Springville Crawls with Creativity for This Year's Art Fest
Springville Crawls with Creativity for This Year's Art Fest
Run, walk, or crawl to Springville Center for the Art’s Art Crawl
Get ready to bug out - in the best way possible! Springville Center for the Arts is back with its wildly popular Art Crawl on Saturday, June 7th, and this year’s theme, “Art Creepy Crawlies,” promises a one-of-a-kind invasion of creativity. For one day only, downtown Springville transforms into a walkable art gallery, buzzing with community spirit, live performances, and unforgettable surprises around every corner.
Anna Fitzpatrick, Performing Arts Director for Springville Center for the Arts, Inc., is pleased to welcome the community to the annual crawl, which began about 10 years ago and has been growing ever since! “The intention is basically to take over the Main Street businesses in Springville and turn them into an art gallery for one day,” she explained. “We go through and we hang up different artworks that get submitted by local artists in the area. The first year that the SCA did it, it was a rainy day, and they thought, ‘Nobody’s going to come.’ And actually, all of these people ended up showing up anyways!”
Fitzpatrick remarked on how the event has grown over the years, both in terms of popularity and scope. Over the last 10 years, the Art Crawl has expanded to include live music, interactive art installations, kids activities, and more. “Just recently, within the last three years, we started doing a parade, and that took the place of the Dairy Fest parade that used to happen in Springville,” she added.
The crawl will run from 3:00-8:00pm throughout approximately a dozen businesses and community organizations. The Community Parade is scheduled to kick off the festivities at 4:00pm, beginning at Heritage Park and looping around Main Street back to Franklin Street. Community organizations and groups will be creating floats that align with the “Art Creepy Crawlies” theme, and prizes will be awarded to the float that best embodies it.
So how many artists and pieces of artwork can visitors expect? Fitzpatrick said that more than 50 artists from Western New York will be bringing two to four pieces each to display and sell in participating local businesses. Following the parade, families can expect to hear musicians on every corner, participate in immersive music or art activities, view live performances, shop vendors, peruse pop-up art galleries, and enjoy the excitement of Art Crawl.
There is no cost to attend Art Crawl, and there’s something for everyone to enjoy! The event is a great time to explore Springville businesses and organizations. Fitzpatrick said, “The historical society, which is right across from the Springville Dairy on Franklin Street, said that our crawl every year is when they get the most foot traffic, which was exciting to hear!” The SCA’s sister project, Art’s Café, reports that Art Crawl is one of their busiest days of the year, too. Fitzpatrick pointed out, “Part of the intention [of Art Crawl] was to build community not just for the Arts Center, but for Springville in general. We put those art galleries in the businesses on purpose so that it’s exposure for them, too.” Maps will be available so that visitors are aware of what’s happening throughout the day and which businesses are participating.
For those who would like to continue the fun, the After-Party is a great opportunity! The After-Party begins at 7:30pm at the SCA, located at 37 N. Buffalo St. in Springville. “The After-Party formed because we needed some time for the art that was purchased to get taken down and brought to the person who bought it,” Fitzpatrick said. “We always like to give artists an opportunity to meet the people that purchase their work, and sometimes they want to meet the artists, so it builds community.” While the art crawl is free, those interested in the After-Party do need to purchase a ticket, which includes refreshments and live music, including three different bands performing throughout the evening. “It’s basically an opportunity to keep the excitement of the crawl going, but then to also be able to meet the artists and look at some more artwork,” said Fitzpatrick. “And if you purchased artwork, it gives you time to relax while we gather it for you!”
Art Crawl continues to be a mainstay of the SCA, which offers many opportunities for creativity throughout the year. The SCA is “a multi-arts center, so we don’t just focus on music, theater, and performing arts,” Fitzpatrick explained. “We expand it to visual arts. We have a literary arts program. We try to offer as many free classes as we can.” For example, at Art’s Café, there are free language classes in French, Italian, and Spanish offered every week. Crochet Club is another free opportunity offered by the SCA. “We’re trying to bring awareness to all arts… which is why our crawl is so fun, because that gives us an opportunity to really share every single aspect of the arts!” To learn more about the SCA, visit www.springvillearts.org and follow Springville Center for the Arts on social media.