Cherry Creek North Second Saturday Art Walks
By Kastle Waserman
CHERRY CREEK NORTH may be known for its high-end shopping and casual to fine dining, but it’s also a vibrant arts community. From galleries with nationally acclaimed paintings, photography, and sculptures, to gift shops featuring works by creative hands, to fashion, jewelry, and culinary delights, what better way to put the spotlight on all the art available than a monthly art walk?
Taking its cue from the popular First Fridays arts walks of other creative districts, Cherry Creek North, a 16-block pedestrian-friendly area, started Second Saturday Art Walks to celebrate and showcase galleries and stores where you can find whatever form of art that speaks to you to take home.
“We felt like there was an opportunity to highlight one more reason to visit this district beyond the obvious retail, dining, and hotels,” says Nick LeMasters, president and CEO of the Cherry Creek North Business Improvement District. “We brought together a group of people from our district who are passionate about the arts, including the Business Improvement District board and our retail community, to talk about what might be possible. We want to get to a place where patrons come here to enjoy the art.”
The Cherry Creek North District is extremely walkable and offers 5,000 parking spaces, including 500 on-street, so you can leave your car behind. For the art walks, maps are available online and in-store to direct people to participating venues, and red balloon sculptures are out front for easy spotting. Inside, friendly staff are ready to greet patrons, some offering sweet treats and gifts, and many offering activations, such as visiting artists making on-the-spot pieces people can take home.
On a recent Art Walk, fine men’s wear store Andrisen Morton got into the creative spirit by bringing in local artist Britten to hand-paint custom pocket squares to go with every purchase.
“We believe the activations are essential to exceeding the guest’s expectations, to surprise and delight. Without them, it’s just a visit to a beautiful store,” LeMasters says. “It’s what will give the event staying power.”
At the Show of Hands gift shop, local artist Jenn Merz worked with visitors to create free, interactive ink prints using leaves from her own garden. Store owner Katie Friedland says the Art Walks have given a nice bump to the businesses in the area. “Second Saturdays bring a wonderful feeling of community and highlight the many artsy small businesses in Cherry Creek North.”
You can easily spend the full art walk time from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. checking out all the participating spots. Be sure to make time for lunch at a local restaurant, too. It makes Cherry Creek North a one-stop spot to spend the day, feel a sense of community, and open your eyes to new art.
“The art walks break down the perception that galleries are exclusive or intimidating,” says Courtney Olson, gallery director at Relévant Galleries. “Art is meant to be experienced and discussed, not gatekept … We get to introduce people to artists and work who might not have walked through our doors otherwise, and that’s incredibly valuable for our artists and for the neighborhood’s cultural fabric.”
Learn about upcoming events at cherrycreeknorth.com
