By ANDREA SHAY
Writer / Photographer
June 9, 2016 — Amid its current “South Village” revitalization, Bradenton’s Village of the Arts held its monthly “First Weekend Art Walk” this past Friday evening and Saturday morning. During the monthly event, most of the area’s galleries and dining establishments are open to the public, allowing visitors to walk through the eclectic neighborhood while enjoying a mix of fine and folk art as well as music and gourmet food. Many galleries serve hors d’oeuvres and wine or sangria to guests, lending a festive spirit to the event.
Mary Scheidell, a visitor to the Friday night Art Walk, came for the second month in a row all the way from Polk County. She said she returned because she liked the people and the artwork she encountered on her first visit. Scheidell likened the neighborhood to the Florida Keys, citing that it shared many of the same elements and had the same vibe.
Arts and Eats, a small, upscale-yet-folksy restaurant located in the heart of the Village of the Arts, often features a special menu and live music during the Art Walk events. Friday evening, singer-songwriter Bill Vinhage performed an acoustic set while diners enjoyed the restaurant’s unique dishes and atmosphere provided by owners Jim Copening and Donna Slawsky.
According to a number of gallery and cafe owners, the monthly Art Walks are busiest during the tourist season that happens each October through May, while traffic slows down and attracts more locals during the hotter summer months.
Anna D’Aste, owner of the Little Swamp Studio for the last 15 years, says she’s seen the number of visitors to the area fluctuate. Additionally, both D’Aste and Joan Peters, owner of the Joan Peters Gallery on 11th Avenue West, want to encourage visitors to the Art Walk to see more than just the main strip of shops on 12th Street West. Many side shops and galleries are well worth walking the extra block to see.
Moreover, the “South Village,” which includes restaurants like chef Gaetano “Guy” Cannata’s Ortygia and galleries like Darwin Leon Art, may be in the midst of developing its own strip of shops to attract visitors to the oft-overlooked southern area of the Village of the Arts. In addition to Darwin Leon’s gallery, 11th Street and the surrounding area now hosts a number of new businesses, including the Village Sharpening and Metal Art Gallery on 14th Avenue, and the Dude and Mary’s Art of Life and Music and the 11th Street Gallery, both located on 11th Street West.
Bradenton’s Village of the Arts monthly Art Walks take place on the first Friday and Saturday of each month, with the Friday Art Walks running from 6:30 p.m. until 9:30 p.m. and the Saturday Art Walks beginning at 11 a.m. and ending at 4 p.m.