Sunny skies, spring blossoms, and smiling faces scattered Granville Sunday afternoon as residents and visitors enjoyed the Second Sunday Gallery Hop on Sunday, April 13. Sponsored by Granville Center for the Arts, the gallery walk showcased six galleries along Main Street, Broadway, and North Prospect Street, promoting the talent and creative expression embedded in the town’s landscape.
The artistic celebration will return this weekend on May 11, offering a perfect way to spend mother’s day with the family. The gallery hop invites people of all ages to support local artists and small businesses throughout the town. Strolling through the village, passport in hand, each destination on the map provides a stamp that is redeemable for discounts at participating restaurants in Granville.
While downtown, Three Tigers Brewing Co. contributed to the community’s support of their artistry with their newest event, Yoga on Tap and Marker’s Market. Visitors participated in a morning yoga session and started their afternoon with a fresh brew and perusing through local vendors. There are more chances to get involved with Yoga on Tap throughout the summer with the next event on May 25 at 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
During the April gallery hop, Readers’ Garden Bookstore invited walkers into the shop for painting displays and book browsing. Phillip Selzer graced the sidewalk with his live plein air style painting, capturing the storefronts down North Prospect Street in the natural light. Children swung their legs to the sound of John Begala’s guitar as he accompanied Selzer outside Reader’s Garden. Kim Keethler Ball, owner of Readers’ Garden and co-founder of The Granville Center for the Arts, was pleased with the success of the event for both her business and the arts center.
“I felt like the participants were all enthusiastic and had great things to view,” she said. “We have nice access to really talented people.”
Art @ 43023 saw support for their wide range of local artists. The gallery exhibited multiple local artists including visiting metalsmith artist Monica Putter and painter Kathy Anderson.
Further down Broadway, The Granville Center for the Arts continued support for their ongoing exhibition, The Art is Looking Back at Us by David Butler. Butler’s work mesmerizes anthropomorphic sculptures of himself challenging “the boundary between art and observer, inviting you into a world where sculpture meets introspection” according to the exhibition’s gallery guide.
Across the street at Denison University’s museum closed out Echoes of Ohio’s Indigenous Legacy: Bridging Past and Present , an exhibition exploring Ohio’s Native American history through Indigenous art, historical narratives, and podcasts from “The Ohio Country” series by the public media station WYSCO.
In the museum’s adjoining room, ka’yasu’/ne’nakw continued exploring Indigenous heritage in the Ohio area with work by the Indigenous artist Hayalthkin’geme (Carey Newman). In his letter to visitors Newman writes, “marked by the Mounds, the quarries at Flint Ridge, and the abundance of artifacts revealed by erosion, tilling of fields, and excavation for expansion and development, Indigenous presence is everywhere. At the same time, I read text describing these sites and objects as prehistoric and primitive, suggesting they were made before sophisticated knowledge and social systems, and reinforcing the narrative that the cultures and peoples who made them no longer exist.” Denison Museum continues to honor their mission to give voices to all artists, enriching the art world and Licking County.
Bridging Broadway’s galleries and South Main Street, The Front Porch Guild welcomed strollers in to view the artist collective’s work of oil painting, pastel, and stained glass. Meredith Martin, creator of Sunbear Studios and Gallery, showcased her work exploring textures, colors, and shapes to honor her gratitude for life in light of those whose struggle today. In her artist statement Martin writes, “for me, painting is a prayer and a thank-you note rolled into one.”
Down the street, One Love Cafe joined for their first art center event marking the last box on many people’s Second Sunday Passport. Once all six locations were marked, passport holders received discounts at participating restaurant locations in town, linking Granville businesses into one net of appreciation for each other and the arts.
At the same time, Three Tigers debuted their first Maker’s Market for the season with their event Yoga on Tap, supporting more small business and local vendors. Candles, clothes, jewelry, skincare, and more were available from vendors: Borrowed Land Acres, Green Magic Apothecary, Rose and Revive Vintage Co, Welsh Hills Hops, Happi Bubble, Wild Monta Vintage, Granville Lavender, and Studio Spiraled. Instructor Savannah Mills led the morning yoga session in the restaurant’s brewery, proving there isn’t much you can’t do with a beer in your hand.
Ivy Durbin, Three Tigers Brewing Co. bartender and lead for Yoga on Tap, is happy with the first attempt for a local market.
“The main goal, honestly, for us isn’t profit,” Durbin said. “It’s really to have a space for the community, just to bring the community together more so than anything.”
Yoga on Tap and Maker’s Market will continue throughout the summer season with three upcoming dates, May 25, June 15, and July 20 all at 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. Both a morning and afternoon yoga session will be offered on May 25, and any sellers interested in joining the market can contact Scott Wilkins at scott@threetigersbrewing.com.
The Gallery Hop and Marker’s Markets aim to increase traffic for Granville’s small businesses while showcasing the talent and creativity throughout the county.
Anastasia Wood writes for TheReportingProject.org, the nonprofit news organization of Denison University’s Journalism program, which is supported by generous donations from readers. Sign up for The Reporting Project newsletter here.