On every Fourth Friday, the streets of Belfast are transformed into a whimsical wonderland to celebrate the warm summer evenings. From 5:30 until 8:00 pm you may explore imaginative art galleries that brighten up downtown, featuring both local and nationally recognized artists. There will be special surprises with each walk, see our schedule and themes below.
Follow our walks on Facebook & Instagram #ArtWalkWithMe #ArtWorksInBelfast
Don’t miss a gallery or shop see our live Art Walk Map here.
#ArtWalkWithMe #ArtWorksInBelfast
BCC Belfast Fourth Friday Art Walk
BCC Art Walk objectives:
● To promote the vibrant arts of Coastal Belfast as well as inland
communities and their capacity to bolster the creative economy of our
area.
● To highlight, feature and display youth art and performance
● To promote the breadth, depth and diversity of local visual arts
galleries and arts organizations in Belfast and surrounding
communities.
● To provide opportunities for participation in the arts through
interactive demonstrations and arts activities for all ages in downtown
Belfast
● To showcase heritage arts as a personal, and global transformational
force.
● To draw business to local artists, galleries, restaurants etc. in
downtown Belfast.
● To increase arts activism offerings and activities for all demographics
Proposed 2020 Schedule
Note: Arts Focus Topics correlate with Waldo County Cultural Plan goals recently
developed using data collected over a two year cultural planning process.
Goal A: Increase accessibility to cultural offerings
Goal B: Bolster Art Activism to support the quality of life
Goal C: Promote connections between coastal and inland cultural resources
Goal D: Sustain and Grow the region’s creative economy
BCC Belfast Fourth Friday Art Walk
2020 Schedule
Friday, May 22
Arts focus: Visual Arts in the City
5:00-8:00 Self-guided visual arts tour throughout the city using BCC’s mobile phone art map app and rack cards available in town at BCC Table.
Featured opening: Art at City Hall / NEW Works at City Hall + 2 previous Art at City Hall Artists (Penny Linn and Gail Wartell) to show selected work
Friday, June 26
Arts focus: Children and Young People’s Art
5:00-8:00 PM: Self-guided visual arts tour throughout the city using BCC’s mobile phone art map app and rack cards available in town at BCC Table.
6:00 – 7:00 pm: Featured children’s art exhibit with young musicians and spoken word artists. United Farmer’s Market or other downtown location. Collaboration with area schools and child care centers.
Friday, July 24:
Arts Focus: Musical Arts
5:00-8:00 Belfast’s 3nd Annual Busking Festival–Call out to local musicians and street performers
7:00 pm Community Street Sing
5:00-8:00 PM: Self-guided visual arts tour throughout the city using BCC’s mobile phone art map app and rack cards available in town at BCC Table.
Friday, August 21:
Arts Focus: Heritage Arts – Farm To Table Fare on the Footbridge
5:00-8:00 pm: Artists and Craftspeople from around Waldo County- Plein Air, Demos, Exhibits – Talks by local artists and galleries with farm to table fare
5:30: Featuring Work Song Chorus Performance at Footbridge
5:00-8:00 PM: Self-guided visual arts tour throughout the city using BCC’s mobile phone art map app and rack cards available in town at BCC Table.
Friday, September 25
Arts Focus: Arts in Action: Laughter and Hard Times–Building Civic Empathy through Story Arts
5-6 pm Special—Guided Art Gallery Tour
5:00-7:00 PM: Self-guided visual arts tour throughout the city using BCC’s mobile phone art map app and rack cards available in town at BCC Table.
7:00-8:00 PM: Community Story Circle at BAZZ w/ local Art Show
Friday, October 25th:
Arts Focus: Arts in Action: Dancers, Movers, Shakers and Soapbox Rants
5:00-7:00 PM: Self-guided visual arts tour throughout the city using BCC’s mobile phone art map app and rack cards available in town at BCC Table.
Featuring guided tours of BCC Member Galleries
Friday, December 4
Focus: Festive Arts–Holiday Art Bus, Singing, Fiddling and Performances at local Art Galleries
5:00-7:00 PM: Self-guided visual arts tour throughout the city using BCC’s mobile phone art map app and rack cards available in town at BCC Table. Art Walk Bus route includes both downtown galleries and outlying galleries and ends at the Belfast Flying Shoes First Friday Contra Dance.
#ArtWalkWithMe #ArtWorksInBelfast
History
Over the last decade the Belfast Fourth Friday Art Walk has established itself as a summer staple for residents and tourists alike. Belfast is known as an ‘arts destination’ and thousands of visitors come to Belfast every year to experience our mid-coast way of life. Statistics show that cultural tourists spend more than other tourists on lodging, shopping and dining. By showcasing local talent, creativity, and community, the Art Walk series brings both energy and entrepreneurial opportunity to artists and businesses throughout the summer months.
During the 2016 Art Walk season, participants were invited to explore the imaginative art galleries that brighten up downtown Belfast. These galleries feature local and nationally recognized artists with revolving shows throughout the season. The Art Walk presents a unique opportunity for artists to showcase their work and to engage a diverse crowd of passionate art enthusiasts and curious travelers in intimate conversation.
Thanks to generous funding from the City of Belfast, Bangor Savings Bank, and Delvino’s Restaurant, we were also able to launch several new initiatives that support the evening’s creative energy and highlight Waldo County’s unique creative economy. These include:
FARM TO GALLERY FOOD TASTINGS, POP UP ART TENTS, TOURS, #ARTWALKWITHME, ARTIST PERFORMANCES
For more information about the art walk, please contact us at info@belfastcreativecoalition.org