Collegiate Times

'Nesting,' a painting by Amity Dewey.

“All that creative energy surging though the air from artist to artist — it’s a wonderful affair. I hope to be doing this when I’m one hundred!”

That is how local artist Sally Mook described Art at the Market, an annual sidewalk art show and sale that she has been participating in for more than 25 years.

The event will take place this Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the lawn across Draper Avenue from the farmers market.

“The art is judged at 10 a.m. in two different categories, 2-D and 3-D,” said Laureen Blakemore, director of special events for Downtown Blacksburg, Inc., the group hosting the event.

Mook is one of almost 40 artists that will be participating in this Saturday’s show, but the participation has not always been this high. In fact, Art at the Market has been through quite a few ups and downs over the years.

 “It’s been going on since the 80s, though it’s been called different things,” said Steve Miller, president of Mish Mish, Inc. Mish Mish is one of the sponsors of the event.

He explained that the event was once called Art Along the Fence, and that artists lined up their work on the fence that borders Henderson Lawn along College Avenue. It was held in the spring, however, and cold, wet weather was a common occurrence.

“It’s been mostly enjoyable and mostly rewarding, even the times when other artists were few and far between. I enjoyed it because of all the people that came out to see what we have done,” Mook said.

When the Farmers Market was placed on the corner of Draper and Roanoke, it was renamed Art Along the Alley and was located at the alley behind the market, Miller explained.

“This is fourth year we’ve been out on the lawn in front of the media building, and I think we’ve had a good number of artists the last few years,” Miller said.

For the artists who come to show their art at the event, it’s an opportunity to get their work noticed — perhaps sold — and maybe even win a prize.

Mook is an Art at the Market veteran, one of the few artists who has continued to participate in the event through all of its changes.

“Some of my mentors and friends originally encouraged me to participate,” Mook recalled. “I’ve really enjoyed being out there with the other artists.”

Mook describes her work as “a little bit of everything.”

“I do whatever appeals to me at the time,” Mook explained. “When I paint I’m hoping I’m going to paint something that the viewer enjoys, and I’m also painting for my own enjoyment. That is my inspiration.”

Amity Dewey is an artist who paints scenes of nature. She has done Steppin’ Out for several years, and this will be her second year participating in Art at the Market.

“It’s always been a good time. There’s usually a good amount of people that come out, and it’s nice to be a part of the local atmosphere,” Dewey remarked.

There are newer artists as well. For Kirk Carter, a photographer and longtime resident of Christiansburg, this Saturday’s show will be his first arts show outdoors.

“It seemed like a good place to connect with people who are interested in what I do as an artist,” Carter said.

Carter will show and sell prints as well as display his book, “Signs of Dysfunction.”

 “I take pictures of things that imply the people who made them or changed them,” Carter said. “After years of photography, I noticed that the most interesting pictures I was taking showed the effect of people left on things.”

Another artist is Evan Beloni, whose work focuses on welded metal sculpture.

“This is my first time doing something public with my art, and I’ll also have a booth at Steppin’ Out,” said Beloni, a 2008 Tech graduate who taught himself how to weld.

“I make things out of random metal pieces that I find; my inspiration comes from the piece itself,” Beloni explained.

One of his pieces will be a sculpture made from scrap metal found at his office in the Corporate Research Center.

In addition to the work of individual artists, the Children’s Museum of Blacksburg will be sponsoring an interactive art project for children from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Children will be assisted in creating large piece of art by walking in paint and making colorful footprints on a large piece of paper.
The artwork will be displayed at Steppin’ Out, according to Miller.

Other sponsors for the event are Fringe Benefit, the Community Arts Information Office, Matrix Gallery, and Downtown Blacksburg, Inc.

“(Being a sponsor) fits with what we do,” Miller said. “We like to give back to the community and the arts, and it’s a benefit for us as well.”

“It’s always been to try to encourage the arts in Blacksburg, and to help the artists and help them sell their work,” Miller said. “It helps out everyone because the more there is to do, the more people will come downtown.”

And there will certainly be a lot going on there this Saturday. Art at the Market will coincide with the farmers market’s normal hours from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., as well as the annual Breakfast at the Market, when a special breakfast made with local ingredients will be available.

According to Miller, proceeds from the breakfast, hosted by Friends of the Farmers Market, will go toward the farmers market.

A version of this article appeared in the Jul 15 issue of the Collegiate Times.