Artwork by David Zinn, the inspiration for “Critter Invasion”
In addition to showcasing plenty of unique pieces created by a wide range of local artisans, The #FranklinArtScene is continuing its 5th anniversary celebration from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Friday, May 6 by featuring Critter Invasion, an exhibition of sidewalk chalk art, plus a Kid’s CreArtivity Crawl and Parent’s Night Out event, hosted with the Arts Council and Williamson County Parks and Recreation.
As part of the free event’s 5th anniversary celebration, patrons will have a chance to experience the Critter Invasion exhibit, which consists of temporary street art composed entirely of chalk on improvised locations. Those looking to view all of the critter drawings along the art crawl route should begin at “Critter Alley,” located at the Bagbey House, before working their way around downtown Franklin to find the rest.
In addition, the nonprofit is also participating with Williamson County Parks and Recreation’s Kid’s CreArtivity Crawl and Parent’s Night Out event on Friday, May 6 from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Parents will have the opportunity to enroll their children, ages four and older, in exclusive art classes where they will learn to draw, paint and color at the Franklin Recreation Complex. For registration and complete details, visit www.wcparksandrec.com.
Friday’s locations are slated to offer a sweeping variety of magnificent work, ranging from mixed-media pieces and handcrafted jewelry to turned wood and original paintings, including:
- Boutique MMM, at 238 Public Square, will display the paintings of Jay Holobach, a local artist who describes his work as a colorful way to hold onto a memory the way a photograph can’t. His paintings hang in private collections across the country.
- Finnleys Good Findings, located at 435 Main Street, will feature live music from Radio Farm, as well as works from award-winning visual artist Shelby Stielstra. Her pieces vary widely in media, texture and color, and have appeared in books, magazines and national advertising.
- Hope Church, located at 137 Fourth Avenue South, will host watercolor painter Donna Fairchild. From original landscapes to small vignettes, her works are inspired by her many travels.
- IMAGINEBOX Emporium, at 311 North Margin Street, is set to show the illustrations and paintings of Nashville artist, Cory Basil. Previously featured at OZ Arts Nashville and numerous art crawls, he describes himself as “born with a brush, stories and such.”
- Jack Yacoubian Jewelers, found at 114 3rd Avenue South, will highlight Randy Purcell’s unique mixed media art that is created through the encaustic process of transferring ink from recycled magazines onto a thin layer of beeswax. The result is a mosaic-like field of color and imagery that characterizes his work.
- Landmark Bank, over at 198 East Main Street, has tapped two artists this month — Dave Woodward and Caroll Jones. Woodward’s love for wildlife and the outdoors is what inspired his landscape and portrait paintings, while Jones’s focus is on vintage photograph renderings she creates with colored pencils.
- Parks Realty, located at 415 Main Street, will feature their very own realtor, Tom Stillwell, a 30-year Williamson County resident and amateur photographer who loves shooting still lifes and panoramic landscapes.
- Savory Spice Shop, found at 324 Main Street, will display the work of 16-year-old Ashlyn Joy Anderson whose piece—inspired by downtown Franklin—recently won second place at the O’More College of Design art show.
- Shannon Eye Care, at 407 Church Street, will showcase a collection of pieces by Carol Moon. Her work reflects life and is filled with celebrations of color along with beautiful peaceful moments of observation and appreciation.
- The Visitor Center, at 400 Main Street, will feature the watercolor, oil and acrylic paintings of lifetime artist, Janet King. Since moving to Franklin in 2008, she has been able to paint full-time and use Tennessee’s natural landscape as inspiration.
- The Williamson County Archives, located at 611 West Main Street, is featuring a collection of pieces created by Hollie Berry, who is passionate about painting horses. True to her equestrian roots, she was recently selected as the featured artist at the upcoming 75th Annual Iroquois Steeplechase.
Many of the galleries and working studios serve complimentary refreshments during the evening, and some offer live music. Free trolley rides provided by the Heritage Foundation circulate among all the stops, and patrons can jump on and off at will from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
In addition to an online map and QR code, a Franklin Art Scene smartphone application is now available on Google Play. The download gives users up-to-date information on the upcoming art crawl and its locations.
For more information on indvidual sites and artists, visit www.facebook.com/franklinartscene.com. To download maps and applications, visit www.franklinartscene.com.