Walk & Talk this Thursday

Bunchs Lunchbox  |  05/25/2010 7:00 am

Well, friends, summer really is here. It's hot outside, and I'm tucked inside planning Old West End Festival, Art Walks, a number of poetry readings, and a killer weekend curated by me coming up at the OT. More on all the rest soon. For now, I want to talk about this Thursday.

Thursday, May 27 will mark the first Art Walk of the 2010 season. Presented by the Arts Commission of Greater Toledo and the arts businesses of Downtown Toledo, the summer Art Walk series is a great way to get to know the creative nooks that populate downtown. The concept is pretty simple, a handful of galleries, studios, shops, and venues open their doors and you, the loyal arts supporter, hop on your bike, or hoof it around the city checking out what a fabulous display of talent Toledo has to offer. Oh, and bring along some cash, Art Walks are a great place to buy cool stuff to hang on your walls at home.

New this year, ACGT is helping out the performing community by helping them get their Busking Permits, which allows performers to play on the street for tips, legally. Each month, a different performance group will be sponsored. This month, street entertainment will be provided by the folk duo Stately Mane.

Art Walks will be held every 4^th Thursday of the month, May through September, from 6 ? 9 p.m.

For a full list of venues and descriptions of featured works, plus down-loadable maps, visit ACGT's page here.

But, that's not all. The Arts Commission will celebrate the kick off of Art Walk (pun intended?) with an official after-party at Wesley's Bar (1201 Adams St.) where local nonprofit, Independent Advocates ? who help victims of domestic violence through the legal process ? will be holding a fundraiser. At that fundraiser, there will be a Bocce Tournament, raffles, and live entertainment. Too, there will be a very special poetry reading featuring yours truly, and a handful of Toledo's best writers. We will read selections from the likes of Sylvia Plath, Sharon Olds, Audrey Lourde, Ann Sexton and more, as well as original works. The theme is violence and peace. Some of the featured readers include Michael Kochinski, Caroline Gauger, Ashley Eichner, Courtney Fillion, Michael Hackney, Tara Armstrong and myself.

It's summer, and I'm excited to be full-tilt busy! I hope you'll join me on Thursday for some fresh air, exercise, a chance to stretch your legs and support the local arts scene, and then later for a chance to stretch your mind, and support a very vital new nonprofit organization, and the poets and musicians who are donating their time for a good cause.

Any questions, just email me at [email protected].

In the meantime, enjoy the full-on onset of what is promising to be one of the best summers in Toledo yet!

With love,

Ryan