Ear-catching jazz drifts from an open club door, plates clash in a restaurant, and social chatter floats through the air as friends walking down the street enter the various red brick buildings. Twenty-Fifth Street is full of energy and the Friday Night Art Stroll begins.

For the past three years the Art Stroll has been a year-round event that gives the people in our town a chance to come and enjoy a relaxing and sociable evening while strolling from gallery to art gallery. The stroll lasts from 6:00 – 9:00 p.m. It includes the galleries at Union Station, Ogden Blue, Artists and Heirlooms, Gallery 25 and downtown Ogden’s Historic District’s restaurants and stores.

The galleries provide a unique atmosphere, offer enticing refreshments and various pieces of art sometimes stretching from the ceiling to the floor and are a great place to meet new people. The pieces shown include photography, paintings, watercolors, and other various mediums.
For high school artists, the Art Stroll is a wonderful opportunity to get their work on display

Ogden Blue has a different theme for each month. This March, the theme is “Sports Madness” featuring, but not limited to, Paul Ashton. The pieces focus on different sports – baseball, football, soccer, biking, hiking, and other outdoor activities. Sherry Ferrin, the art gallery director who chose the sports theme invites any artists of any age to come and display their work that ties into the specific theme of the month. “Anyone is able to bring in their art pieces of all mediums to display during an open show for no charge and there are always refreshments,” stated Sherri. There are also three invitational shows which require an entry fee and where prizes are given. The invitational shows take place in July, September, and January. The artwork featured in Ogden Blue on the Friday Night Art Stroll will remain on display for the rest of the month.

Just down the street from Ogden Blue is Artists and Heirlooms. This gallery usually features one or two artists and schedules two or three invitational showings each year. Tami Crowley, owner of Artists and Heirlooms, had this advice for future artists, “The Ogden Arts Festival will be June 29-30. Be sure to watch ogdenartsfestival.com for more information. It is a high school art exhibit and there are even prizes. Last year we had about 60 entries from local high schools.”

Lucile Chamberlin at Gallery 25 commented on the Friday Night Art Stroll saying, “We get to meet lots of new people, we usually have refreshments, and it’s a really nice opportunity for people to see what’s going on in the community. It is nice when people bring children in because it gives them a chance to be exposed to art.” She also recommended that high school students interested in art should, “Go to a lot of shows, observe a lot of art, and don’t be afraid to try everything.”

Kelly Durham, a Senior at Northridge, and a Sterling Scholar in Art, commented on art, "I've been doing it my whole life. But recently my teacher in school has become my greatest inspiration."
Whether you are an aspiring artist or looking for a fun activity to keep you busy, the Friday Night Art Stroll down Historic 25th Street is a great to start out your Friday night so be sure to check it out next month.
The Friday Night Art Stroll is a free event every first Friday of the month. The next one will be on April 6, if you would like more information visit the website www.artsogden.org.