14th Annual West Town Art Walk

It’s amazing what can spark from a casual conversation with the owner of your neighborhood café. In 2011, I was at Swim Cafe and chatting with owner Karen Gerod, who suggested that Chicago Ave needed an event to bring visibility to our then-burgeoning business district. I agreed completely, and I thought that I could be the person to bring such an event to life. That day, I promptly walked out of Swim to neighboring shop Seek Vintage and asked owner Chris Hunt if he’d organize an art walk with me. Thankfully, he said yes. Chris and I designed the first Art Walk poster and went door-to-door asking our neighboring businesses if they'd join us. It was a real grassroots effort, which got the attention of the West Town Chamber of Commerce. We started building a wonderful partnership with them in 2012, and with their resources, we were able to grow our homegrown event into the community area-wide event it is now, with over 50 participating local retail/design stores, galleries, and food/drink establishments participating in this year's walk.

Our initial concept, which continues to guide and inform this event, was to showcase art in every form, through every door. We wanted to take the street fest off the street and into the businesses; an open-path event full of experiential pop-ups, wherein each business is invited to transform into a gallery for the weekend. This hyper-local event, where small businesses banded together to lend their spaces to artists for a weekend, offered patrons an ephemeral, one-of-a-kind experience in each business while supporting the micro-economy of West Town.

The West Town Art Walk, now in its 14^th year, has expanded and evolved with the neighborhood, all while maintaining the original vision at its core: supporting and showcasing West Town’s hyper-local businesses and artists. Now more than ever, as small businesses struggle to survive in this uncertain economy, we are once again reminded of the crucial role they play in our culture. Had it not been for Swim Café, Seek Vintage, and my shop, Dovetail, there would be no West Town Art Walk. Our neighborhood’s small business entrepreneurs are dreamers who create unique concepts that they fearlessly bring to fruition. The longevity of the West Town Art Walk is a testament to Chicago’s deep love for its small businesses and artists. Whether you live in West Town and frequent our shops, restaurants, bars, and galleries regularly, or you live in the suburbs and make the trip to our neighborhood annually for the Art Walk, your patronage has helped our small businesses thrive, which keeps events like the West Town Art Walk coming back year after year. It is your support that helps small businesses and artists continue to create opportunities for sparks like the ones that set fire to the West Town Art Walk.

Thanks to all who support their local small businesses and artists,

Julie Ghatan

Owner, Dovetail

Founder, West Town Art Walk