Ever Gone on a Gallery Stroll?

Did you know that many cities have "Gallery Strolls" or "Art Walks"?  These strolls or walks offer a great opportunity to visit a gallery without any pressure of purchasing anything.  These events are open to the public and are completely free.  Oftentimes, galleries will plan an artist reception on the night coinciding with the stroll, so you can have the chance to talk with the featured artist.  Also, if you need more encouragement to attend a stroll, most galleries offer hors d'oeuvres and beverages and who doesn't love free food?!

Here in Salt Lake City, the gallery stroll takes place on the third Friday of every month from 6-8 in the evening.  Unfortunately, I don't always remember to schedule in the gallery stroll on my calendar every month, so I often forget or schedule over it.  This month, however, I wrote it in and made it a point to attend.

Because I've lived in the Salt Lake valley for awhile, I have my favorite galleries and my favorite events.  One of my favorite events is the 300 Plates exhibition and fundraiser put on by the Art Access Gallery.  This gallery sets itself a part from the rest in that its mission is to make art accessible to Utahns with disabilities.  To read more about their mission and purpose, please visit their website, which is linked above.  The 300 Plates event is a yearly fundraiser in which local artists create their work on 11"x10" plates, made from plexiglass or tempered panel, to be sold to raise money for the gallery to pursue their mission.

Although I didn't attend the opening event of this exhibition, I did visit the gallery the night of the stroll to view the 300 plates and it is such a fun experience.  There aren't many other opportunities to see the work of so many different artists at one time and in one place.  It is quite a rush!

This piece is by Laura Hope Mason and it was one I fell in love with instantly.  I have never seen any work by this artist before, and that is, again, one of the benefits of this event!

This work is by Ryan Akerley.  This photo was taken at an angle to avoid the glare, but the amazing colors and movement of this piece really captured me.  Some of the pieces that were done on plexiglass really utilized the transparency of the material, like Akerly did here.  It's no surprise that this one had sold before I arrived!

This last piece is by Chad Farnes and is created by a collage of tape! This was incredible to see in person.  The color, detail, and texture of this work is truly phenomenal.  Check out his website for more information on his process.  

Although I visited two other galleries that night, this was the most spectacular show of the night.  I will commit to making my best efforts to attend the gallery stroll regularly and bring a taste of the night back here!