Yellow Springs Art Stroll

This article originally appeared in Dayton City Paper

There is a place where talented artists live within a close proximity to one another. This small spot on the map has grown into an amazing community where one can feed off other’s creative energy and people genuinely support each other’s projects. This is a free place where something ordinary and plain would stand out against the blossoms of creativity and playful invention.

On any typical day you may walk through Yellow Springs and find variety of exceptional artworks for sale by local vendors. You may also notice the time restraint due to limited hours of these stores. Well for Yellow Springs Art Stoll you will not only find extra special artwork, some of which is made just for the occasion, but these stores will be open until 9:00p.m. providing more time to shop.

Yellow Springs Art Stroll is Friday, June 14 from 6-9 p.m. This event will feature “would you, could you” In a Frame Miniature Show at 113 Corry Street. Noodle Factory, a throwback rock band, will perform outdoors in the Art Park at 100 Corry Street at 6 p.m. Yellow Springs Arts Council will have a gallery opening reception, 6-9 p.m. at 111 Corry Street for “Voices: Sculpture by Alice Robrish.” In addition to all that the Yellow Springs Pride Weekend Celebration, which will continue on Saturday and Sunday, kicks off with a Cocktail Party at The Winds Café 11 p.m.-2 a.m.

If you look at a calendar of Yellow Springs events or just happen to frequent the area you may notice that this event falls one week after the Yellow Springs Street Fair and that is no coincidence.

“It’s always on the first Friday after Street Fair,” explained Karen Wintrow Executive Director Yellow Springs Chamber of Commerce. “A couple of the shop owners got together and decided that because Street Fair had gotten so big that they wanted an event that focused a little bit more on the down town shops. Street Fair is big it has outside vendors. They wanted an event that was just for local businesses so that’s when art stroll started.”

Art Stroll has been going on for twenty years according to Wintrow. It happens every June and October always following Street Fair. Each event offers something different as the artist produce different works, release different gallery shows and different musicians play every time.

There has been much excitement for the “would you could you” In a frame miniature show. “Everything is really small and constricted to being within a frame,” explained Wintrow. “Everything is really wonderful and really affordable.”

Sherryl Kostic is the proprietor of the “would you could you” show. She is a local who owns a gallery and framing shop.

“It started as sort of a fun thing. I wanted to see what artists could do and how many artists I could pull in,” Kostic explained. “I stared out with five by sevens and then said; well that’s not really a miniature we’re going to go for a bigger challenge, which came to two by three inches and ever since then that’s what I’ve been doing. Now it’s a way for me to meet new artists. It’s a way for artists to be challenged.”

There are decent odds that you have encountered Sherryl Kostics work before. However, chances to see the miniature show are a bit rarer.

“I do the art stroll twice a year in June and October. I’m part of the Art Stoll. But the Miniature show I do every other year. So every odd year I do a call out for artists to do something on two by three inches.”

With a town full of artists of course there will be more than one cool show running this weekend. “The other big art opening is at the Yellow Springs Art Council Gallery. They will have a new show and a reception opening that night,” Wintrow said.

“Voices: Sculpture by Alice Robrish” is the show selected for this Art Stoll event. Alice Robrish makes sculptures in ceramic and paper mache. For some works she uses the addition of found objects and integrates them into her creations. “Her work gives voice to important timeless issues. She is currently focusing on the lives of the unsung with an emphasis on minorities and women,” Yellow Springs Art Council said. “Alice Robrish taught ceramics and clay sculpture at her studios in Bethesda, MD and Washington DC for twenty-five years. She has exhibited her sculpture in numerous shows in the DC area, Chicago and Ohio. She moved to Yellow Springs in 2004 and maintains an active studio practice.”

Yellow Springs has always had fantastic artists. They have always had gallery events and artwork for sale. This event however has some special occasion creations and extended opportunities to enjoy them.

“The point is that the shops stay open until 9p.m.,” said Wintrow. “It’s late-night shopping and entertainment. There will be live music at Peaches that always starts at ten o’clock. There will be live music and wine tasting at the Emporium and that’s from seven to ten.”

Music and Art into the night, the Yellow Springs Art Stoll promises to be a cool evening. You can safely expect less crowds than the Street Fair while a few faces are sure to be familiar. This is an event with its spotlight focused on some well-deserved locals.

Yellow Springs Art Stroll: Friday, June 14, 2013, 6-9 p.m.