Eastern Shore Art Center offers Online Opportunities in lieu of First Friday Art Walk Cancellation! 

After much deliberation, ESAC Staff and Board Members made the difficult call to cancel the popular event scheduled for July 3. Bryant Whelan, Executive Director at ESAC, said "In the past we have had over 500 attend Art Walk even on the holiday weekend. We had high hopes with countless safety precautions in place, but ultimately knew that the best solution was to avoid the possibility of a crowd too large to sustain proper distancing." Whelan expressed disappointment, stating that this is the time that the Art Center really needs the support of the community to continue their mission. July’s event marks the fourth Art Walk to be cancelled due to the COVID pandemic.   

This also occurs after cancelling two of their largest fundraisers – the 48th Annual Outdoor Art Show and 3rd Annual White Linen Night. "Even with so many cancellations, we are still planning ways to engage the community through art," said Marketing Director Adrienne Clow. "We have instated online galleries and virtual classes that can both be accessed from home, including community art projects such as the Quarantine Quilt.”

The Eastern Shore Art Center galleries are open Tuesday-Saturday 10am-4pm and visitors are encouraged to visit during these times. Online galleries are up 24/7 including the opening of folk-art legend Betty Sue Matthews. 

·       NEW EXHIBIT: Nall Collection: Alabama Art featuring Betty Sue Matthews. Matthews, 1944 - 2018, was a completely self-taught, Alabama "outsider” artist working in unconventional materials. Matthews’ work has been exhibited in the Smithsonian and the Rosa Parks Museum. All exhibiting work is for sale to benefit the Eastern Shore Art Center and Alabama Artists.

·       RETURNING EXHIBIT: Letty Oratowski "Then and Now"
ESAC is proud to host works from Oratowski’s prolific career. Guests will be dazzled by mixed media, paintings and an extraordinary selection of ceramic sculptures.

·       RETURNING EXHIBIT: Ashley Terrell Contemporary Works.Terrell has experimented with all types of mediums and genres, keeping it fresh by always trying something new. She currently paints with mixed media and uses an old-world type glazing process in her soft, tranquil landscapes of the Gulf Coast. She switches it up with bold graphic textures and colors to create abstract pieces that make a statement

·       RETURNING EXHIBIT: Quarantine Quilt. Between April-May, artists were called to "come together” through art by producing squares for ESAC’s "Quarantine Quilt”. Without running to the craft store, over 37 artists produced beautiful quilt squares that give voice to a community in quarantine. From ages 5 to 83, these contributors have been united to create a beautiful commentary.  

 WHERE: Eastern Shore Art Center (401 Oak St.  Fairhope, AL 36532) 

For more info, contact:Adrienne Clow, Marketing Director at Adrienne@esartcenter.org or 928-2228 ext 103. Visit www.esartcenter.org, Facebook, or Twitter for daily updates!