NO ONE REALLY SEEMS TO BE SURE EXACTLY WHEN OR HOW
IT STARTED, BUT EVERYONE AGREES THAT NORTHAMPTON'S ARTS NIGHT
OUT BRINGS PEOPLE FROM ALL AROUND THE AREA TOGETHER FOR A
LIVELY CELEBRATION OF LOCAL ARTISTS AND THEIR WORK.
THE MONTHLY EVENT IS RUN BY THE DOWNTOWN NORTHAMPTON
ASSOCIATION.
WHEN PRODUCER MARLA ZIPPAY SET OUT TO EXPLORE LAST
MONTH, NORTHAMPTON WAS HOLDING ITS ANNUAL CHALK ART FESTIVAL,
WHERE CHALK ART DRAWINGS COME TO LIFE ON THE SIDEWALK.
♪ >> NORTHAMPTON ARTS NIGHT OUT IS
A WONDERFUL NIGHT.
IT TAKES PLACE THE SECOND FRIDAY OF EVERY MONTH AND WE HAVE AN
ASSORTMENT OF RETAIL LOCATIONS RETAILERS WHERE THOSE CAN SHOW
OFF THEIR WORK.
WE'RE A COMMUNITY THAT LOVES ART AND REALLY FEEL PASSIONATE ABOUT
OUR NEIGHBORS AND OUR FRIENDS WHO ARE ARTISTS IN THEIR OWN
RIGHT AND ARTS NIGHT OUT IS A WONDERFUL NIGHT TO MEET THE
ARTISTS AND TALK TO THEM ABOUT THEIR PROSNA WAY YOU NORMALLY
WOULDN'T IF YOU STOPPED BY A GALLERY AND LOOKED AT A PAINTING
ON THE WALL.
>> WE'VE ALWAYS DONE MONTHLY OPENINGS SINCE WE OPENED THE
GALLERY AND AT SOME POINT THE GALLERIES DECIDED TO GET
TOGETHER AND ALL THEIR OPENINGS ON THE SAME EVENING.
IT WAS A WAY FOR US TO WORK TOGETHER SO THAT, YOU KNOW,
PEOPLE WOULD COME OUT, STROLL THE STREETS AND STOP FOR WINE
AND CHEESE AT A NUMBER OF PLACES AND THEY CAN SEE A WHOLE RANGE
OF DIFFERENT ARTWORKS.
WE TRY TO FEATURE A DIFFERENT ARTIST EVERY MONTH.
EVERY NIGHT YOU SEE WORKS BY THE FEATURE ARTISTS CATHERINE
HESSIAN AND NEXT MONTH WE'LL BE FEATURING ANOTHER ARTIST.
IT'S A FESTIVAL ATMOSPHERE AND EVERYBODY COMES OUT IN TOWN AND
IT'S GREAT FUN.
>> I'M A LANDSCAPE PAINTER AND I'M PRETTY MUCH A STUDIO
LANDSCAPE PAINTER AND WHEN YOU'RE A PAINTER AND SPEND A LOT
OF TIME ALONE IN YOUR STUDIO, IT'S REALLY NICE TO GET OUT AND
YOU SEE OTHER ARTISTS AND YOU SEE OTHER FRIENDS WALKING DOWN
THE STREET AND THERE'S NO BIG AGENDA.
YOU CAN JUST SORT OF GO IN AND OUT OF PLACES.
♪ >> AS AN ARTIST I PARTICIPATE IN
ARTS NIGHTS OUT THROUGHOUT THE YEARS FOR THE PAST 6 OR 7 YEARS
AND IT WAS REALLY IMPORTANT WHEN I OPENED A STORE TO BE ABLE TO
PROVIDE A PLACE FOR LOCAL ARTISTS TO SHOWCASE THEIR WORK
AND I FEEL LIKE I HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SHOWCASE A LOT OF
EMERGENT ARTS.
I TRY TO SHOW WORK THAT IS INSPIRING TO ME AND, HOPEFULLY,
IT WILL BE INSPIRING TO OTHER PEOPLE AS WELL.
I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO BE ABLE TO IN AND SEE SOMETHING AND
SEE ALTAR EVEN IF THEY CAN'T AFFORD TO PURCHASE IT.
THE ARTS ARE SUCH AN INTEGRAL PART OF OUR CULTURE AND I CAN'T
IMAGINE MYSELF BEING A MAKER.
I CAN'T IMAGINE NOT ABSORBING OTHER PEOPLE'S WORK.
I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO BE OPEN TO OTHER MEDIUMS AND
OTHER POINTS OF VIEW AND THROUGH THE ARTS IT'S A VERY POSITIVE
WAY TO INTERACT AND START A CONVERSATION.
♪ >> NORTHAMPTON'S ARTS NIGHT OUT
IS SPECIAL ON THE IMPORTANCE OF HOSTING LOCAL ARTISTS, MANY WHO
LIVE IN AND AROUND NORTHAMPTON AND BECAUSE OF THE DIVERSITY OF
VENUES THAT YOU'LL FIND HOSTING OUR ARTISTS, WE ARE NOT JUST A
FEW GALLERIES THAT HOST PAINTINGS ON A WALL AND WE WILL
HAVE CERAMIC SHOPS THAT WILL HOST POTTERS AND RETAILERS THAT
WILL HOST FLOWER ARRANGERS AND THE VARIETY YOU WILL FIND AUSTIN
AVERAGE NIGHTS OUT IS PRETTY MAGICAL.
>> THERE'S JUST SO MUCH INCREDIBLE ART BEING DONE IN OUR
COMMUNITY AND THEN ON LIKE A NIGHT LIKE TONIGHT WHEN THERE'S
ARTS NIGHT OUT WELL, ALL OF THIS GREAT ART IS BEING DONE RIGHT
HERE IN OUR COMMUNITY AND WE CAN CELEBRATE THAT BECAUSE ART IS
WHAT MAKES FOR A REALLY THOUGHTFUL AND INNOVATIVE AND
LIVELY COMMUNITY, I THINK.
♪ >> YOU KNOW, I GO TO A LOT OF
ARTS NIGHTS OUT IN PLACES ALL OVER THE COUNTRY AND I LIKE OURS
BEST.
THERE YOU GO. ♪