Art Walk returns to downtown Jacksonville for first time since the pandemic

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — It has been 581 days since the Art Walk made its last appearance.

“When they shut it down, it was kind of bummer, but there’s a lot of people here,” visitor Aryanna Harris said.

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The Art Walk showcases creativity from local artists, like the business “Art for Us.” Its owner told Action News Jax this is a way for artists to express their work.

“When it was down, we were having a hard time because there’s no places to show your talent in Jacksonville,” owner Tyrone Smith said.

Since 2003, the event has been hosted by Downtown Vision, inviting hundreds of attendees to see what the community has to offer. This includes paintings, handcrafted plates, food vendors and even a haunted house. There’s something for everybody.

“A lot of people are small-time businesses, so they need an area where they can show their talents, especially the artists — they need a place where they can grow, show their talent and express their feelings,” Smith said. “This Art Walk is a place you get all of that.”

The Art Walk also helps downtown businesses like Mags Cafe flourish. It is located across the street from James Weldon Johnson Park, and the owner said the first Wednesday of the event brought at least a 200% increase in sales.

“We definitely were prepared for it. We streamlined down our menu so we could get food in and out quickly,” owner Bobby Reynolds said. “There will be changes on the next one. But very successful for us.”

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This year, Art Walk is set up in three locations: James Weldon Johnson Park, Jessie duPont Center and the VyStar Breezeway. Bread and Board is located directly in the breezeway. The owner said this is what downtown businesses need.

“I think it’s going to drive some exposure to the downtown area that is doing well but desperately needs that exposure for a downtown area that at nighttime, lacks in business,” owner William Mathews said.

The 2020 State of Downtown report indicated the pandemic had an effect on the numbers, showing the number of total visits in 2020 was 44% lower than in 2019. However, the first two quarters of 2021 show a promising number of 8 million total visits.

Reynolds hopes the momentum continues.

“The future is bright. All we have to do is stick together, help each other, and we will all be very successful,” Reynolds said.

Between the Jacksonville Jazz Fest last week, Hamilton and, now, the return of Art Walk, visitors said downtown needs to build around the arts.

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Bold City Brewery manager Will Frazier said, “I think some people forget there are businesses here that have been sticking it out and staying strong, and they deserve a lot of credit and support.”

Bold City Brewery said the event can increase sales by 50% to 60% on a single Wednesday.

Businesses like Bread and Board, Bread and Burger, and Estelle Cocina are experiencing the event for the first time, as they are directly in the VyStar Breezeway.

A spokesperson for Downtown Vision told Action News Jax in a statement the Art Walk is a key part of promoting downtown.

The statement said, “We are thrilled to relaunch this beloved event — with new partnerships and upgrades to the event experience —to support our local arts scene and showcase all downtown has to offer.”

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The downtown event occurs on the first Wednesday of every month from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Masks are not required but are encouraged.

To learn more about Art Walk including a map of the hubs and a list of different vendors, click here.

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