THE ART WALK

Welcome back.

We're joined now by barbara bigelow from the columbus main bigelow from the columbus main street.

Barbara, good morning.

Street.

Barbara, good morning.

Thank you for talking with us.

Barbara bigelow: good morning.

Thank you for having me this morning.

Eric crosswhite: you bet.

It's a big night for you guys tonight.

Barbara bigelow: it is.

It's actually the eighth year that the columbus arts council has partnered with columbus main street for the downtown art walk.

It'll be tonight from 5:30 to 7:30, and we are extremely excited.

It's our first event of the year downtown.

Cannot believe that in october.

Eric crosswhite: it's been a rough year.

What all have you had to do to finagle and get this event up and going?

Barbara bigelow: well, we didn't have to do a lot of finagling.

It's an event where people normally are spread out on the street.

It doesn't require a group gathering.

We're just going to ask people to be sure and keep that in mind when they are downtown this evening.

If you see a group gathering and there's an artist that you want to stop and see, or see their items, just walk down and then come back when there's not so many.

We want to keep that in mind.

Barbara bigelow: but other than that, we've got 33 artists, and we've got 12 participating businesses, seven musicians that'll be set up on the street.

Want everybody to come down and enjoy themselves, be sure and wear their mask, and observe social distancing.

Other than that, it's going to be the same as usual.

Just ask everybody to work with us so we can continue to have these great downtown events.

Eric crosswhite: you bet.

It sounds like patience and mindfulness is probably going to be the big thing when it comes to social distancing tonight.

Barbara bigelow: absolutely.

Just understand that we need to do that a little longer.

Like i said, if you see a group gathering, maybe walk past and come on back.

We're just asking everybody to work with us.

We're really excited.

Barbara bigelow: we thank our sponsors.

We never can do any of our events without sponsors, and we do have four awesome sponsors.

If i have time to mention them, that's prestige event rentals, city of columbus, colin krieger with re/max partners, and kenneth montgomery.

We're so grateful to them, and we're just looking forward to it.

Invite everybody to come on out.

Eric crosswhite: you bet.

You definitely got to have those sponsors, and you got to have those artists.

Eight years, quite a few years to get to be doing this.

Have you seen a lot of the same artists come back?

Barbara bigelow: sometimes, but this year we had several new ones, several people calling us.

I think it's just they've not been able to do much all year, and it's a good opportunity to get out.

And the event grows each year.

It grows with artists, and it grows with participants.

We're looking forward to a good one.

Eric crosswhite: you bet.

I imagine with them not being able to have as many events like that this year, probably they still have a lot of some of their best work that maybe by this time of the year they would have already sold off, so this could be an advantage in some ways.

Barbara bigelow: you're exactly right.

We think so.

There again, we've really got more artists than we've ever had.

We'll have some inside the stores, some on the sidewalks.

And i will say quickly, we have a listing of all the participating businesses where the artists are located.

So if there's a particular artist, or three, that you want to make sure and visit, you can pick those up inside the stores.

Then you can see where the artist is, where they're located on fifth or on main.

That'll help us to locate the different people that you want to see.

Eric crosswhite: absolutely.

It's a great event for the artists, but also good for business downtown.

Barbara bigelow: awesome.

You can go inside the businesses.

I hate to say this, but christmas is only two and a half months away.

Eric crosswhite: it is.

Barbara bigelow: so no better time to start than now.

Our businesses will be open, and they have a lot of good merchandise for everyone to see, so absolutely visit.

Small local business, that's where it is right now.

That's so important to our community and to our downtown.

Eric crosswhite: you bet.

Let's remind everybody, it's going to be tonight.

What time and where exactly will it all be?

Barbara bigelow: tonight, 5:30 to 7:30, downtown columbus.

We will have artists lining fifth street and main street, and the businesses will be open.

Just come down and enjoy the evening.

Eric crosswhite: all right, barbara.

Did i forget anything?

Barbara bigelow: i don't think so.

Think you did pretty good.

Eric crosswhite: all right.

Thank you very much.

Barbara bigelow: thank you.

Eric crosswhite: we'll talk to you next time.

Barbara bigelow: you bet.

Thank you so much, eric.