Pasadena Art Walk features 25 artists

The sixth annual Pasadena Art Walk will take place Saturday, Oct. 15 in downtown Pasadena’s historic playhouse district. The event will feature the work of 25 artists and will serve as an opportunity for both attendees and vendors to engage in the city’s vibrant art scene.

In addition to the outdoor Art Walk and sale on El Molino Avenue, art spaces including Gallerie Gabrie will be opening their doors to the public during the event. Vroman’s Bookstore, in conjunction with the Pasadena Society of Artists, will be hosting art-themed panel discussions throughout the day, and admission to the Pasadena Museum of California Art will be free to Art Walk attendees.

Local restaurants and coffee shops will also offer discounts to hungry art lovers, and the Donovan/Muradian Quintet will serenade the crowd with light jazz. Coolhaus Ice Cream will also be on the scene to sell sweet treats.

“The playhouse district is Pasadena’s center for culture, commerce and community,” Erlinda Romo, an Art Walk organizer, said. “We have a very strong art scene here in the district with the playhouse, Boston Court Performing Arts Center, the Ice House comedy club, two museums and Vroman’s Bookstore. The Art Walk is a way to highlight the artistic nature of the district and bring it out into a public area rather than putting it all into a museum. We want people to see everything that is available in the district.”

While the Art Walk featured solely Pasadena-based artists in its early years, it has since expanded to include artists from all over Southern California.

“We found there was a lot of interest outside the area,” Romo says. “It’s led to a higher quality of artists and more diversity in the art.” Participating artists are chosen through a juried application process. This year’s Art Walk will feature paintings, collages, jewelry, photography, lithographs and more.

Altadena-based artist Clarence Stubblefield, who has shown his Caribbean and jazz-inspired acrylic paintings in four of the five Pasadena Art Walks, said he is excited to return to the event again this year. “It’s nice to see other vendors from years before,” Stubblefield says. “It’s a great crowd and a great show.”