For twenty years now, the second Friday in every month on James Street North is Art Crawl. Originally it was organized by local independent artists and enjoyed by only a handful of people. Since then, it has blossomed into a great night out regularly visited by hundreds – even thousands – of people each month.
On that Friday afternoon, artists start arriving on the street and set up their tables or stands to show off their work. No one owns Hamilton’s Art Crawl – there’s no organizing body – and whoever wants to show up to sell their art is able to do so. Paintings, sculpture, mixed media, crafts, musical acts – anything goes.
Temporary Works and Permanent Galleries
Not all the artists are temporary. Many of the original organizers of Art Crawl ran galleries on the street, and some of those galleries are still there. Many more galleries and studios have opened.
During the warmer months, the City of Hamilton has closed vehicular traffic to James street. This allows people to flow out into the street, and larger art displays to be set up. Fun activities like chalk drawing pop up along the street, too, as well as dancing and other performances. Cross traffic is closed on the smaller streets, though the larger ones remain open.
Great Fun for Everyone
In addition to the arts and activities, many shops, cafes and restaurants stay open late. There are so many places along James North to get a great meal! A lot of these places also have patios set up on the street so diners can enjoy the festivities.
When guests arrive and ask us if there’s anything fun to do around town, it’s always a treat for us if that happens on an Art Crawl evening. And, of course, it’s not uncommon for a guest to arrive who is here to perform or to show their art. We enjoy the opportunity to go downtown and take part in the fun. And you can check our walls for art we have bought from wonderful local artists.
It really is a wonderful thing. Hamilton is home to many fantastic festivals throughout the year, but we are fortunate that one of the best happens every month!
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