Pasadena Art Walk features 25 artists
The sixth annual Pasadena Art Walk will take place Saturday, Oct. 15 in downtown Pasadena’s historic playhouse district. The event will feature the work of 25 artists and will serve as an opportunity for both attendees and vendors to engage in the city’s vibrant art scene.
In addition to the outdoor Art Walk and sale on El Molino Avenue, art spaces including Gallerie Gabrie will be opening their doors to the public during the event. Vroman’s Bookstore, in conjunction with the Pasadena Society of Artists, will be hosting art-themed panel discussions throughout the day, and admission to the Pasadena Museum of California Art will be free to Art Walk attendees.
Local restaurants and coffee shops will also offer discounts to hungry art lovers, and the Donovan/Muradian Quintet will serenade the crowd with light jazz. Coolhaus Ice Cream will also be on the scene to sell sweet treats.
“The playhouse district is Pasadena’s center for culture, commerce and community,” Erlinda Romo, an Art Walk organizer, said. “We have a very strong art scene here in the district with the playhouse, Boston Court Performing Arts Center, the Ice House comedy club, two museums and Vroman’s Bookstore. The Art Walk is a way to highlight the artistic nature of the district and bring it out into a public area rather than putting it all into a museum. We want people to see everything that is available in the district.”
While the Art Walk featured solely Pasadena-based artists in its early years, it has since expanded to include artists from all over Southern California.
“We found there was a lot of interest outside the area,” Romo says. “It’s led to a higher quality of artists and more diversity in the art.” Participating artists are chosen through a juried application process. This year’s Art Walk will feature paintings, collages, jewelry, photography, lithographs and more.
Altadena-based artist Clarence Stubblefield, who has shown his Caribbean and jazz-inspired acrylic paintings in four of the five Pasadena Art Walks, said he is excited to return to the event again this year. “It’s nice to see other vendors from years before,” Stubblefield says. “It’s a great crowd and a great show.”
Glendale-based photographer Eric Axene is also excited about the crowd. “I’m looking forward to setting up my tent and meeting and talking to people,” Axene said. “I love chatting and showing my work. Especially in Los Angeles, as someone who’s working in a creative field, I’m a lot more isolated than I felt like I was when I was working in New York. That’s why these events are great, because I get to meet other artists and talk to them. It’s a nice vibe. My son and wife are going to come with.”
The Art Walk is indeed a family-friendly event, and there will even be opportunities for attendees of all ages to do their own crafting projects, including mosaics, bookmaking, pottery painting, and more.
“This hands-on element will allow the crowd to experience art in a different way,” Romo says.
Through diverse and engaging options such as these, the event will surely provide something for everyone.
“There’s a really cultured vibe that exists in Pasadena,” Axene says. “It’s an older community and it has a lot of history. My wife is from Pasadena, and what really amazed me was the level of the artistry there. I was shocked at how many venues Pasadena has to see and experience art. That’s really what drew me to applying to the show. My family spends a lot of time in Pasadena, so it’s really fun to be part of that community.”
KATIE BAIN is a freelance writer. She can be contacted at bain.katie@gmail.com.
DETAILS:
What: The sixth annual Pasadena Art Walk
When: Saturday, Oct. 15 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Where: At the intersection of Colorado Boulevard and El Molino Avenue in Pasadena.
For more information, visit playhousedistrict.org/artwalk.