Show Preview | Galleries at Sunset Center: First Friday Art Walk

Amarillo, TX
April 5

Sandra Pelfrey, High Country Spring, oil, 16 x 20.

This story was featured in the April 2013 issue of Southwest Art magazine. Order the Southwest Art April 2013 print issue, or get the Southwest Art April 2013 digital download now…Or better yet, just subscribe to Southwest Art and never miss a story!

From 5 to 9 p.m. on the first Friday of every month, the Galleries at Sunset Center is packed with artists and art enthusiasts for the First Friday Amarillo Art Walk. Artists’ demonstrations, music, entertainment, and activities for kids take place during the event, which often draws 2,000 to 3,000 attendees. “It’s kind of a party night for art lovers,” says artist Ann Crouch, owner of the center and Sunset Art Gallery. “The main purpose of the Art Walk is to expose all the latest artists and artworks to the public,” Crouch says.

Mary Bechtol, Patio View, oil, 40 x 30.

The Galleries at Sunset Center is a large indoor complex consisting of 65 to 70 art studios and galleries. Each gallery represents up to six artists, and most of them participate in the Art Walk each month. “Walking down the halls, you’ll see all kinds of art,” says Loretta Corbin of ArtGecko Studio and Gallery. “We have rug weavers, wood carvers, and sculptors working in stone, bronze, iron, and steel. Plus you’ll find every possible kind of pottery and all mediums of painting on display—and all of it is original fine art.”

Marsha Clements of Sentosa Gallery is an oil painter whose subjects include animals, figures, landscapes, and skyscapes. Clements says she is thrilled to be part of the center and the Art Walk. “Being part of this whole community is really special because you’re surrounded by other creative people in a community of artists who really encourage each other,” she says. At the Art Walk, she adds, “you get to meet a lot of people who are there just because they love art, and it’s an opportunity for them to visit with the artists and ask questions about their work.”

Many artists and art lovers in the community believe that the Galleries at Sunset Center and the First Friday Art Walks have brought a much-needed revival of the arts to Amarillo. “Ann [Crouch] has tried to create a place where artists can show their art locally and be successful right here at home,” Clements says.—Lindsay Mitchell

contact information
806.353.5700
www.sunsetartgalleryofamarillo.com

Featured in the April 2013 issue of Southwest Art magazine–click below to purchase:
Southwest Art April 2013 digital download
Southwest Art April 2013 print issue
Or subscribe to Southwest Art and never miss a story!