their work and show our history and culture in Memphis. It's also a great way to show off the artist's community in Memphis."
There are over 60 artists expected to be on display using a wide array of mediums including oil, watercolor, photography, pottery, jewelry and woodworking.
St. James Church, located at 461 S. Prescott St., will function as the center of operations, or "the hub," of the festival. Midland Avenue between Prescott Street and Reese Street will also be blocked off during the festival to accommodate pedestrian traffic.
At the hub, patrons can obtain a map of the featured galleries, bid on items at the silent auction, enjoy live music and sample mobile cuisine from several area food trucks such as Farm 2 Cart, Stick 'Em and Fuel. For $10 dollars, patrons can purchase an event wine glass and fill it up with free wine as they peruse the art.
During the silent auction, interested parties will have the opportunity to bid on items from local establishments like Garibaldi's Pizza, RP Tracks, Memphis Pink Palace Museum, McAlister's Deli, Lenny's Sub Shop, Tan Family Restaurant, Huey's, Tiger Bookstore, Dixon Galleries and others.
The line-up for the event includes Americana/Folk act The Poodle Brandy, Newgrass quintet the William Charles Collective, acoustic act Nora Burns, children's band the Friendzies and a classical orchestral group called the Eroica Ensemble.
"Everything about this event is 100 percent local," Little said. "All the food trucks, all of our silent auction donors, all of the artists. We understand the importance of 'local' in Memphis, and everything that Memphis represents in its local community."
