Every first Friday of the month, North Topeka’s Arts and Entertainment district hosts an artwalk that includes art vendors, food and live music. However, as this event has grown in popularity, different parts of Topeka are now getting involved.
Sarah Fizell, the executive director of ArtsConnect, encourages people to visit their website because it has an interactive guide that shows where the participating businesses are located. However, if visitors are looking for a place to just park their car and walk the street, NOTO is the most popular choice, but there are other options available.
Fizell also believes that attending the event can help people learn more about Topeka and provide the opportunity to meet people you wouldn’t normally meet.
“It is a great way to get to know Topeka, it is a great way to get involved in the arts, it is a great way to show Topeka to friends who are visiting, and it’s a real source of pride and community and in what artists offer the world and how we can do a lot of cool things if we all agree to participate and be adventurous and to try new things,” Fizell said.
Deana Morrison, Amused owner, describes the artwalk as lively, fun and low-key.
“There’s kind of almost like a carnival feel buzz to it,” Morrison said. “So, especially now that we have common consumption …, people can walk around [and] they can get drinks from places down here.”
Morrison said attending the artwalk allows the chance to meet the artists directly and to learn the history of a piece.
“It’s the one day where you get to actually speak with people and get an idea of what’s kind of behind what they do,” Morrison said.
Cynthia Stotlar-Hedberg, Topeka Arts Guild board member, explained they choose an artist of the month each month, and from 5-7:30 p.m. they set up a variety of snacks and drinks for guests to enjoy while looking at their gallery.
“It’s mostly to get recognition for the artist of the month,” Stotlar-Headbrg said. “It’s a fun way for them to invite people that they know and to get them out to see their art in mass and at a function where there’s food and festivities, so they can feel honored and just feel good about the fact that they are artist of the month.”
Stotlar-Hedberg also believes this is a great opportunity for a date night or friend night out
The ArtsConnect website not only provides the interactive map, but also a calendar of events for the evening, such as live music at Redbud Park.
Morrison also said NOTO is open year-round and they have multiple events besides the First Friday Artwalk, she asks people to check the website, explorenoto.com for more details.
Edited by Jeremy Ford
