ArtWalk, the annual celebration of local art and artists, will return to Owen Sound this Saturday June 26 from 10:00 to 4:00. Eight downtown galleries --including Georgian Bay Centre for the Arts, Grey Gallery, Heartwood Home, Intersections WOOD Gallery & Studio, Jean Francis Studio, Owen Sound Library, Owen Sound Artists' Co-op and the Tom Thomson Art Gallery -- will have special exhibitions and programming in this no-charge, self-guided art tour.

Also this year, for the first time, there will be an ArtWalk Urban Sketchers' competition, where registered amateur and professional artists will be assigned outdoor spaces throughout the downtown for the day, where they can set up their easels and interpret what they see. The public will be invited to visit the artists as they are working. Cash prizes will be awarded. The works will be exhibited in the galleries for two weeks following ArtWalk.

Artists interested in participating in the Urban Sketchers Art Competition should contact [email protected] or phone (519) 376-4233. Registration ($45) includes assigned location, box lunch, eligibility for the cash prizes and exhibition of work. For more information, go to the art walk urban sketchers page on facebook.

ArtWalk is an opportunity for the galleries to work together to showcase the vital arts community which exists in the downtown. The award-winning event had to be cancelled last year due to COVID-19 restrictions. This year, working in conjunction with the Health Unit and the City of Owen Sound, safety protocols for indoor and outdoor events will be in effect. This is a rain or shine event.

source: media release, The Ginger Press