On Thursday, January 14, Artwalk will begin a monthly “lounge” that will become the Visitor’s Center of Artwalk. Located this month at the Exchange – 114 W. 5th St., adjacent to Bert Green Fine Art and the intersection of 5th and Main Streets. Everyone is encouraged stop by, meet up, or take a break at the Lounge. As the official location to pick up an Artwalk map during your visit to Downtown, the Lounge will be the central meeting point for everyone. Find out about this month’s gallery shows, local artists, price lists, or event flyers at the information table to plan the evening. Musical, performance, and art offerings entertain while charitable local non-profit groups gain access to new friends at their information booths, which represent the community aspect of Downtown life.

The Lounge’s goal is to close the loop on all things Artwalk. “This is what has been missing, a free place to sit and take in the local culture for a minute, or meet up with friends. The fact is, people have a short attention span for a single gallery, so trying to meet up with friends at Artwalk is usually a logistical nightmare. Names of galleries change, restaurants can pose challenges on such a busy night. With an Artwalk Lounge, everyone will know where to be to start their crawl, and have the tools to plan their journey” says Board Secretary Bonnie Tseng, who envisioned this concept to provide a solution to concerns. “Everyone, the local community, galleries, visitors, neighborhood charities, businesses, and sponsors will all find themselves in the Artwalk Lounge at some point, it’s good to know where to find them. “ says Executive Director Jay Lopez. Board Member Marc Loge, believes “the Lounge is the first step in evolving an originally grass roots concept to an organized world class event that will attract more people inclined to purchase art or patronize local businesses.”

Sponsorship opportunities are available for compatible products and services. For sponsorship information, please visit www.downtownartwalk.com and leave a message.