BEVERLY — Organizers of the 2016 Beverly Art Walk are taking their first steps this week.
The group coordinating the walk will meet from 7-9 p.m. Thursday in the basement bar at Barney Callaghan's in Beverly. About 50 people are expected at the kickoff meeting at 10618 S. Western Ave.
"We are hoping to pack the room," said Monica Wilczak, of Beverly.
Wilczak is one of the founders of the walk that was born to celebrate the arts scene on the Far Southwest Side. The walk is entering its third year, and the goal is to have upwards of 10,000 people attend the artsy stroll this year, she said.
The date for the Beverly Art Walk has already been set for noon to 7 p.m. Oct. 1.
The Beverly Art Walk was born not only to showcase local artists but also to highlight area businesses. Hence, businesses lend their walls to artists hoping their works will attract potential customers.
The art walk also transforms vacant storefront into pop-up art galleries. Many of the these makeshift galleries have found a tenant after being featured on the walk, Wilczak said.
Several home studios are featured on the tour too, and all of the artwork can be found at locations within Beverly and Morgan Park. Three trolleys will take visitors to the various spots.
In its first year, the walk consisted of 38 venues with work from nearly 90 artists. The inaugural event drew more than 2,000 people, Wilczak said.
Those figures surged last year. More than 50 venues were part of the walk and 150 artists were represented. While the number of venues will remain roughly the same, Wilczak said there may be room for a few more artists this year.
Among the topics to be discussed Thursday is the location of a new mural or two planned for Beverly. The first art walk featured three mural projects. This year a pair of new murals are being considered, Wilczak said.
Organizers are also hoping to couple local art with even more live music this year. Last year, some 13 musicians and groups — ranging from an opera company to rock bands — participated in the walk. The number of food trucks may be increased too. Last year, three such purveyors participated in the walk.
Artists, business owners and potential volunteers are all invited to attend the meeting. The group in charge of the event consists of an eight-member board. A core of 25 volunteers are also involved, but more hands are always needed, Wilczak said.
"We need more help with installation. There's a lot more work that goes into it," she said.
WXRT has also signed on as a radio sponsor this year. The deal includes several radio spots promoting the art walk as well as a spot on the station's online calendar. The station will also attend the event and play music.
If all of these improvements are coupled with favorable weather, Wilczak believes the event will see record crowds.
"Last year, we had really great coverage, and this year we see it growing as well," she said.
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