Downtown Gallery Walk Spotlights Fine Art
arts, culture, gallery walk, paintings and sculptures,
West Chester residents know there’s plenty of fine art and quality dining to be had in town, but the annual gallery walk always elicits the same comment: “We never knew this was here!”
That newfound discovery of downtown’s galleries and restaurants is exactly what organizers of Gallery Walk were aiming for.
The twice-yearly downtown stroll reintroduces residents to the galleries and restaurants that line West Chester’s historic downtown streets.
Organized by the Chamber of Commerce of Greater West Chester, Gallery Walk was launched in 1993 as a way to showcase the great diversity and opportunities that downtown has to offer, says Sandra Riper, owner of Sunset Hill Jewelers & Fine Arts Gallery and a founder of the event.
“The first time we had 10 different art galleries and about nine very nice restaurants,” Riper says. “The original idea was to create an evening where people would stroll around town and go from place to place as a way to introduce people to these businesses.”
West Chester has always had a lot of artistic talent and fine restaurants within its borders. The event not only showcases these, but it also recreates the “small town Friday evening” feel the town was once known for, she adds.
“Sunset Hill would, and still does to this day, send out close to 2,500 invitations to the opening night of each new art exhibit, as did some of the other galleries,” Riper says. “This brings in the collectors and the art enthusiasts who then go on to dinner or to see what the other galleries have on exhibit. The Gallery Walk evenings were begun to coordinate those events so that people would be enticed by how many places they could see in one evening.”
The event, which occurs on the first Friday in June and October and is sponsored by Meridian Bank, helps established galleries such as Sunset Hill – which celebrates its 25th anniversary in 2008 – as well as newer players on the downtown scene. In recent years the number of gallery and business participants has risen to 20, with a growing number of boutiques and restaurants participating as well.
“Because of Gallery Walk, and some of the unique art that we have within the borough being showcased, businesses have become involved by hosting art shows,” says Katie Walker, president of the Chamber of Commerce of Greater West Chester. “They bring in an artist for the evening and have them display their work. It’s been a wonderful way not only to have the actual galleries involved, but have local businesses be a part of the event as well.”
All told, it’s a win-win for businesses and residents alike.
“The public gets a chance to see art they may never have had the chance to see before, and actually meet the artists,” Riper says. “The restaurants and other retail shops have crowds of people who may never have known what they have to offer, and it gets people into downtown West Chester.”
Story by Joe Morris
Photo by Margot Cavin
