On Sunday, April 29^th the Fairmount Neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania came alive with art. About 45 different businesses, from private businesses like Luigi’s Pizza Fresca to the Eastern State Penitentiary, were transformed into art exhibits for this four hour event. This annual art exhibition attracts over 4000 guests each year, targeting the young and young at heart to explore the realms of the art community.

Around 78 artists appeared at the Arts Crawl this year, from all different mediums including paint, sculpture, bookbinding, 3D art and photography. All of these were local artists, most of which made appearances to talk about their work. Alison Dilworth, for example, had her own exhibition at La Calaca Feliz. Dilworth discussed her Day of the Dead themed murals that are now featured on the restaurant’s walls.

Fairmount spiced up their Arts Crawl with brand new events for 2012, accommodating more of the community and allowing amateur artists and students to have their art displayed. The Artist Alley, down 22^nd street between Fairmount and Aspen, allowed an outdoor display of art to provide space for more artists than ever before. Nine Moore College of Art and Design graduate students displayed their work, hosted by the Ukrainian League of Philadelphia.

They had the opportunity to discuss and sell their work, from encaustics to video. The George Apotsos Gallery displayed the art of eight core members of the new art-loving community Fairmount Artist Network. Live music from local bands filled the streets, and swing dancing lessons were available to anyone who wanted to participate.

The emphasis of the event was on the children, inspiring them to create and appreciate art. In Artists Alley, kids could watch Young Rembrandt’s Drawing Demos, participate in Monster Murals Coloring and receive Balloon art. They could also get help from a Blue Moon Muralist to create their own Blue Moon art, emphasizing the artistic approach to brewing that the company advocates.

At the Bache Martin Elementary School, student art was on display among various activities for kids, such as drawing, finger painting and collage. They displayed information on all student art programs with these exhibitions, allowing the chance to sign up for one of the classes. The Fairmount Art Center and the Fare Restaurant let children of all ages explore the world of music through listening to foreign music.

They could make their own beats with the help of elementary school teachers Cameron DeWhitt and Emily Bate, who led the students with singing, instruments and dancing. At the Philadelphia Museum of Art, at the Perelman Building, presented by PNC Arts Alive, kids could create their own art with a multitude of different medias and tour The Secret Garden display.

2012 Fairmount Arts Crawl is only one of the events inspiring art in children and young adults. Many other art exhibitions are taking steps toward a new generation of art lovers and appreciators.

Image Courtesy of   Fairmount CDC

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About the author

Katlyn Slough
Studying all kinds of Writing at Rowan University. In love with writing and communication. Hoping to see the world someday, and probably write about it.