The Boro Art Crawl was once a well-known community event that brought color and activity to the downtown square. And while it hasn’t been active in more than a year, the crawl is now primed for a comeback.
Such is the news announced from co-owner of Church Street Gallery Eric Snyder. With a dedicated executive committee, Eric is now serving as the crawl’s new President. Eric tells Launch Engine that his committee is still putting together arts programming ideas for Rutherford County, and that information related to the crawl’s frequency and other details will be announced at a later date.
“Our decision to bring back the Boro Art Crawl was done because those involved felt that we could produce a high quality series of events and showcase exceptional art,” Eric says. According to Eric, the need for the Autumn Art Tour sprang from a discussion from artists in both the May Art Tour and the Stones River Crafts Association.
“This is a companion event with our May Art Tour and features several art-related businesses around the square and artists from November’s Art Studio Tour participating,” says Eric. The Autumn Art Tour is presented by the Boro Art Crawl and hosted by Church Street Gallery, and will be held from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. on Saturday, October 9, 2021.
The 2021 Autumn Art Tour will include a mix of stops, with both art studios and select businesses on the map. Studio and guest artists will be housed at Church Street Gallery, Studio S Pottery, M&J Home, the Murfreesboro Art League Gallery at Cannonsburg, and Blue Pony Art Studio.
That day, Church Street Gallery will also host a pop-up event in the “Graffiti Alley” behind the gallery. The pop-up will feature a small number of graffiti artists in the open green space near the intersection of Church and College Streets.
“We wanted to do an event that showcases what’s in Graffiti Alley, and how this area behind an art gallery can unite artists of all backgrounds to enhance what many consider vandalism into what should be considered genuine works of art, Eric explains. “And since we’re looking to make it intimate, we felt that having the event, entitled ‘Consensual Vandalism,’ as a one-day event where the public could participate and mingle with these artists would make for a great bridge-building exercise between the community and these artists.”
Eric believes that the inclusion of the pop-up will pair well with seeing people exhibiting art and demoing their processes in the various stops of the Art Tour.
In addition to local creativity on display at some of Murfreesboro’s favorite shops, visitors to the Autumn Art Tour will be able to enjoy the fresh air and convenient parking around the square for M & J Home, and Church Street Gallery, with Blue Pony Art Studio and Studio S offering parking on site. Visitors are reminded that a piece of art might make the perfect holiday gift, as would something from one of the local venues.
Social distancing and the use of face masks are encouraged while attending. For further information about the Autumn Art Tour, be sure to visit its official website. More details about the reformation of the Boro Art Crawl will be announced at a later date.
