by Kirby Lindsay, posted 5 October 2011
The Fremont First Friday Art Walk sustains the strong, successful strides attendees expect, even as we all slip into the fall season. On October 7th, the Walk will offer 16 venues displaying a broad variety of artists. The solid foundation we all come to expect from the Art Walk, month after month, can be attributed entirely to the generous volunteer effort of Melanie Masson.
For nearly two years Masson, who lives on the Fremont frontier (in the grey-area between Fremont and Wallingford, “on the wrong side of the tracks,” she admitted,) has organized Art Walk. However, in late September, she announced her decision to give up her role as leader of the Walk, and began the search for a successor. For the sake of future First Fridays, all Fremonsters can hope that someone will step forward showing the same passion Masson has demonstrated for the seeing the Art Walk succeed.
Where It Can Go
In her successor, Masson hopes to find someone – or a group of someones – who will continue to organize the venues – create posters and rack cards, update the website and social media, and maintain the sandwich boards – and grow the event.
In addition to administrative duties, during her term Masson joined the Fremont First Friday Art Walk to the larger Seattle Art Walk scene, and The ArtWalk Consortium. “I think it’s been incredibly encouraging,” Masson observed. Begun by Sheri Hauser, the Consortium has provided neighborhood Art Walk organizers a gathering for ideas and resources. “You are sharing ideas with others that are doing the same thing,” Masson praised. “Working with City Arts Magazine has increased the visibility of our individual events by shining a spotlight on our efforts as a whole,” she explained, as has their establishing a website to promote all the Walks.
Masson has arranged live music performed at Red Triangle – called ‘Live At Lenin’ – during the favorable weather months. She has supported efforts by Mike Peck and Mylinda Sneed to display art in empty storefronts. “It’s only a matter of finding someone with the time to run it,” Masson observed.
She also has ideas about engaging area bars, and other non-traditional venues, for performances of spoken word, short film screenings, or live music. Restaurants, she mentioned, could advertise dining specials before/after Art Walk and/or display table cards to promote the Walk. Banners could hang on street lights to promote the Walk.
Ideas abound, Masson admitted, but she hasn’t had time to pursue them all – and she’s grown tired of trying. As she observed, “imagine all I could do if I had six arms.”
Where It All Began
The Art Walk has hit a solid stride under Masson’s leadership, and her decision to step away will be a significant loss, yet the Walk has survived changes of leadership before this.
In mid-1995, several gallery and studio owners launched the Fremont Second Saturday Art About. The event had several leaders over half-dozen years including Brigette Ellis (Marvin Oliver Gallery – now closed,) Vivian Little (Dance Fremont!,) and Doug Stacey and Don Stayner (Art F/X Gallery.) After Second Saturday sailed into vague memory, Regan Peck – another gallery operator – created the First Friday Art Walk in 2004 LaRae Lobdell, a photographer with a display studio in the SPACE Building, resurrected the event in early 2007 and passed the torch – or the poster art – to Masson in December 2009.
Masson works in Georgetown as a Photo Studio Analyst for Nordstroms. She rents neither gallery nor studio space in Fremont, although her own photography has been shown in an Art Walk venue. Her biggest tie to the Art Walk remains her residency, and her willingness. “I got so many raised eyebrows when I started,” she admitted. Although, not owning a venue, she acknowledged, “might make you more impartial, and you might have more time for it.”
Working, full-time, nine miles from the Center of the Universe has proven difficult, Masson has mentioned, to meet with venue owners, and/or walk the neighborhood recruiting new venues. “It would be great if there were someone who is here,” she mused. “They can walk across the street,” Masson observed, “and get face time.”
What It Takes
Masson didn’t know Lobdell when she took over. “I really wanted to get some experience in Arts Administration,” Masson admitted about why she answered a call for a volunteer. She does give credit to the Walk as a good way to experience the arts, particularly from, “a different side of the coin.” Yet, she’s also enjoyed engaging with Fremont. “It’s a great way to get involved in your neighborhood,” she explained, “it’s a melding of both art and community.”
“The scale of our Art Walk is fabulous,” she said, “because you can have your finger on the pulse of everything.” Not tied to a particular venue, Masson has strolled – admittedly, sometimes speedily – between participating shops, restaurants and studios. She has also been able to meet people in our community that share her love of the arts – whether behind the counter, on the wall or between shows.
“Promotion is what I do,” she said, and her successor must want to help spread the word. “You learn how to more effectively promote the event,” she described, developing skills with social media and guerrilla marketing.
If you have an interest – or want more details on what it would take to lead the Fremont First Friday Art Walk – contact Masson by e-mail at fremontfirstfriday@gmail.com, or say hi to her grinning, striding form at the Art Walk on Friday, October 7th.
To find out about the venues participating this month – and the artists on display – check the website for the up-to-date information, provided for the time being by Masson…
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©2011 Kirby Lindsay. This column is protected by intellectual property laws, including U.S. copyright laws. Reproduction, adaptation or distribution without permission is prohibited.