Returning Art Walk Gets Visitor-Friendly Tweaks

When the returns later this month it’s coming with a few changes organizers hope will attract more visitors and make the art on display that much more accessible.

In addition to the art walk, the Aug. 24 event will also feature extended hours, a poetry reading and a partnership with the New Jersey Museum of Contemporary Art, which is hosting an outdoor display called HEADS, a portrait project that features original works of arts hung on buildings throughout town.

Gallery U Coordinator and Curator Robert Langdon, who revived the art walk this past May after a hiatus of about four years, said the first iteration of the art walk was basically his baby alone. That meant he was forced to shoulder the responsibility of organizing, reaching out to local businesses for art space, and even doing his own design work to promote the event.

This time around, Langdon said Red Bank RiverCenter has jumped on board to assist with promotion and there’s even a dedicated graphic design professional who has produced display ads for the event.

“We’re really trying to bring art back to the forefront,” he said. “In May it was basically just me. We’ve kind of stepped it up in every area.”

One of the biggest changes is the art walk hours. In May, Langdon said the event was held from 6 to 9 p.m. What he found was that many visitors who had come to town to see the art found themselves to walk through town without much time left after enjoying dinner. To resolve the issue, the art walk has been extended from 5 to 10 p.m.

Though the number of gallery spaces is lower this time around – Langdon said some businesses couldn’t staff the longer hours – the art walk extends throughout Red Bank. Not only are downtown businesses on the list, but even the Galleria, where the poetry readings are being held at the , and even places of worship throughout town.

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