Local Art Crawl Shines A Light On 5th Year Of Williamson County Art And Culture

The Franklin Art Scene is continuing its 5th anniversary celebration on Friday, March 4 by shining a light on Williamson County art and culture with complimentary glowsticks, in addition to a wide range of local artisans.

Coordinated by the Downtown Franklin Association, the free event will feature 14 participating sites dispersed in and around downtown—including the Second South District and Bridge Street, as well as up and down Columbia Avenue.

The first 100 patrons at each location will receive glowsticks to wear throughout the night’s festivities, which will take place from 6-9 p.m. March’s “Light Up The Night” theme is one of many unique perks that regulars will see throughout the year, as the Franklin Art Scene prepares to celebrate its five year anniversary in September.

In addition, participants will have the opportunity to enter their photos from the night into a social media contest for the chance to have their name and shot featured on the Franklin Art Scene and Downtown Franklin Association’s Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages. Those who use the hashtags #ArtSceneGlow and #FranklinArtScene with their event photos will be eligible for selection.

Friday’s locations are slated to offer a sweeping variety of magnificent work, ranging from mixed-media pieces and handcrafted jewelry to turned wood and original paintings, including:

• Boutique MMM, at 238 Public Square, is showcasing the works of Denise Michelle who enjoys creating true to life paintings while exploring traditional, as well as creative approaches to portraiture, still life and landscapes.

• Franklin Glassblowing Studio, located at 1143 Columbia Avenue, will display artistry in motion as creator Jose Santisteban demonstrates the fascinating art of glassblowing.

• Gallery 202, at 202 Second Avenue South, will host self-taught artist Mike Hooper. With work varying in a range of mediums – from paper and wood to paper mache sculptures – he most often categorizes his pieces as folk, impressionist or surrealist art.

• Historic Franklin Presbyterian Church, located on the corner of 5th Avenue and Main Street, will feature the works of Tom Zigler—a life-long painter whose work captures a variety of things, primarily the outdoors and wildlife.

• Hope Church, located at 1820 Downs Boulevard, will host Jo Sanders, an artisan who strives to create paintings that evoke emotion through color and energy.

• Parks Realty, located at 415 Main Street, is showcasing the works of Essence DeVonne, whose subject matters and mediums range from hand-carved pop art cartoons to abstract butterflies.

• The Visitor Center, at 400 Main Street will host Gretchen Adreon, who has drawn much of her inspiration from her father who was a sign muralist in Chicago. After exhibiting and selling her work to a number of clients in New York City, she relocated to Nashville where she continues to pursue her artistic path.

• The Williamson County Archives, located at 611 West Main Street is featuring the works of Michalle Sessions, a Franklin local who has been painting and drawing ever since she can remember, and strives to bring creativity to the world each day.

Many of the galleries and working studios serve complimentary refreshments during the evening, and some offer live music. Free trolley rides provided by the Heritage Foundation circulate among all the stops, and patrons can jump on and off at will from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

In addition to an online map and QR code, a Franklin Art Scene smartphone application is now available on Google Play. The download gives users up-to-date information on the upcoming art crawl and its locations.

For more information on indvidual sites and artists, visit www.facebook.com/franklinartscene.com. To download maps and applications, visit www.franklinartscene.com.