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YEG Art Walk

Writer's picture: FrancesFrances

Whyte Ave Art Walk is coming soon!


Mark it on your calendar! July 8 - 10, 2022.

Three days of art chaos! I am looking forward to it.


As an Artist Participant


Wow, it's a huge endeavor. Friday, Saturday, Sunday. Set up every day and be ready for the public by 10 am. Take down every night at 5 pm. SMILE!


I, personally, have a tent space this year. This is a first for me. The last few years, I was with my table and gridwall on the street in front of a business. I'm hoping that the tent will offer me protection from the elements as well as provide a larger space to display my artwork.


What is the best way to display my art? That is a good question. I opt to go with the easiest set up. This is yet to be determined. Also, working within the confines of a tent will have it's advantages and disadvantages. I have 8 large 2-sided easels that can hold shelves. They are great! Fairly lightweight but a bit bulky to transport. The disadvantage to putting them up in a tent is that I don't think I can utilize both sides of the easel. I will test this prior to July. Gridwall is great too. It can be set up right against the tent wall. Unfortunately, both sides cannot be utilized and the space is limited on the gridwall itself. I have 4 grids that are 2 feet by 5 feet.


Payment methods Thank goodness for my "Square". This thing works like a charm. It can take debit or credit and customers can either tap or insert their card. Receipts can be customized to your own business and the customer can have their receipt emailed or texted to them. They can also choose no receipt.

The Square app keeps track of my transactions and I usually receive the money into my bank account within a few days.

Cash works, too! I will keep a small float. Not too much because I think more and more people like to use plastic.

E-transfers are a great thing as well. I have my account set up to automatically deposit an e-transfer into my bank account. I get notified when this takes place. I just have to hang on to the art until the transfer is completed. Some banks take longer than others. Just don't let the customer walk away with the merchandise until you get that money in your account!


Patrons and Visitors - information and tips


Variety 318 different artists, 318 different styles. Where else can you get such variety in one place? From abstract to realism to impressionistic. Oils, acrylic, mixed media, watercolor, pen and ink, colored pencil, pastels. You name it, you will find it at the Whyte Ave Art Walk 2022.


Payment In this day and age, many people do not carry cash. No problem! Many artists can accept payment by credit or debit. In most cases you can just tap but if you need to insert your card, that works, too. If you are a bit more savvy, you can send the artist an e-transfer. This works the best if the artist has automatic deposit set up at his/her end. Don't get upset if you are asked to wait until the e-transfer is completed before leaving with your new artwork. In fact, you should be offering to stick around out of courtesy to the artist.


Come prepared Wear comfortable shoes. You will be doing a lot of walking and visiting with artists. High heels or dress shoes look great, but you may get sore feet and have to quit before taking in all that the Art Walk has to offer!


Be prepared for all weather! You live in Alberta and should know by now that the weather can change in a matter of minutes. Carry a small umbrella or light raincoat unless the forecast is for 100% sunshine and there is not a cloud in the sky. :)


Parking is limited. You may consider taking modes of transport other than your car. Of course if you want to buy artwork you need to consider how you will get it home. Some artists will even deliver artwork to you (as long as you live within the Edmonton area).


Whyte Avenue has pay parking on the street, The best thing to do if you are planning to park here, is to download the EPark app on your phone. You register your license plate and load funds onto the app. Once you are parked you enter the zone location into the app and start the parking session. It is much cheaper that prepaying. When you get back to your vehicle, you stop the session and the app tells you how much it has cost you.


Pay attention to the time limits at your location. Some places only allow you to park for a maximum of, say, 2 hours. Parking attendants (ticket issuers) are all over the place just waiting to hand out tickets for violations (even 1-2 minutes after time is expired).


You can park for free a few blocks off of Whyte Ave. Be aware that some residential areas require parking permits.


Etiquette do's and don'ts Artists are displaying and selling their art and can feel very vulnerable. In most cases, an artist's work is very personal to them. Meaningful in ways that you may not understand.


Do ask questions about their style, medium and even pricing.

Do find out why or how they became an artist.

Do compliment them on their work if you like it.


Don't tell an artist that your child did the same type of thing in school.

Don't tell the artist that you think they are charging way too much for their work. Many hours and years, perhaps, have gone into the journey leading to this moment. Prices are not just based on size and medium. Certainly, not whether you find the art attractive or not. The art may be very attractive to the next patron. There is no accounting for taste.

Don't take pictures of the art unless you ask permission first.


Take the time to enjoy!

This is an event that you need to take the time to enjoy. Don't expect to be done in 1 hour. It will take you that long just to find a parking spot (just kidding!)

Expect to spend 2-3 hours strolling from art display to art display. If you move too fast you may just overlook a hidden gem! That piece that will look just perfect in your home, or as a gift for someone special.


See you there! If you mention you read my blog you will get an extra 5% of any prices or specials I may have going at Art Walk.






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