Art to the Avenue

OnThursday evening the Avenue was alight with festivity, celebrating the opening of the Greenwich Art Council's month-long Art to the Avenue exhibition.

Featuring local artists, their precious art and the generous stores who support them, this is the 14th year of this annual rite of spring features a whopping 135 artists at 130 locations. As always, all art is for sale and available by calling the Greenwich Arts Council at (203-862-6750). Those participating as shared gallery sites range from the Christian Science Room to Thomas Cleaners & Chinese Laundry and Threads & Treads and cover both on and around Greenwich Avenue.

As a virgin Art to the Avenue-goer, (and a natural-born skeptic) I was eager to witness the effect of a boulevard-long, local art fair on a street generally devoted to high-end consumerism. I must say, I was quite pleased to turn onto the Avenue at 6 p.m. (30 minutes after the opening ceremonies began) and find a substantial strolling crowd filing down both sides of the street. Furthermore ,the crowd was rather diverse, including couples, young and old, families with strollers and gaggles of teenage girls. Undoubtedly the fine, spring weather and copious amounts of free wine affected the healthy turnout. However, with each artist I spoke to or met, there was always someone waiting in the wings with either a question or solicitation.

A few standouts include Katherine Petitti Kornel, who wisely stood outside her venue, H.H. Brown Fine Leather Goods, parading a pair of shiny gold sandals sold within. Her allegiance to her venue was genuine and the conversation had to be steered from her ravings of the store's shoe quality to discussing her artwork.  Fortunately, Kornel was quite pleased with the store that chose her work and the goal of having the night be mutually beneficial was apparent in their partnership. (NB: The stores choose the artist they'd like to have show during the month-long exhibition)

Another mentionable is Beth Saffer of Bettinablue Designs whose whimsical surface designs were also showcased among shoes at Stuart Weitzman. The colorful posters and small prints of Saffer's added a declarative pop to the store's sophisticated patina of sandals and heels that seemed to beckon the eye. Not to mention, the silver tray filled with glasses of bubbly. Next door neighbor and newcomer, Greenwich Pharmacy outdid others with his generous table of hors d'oevres and kosher wines, plus a small gift-bag of skincare samples. 

As promised, musicians and performers lined the Avenue melding different sounds and styles and heightening the festive mood. Just as the all-female doo-wop group belted out show tunes alongside Giggle (who did not appear to participate), a pretty crooner named Karen Zimmer strummed her guitar to a small seated audience just outside Tiffany & Co.'s (who was also shut down) and a talented sketch artist made dramatic squiggles turn into jazz figurines outside Brooks Brothers (who definitely participated and had one of the bigger crowds featuring oil painter Chet Saur's work).

As expected, those who attended, drank the wine, picked at the cheese plates and asked the artists pointed questions, adding to the harmonious flow of the evening, while peppy staccato elements were delivered by amusing elements like a group of T-shirt clad teenage girls passing out fliers advertising a new shop, Pinky, located at 58A William St. I also have to mention how pleased I was to see some of the big chain stores, like Apple, participating.

As I strolled from top-to-bottom, pausing outside GAC's headquarters at the Greenwich Senior/Art Center to enjoy the live orchestra and visit the lovely ladies from Serendipity magazine (a large sponsor of the event), I was struck by how transformed the Avenue felt and appeared.

This past Thursday, I felt as if the Avenue was not its regular bastion of affluent consuming rather a real community-based thoroughfare where residents came out to support something truly local and the participating venues made their dedication to their surrounding environment known.

Art to the Avenue continues through May 30.