After a two-year pause because of the ongoing pandemic, art galleries in downtown Chatham are ready to press play on a popular community art event.
The Thames Art Gallery (TAG) and ARTspace will be hosting a free, family-friendly spring Mini-Art Crawl on March 25 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
The galleries will also be joined by Art and Heirloom Shoppe, William Street Cafe, and The Co., for an evening of art and creativity in downtown Chatham.
"Everybody is excited and ready for this," said Michaela Lucio, who is the assistant curator at TAG and ARTspace. "We're excited to host an event like this and reconnect with our arts community and make sure what's going on in Chatham-Kent is really vibrant."
According to Lucio, attendees will be able to pick up event passports at any of the venues the night of the art crawl and then they will be stamped at each location.
"Have your passport stamped, complete the circuit and be eligible for a draw at the Thames Art Gallery at 8:30 p.m. The winning ticket will receive a $100 dollar prize," read the release.
Lucio said she will be speaking about her exhibit, A Small Good Thing, at ARTspace. The gallery will also feature art from the Community Art Initiative along with the work from a roster of local artists on display in the gallery.
"This event will be structured a little bit differently," said Lucio. "Sort of a simultaneous opening. There are no timed events, so people can come and go from each location as they would like."
A few steps away at the Art and Heirloom Shoppe, residents can also view work from 51 local artists. The two feature exhibits will feature work from fibre artist Jodie Edwards and Women in Power, an International Woman's Day celebration.
Over at The Co. on King Street, there will be an exhibit from resident artist Ian Rice, who is a local photographer that specializes in fine art photography and digital art. William Street Cafe will also be offering a selection of curated spring-themed food and beverages.
"It's so nice to be able to see everybody, have everyone out and be able to reconnect," said Lucio. "We have a tight-knit art community in Chatham."