The Amherstburg Art Crawl held last month did well enough to where organizers are looking at expansion next year.
The Art Amherstburg Society presented the Art Crawl July 20-21 and plan to make it a three-day event in 2025. The dates that have been chosen for the third annual event are July 18-20, 2025.
Art Amherstburg Society board chair Richard Peddie said the 2024 event was their second one, after running the first on a trial basis in September 2023.
Trudy Dempsey from the Gibson Gallery is the vice chair.
“The idea came about after I visited Huntsville and Elora,” explained Peddie. “A bunch of us put it together.”
While the Gibson Gallery was the main partner in 2023, this year became “dramatically bigger” with the addition of the Marsh Historical Collection, Amherstburg Fort Malden Horticultural Society, Christ Church and the Amherstburg Freedom Museum in addition to the gallery.
“Last year, we had one musical performance. This year, we had over 20,” he said.
There were three walks around the town as opposed to one last year and the event was capped with a performance from the Windsor Symphony Orchestra (WSO) brass quintet. There were also presentations from artists, plein air artists around town, children’s activities and a youth art contest.
“We learned a lot,” said Peddie.
Next year’s Amherstburg Art Crawl will include a major premium event in the Art Alley and at Hotel STRY. The WSO is also booked for 2025.
Thankful for the sponsors, volunteers and those who attended this year, Peddie indicated they are hoping to build on that for next year.
“Volunteers are key,” he said. “No one from the board gets paid.”
He added more murals are also in the works, noting the town’s rapid expansion to 29 public murals in the last four years.
“We already have five more murals for next year,” he said. “They’ll all be focused on Art Alley.”
The Amherstburg Art Crawl made a profit of $17,000 in 2024 and didn’t cost the taxpayers anything, he added. The money will be used towards next year’s event. They hope to retain current sponsors and add new ones.
“Our mission was to have the best new festival in 2024. This can become a fixture,” he said. “We can be the best for the arts in Essex County.”
The arts can be an economic driver and attract tourism, Peddie maintained, and smaller towns across Ontario are maximizing their approach to art-themed events and attractions. He hopes to see the local art crawl improve on children’s activities and continue to build on musical attractions.
Art Crawl organizers eyeing expansion for 2025 event
By Ron Giofu
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