Story provided by OSU Museum of Art
The Final Friday Art Crawl has emerged into a new Stillwater tradition, by achieving vast recognition and bringing hundreds to downtown Stillwater the final Friday of every month.
Inspired by First Friday events in cities like Tulsa, Oklahoma City, and Kansas City, the event brings together downtown arts organizations, galleries, restaurants, and local businesses to celebrate the arts and talents of the community. Attendees are encouraged to circulate throughout the downtown area to experience unique events at each venue — typically including visual art, live entertainment, and interactive activities.
“The diverse and incredible talent within OSU and the broader Stillwater community deserves this kind of appreciation,” said Audrey Gleason, education intern at the OSU Museum of Art. “Our mission is to spur enthusiasm about the arts for community members, as well as cultivate a welcoming, inspiring, and fun atmosphere for all attendees.”
Gleason hopes 2019 will bring more opportunities to the Final Friday Art Crawl, such as integrating food trucks, live entertainment, performances, vendors, and additional arts-related programming.
The Final Friday Art Crawl was initiated by the OSU Museum of Art’s Student Advisory Committee. This passionate student group promotes engagement with the arts by providing a platform for student voices to help shape the way the museum serves OSU students.
The Student Advisory Committee has brought together multiple downtown merchants to participate in the art crawl, including EVERYMAN, Iron Monk, and PurdyQ, Blue Spruce, Greige Goods, Simplicity & Co., Typo Market, District Bicycles, Good Little Eater, Bliss Books & Bindery, and StillyArts. These locations have featured student pop-up art shops, open mic poetry, live music, and artist demonstrations. Participating venues and activities are updated on a monthly map released prior to each Final Friday on the OSU Museum of Art website.
The Downtown Stillwater Cultural District (DSCD) affiliates, inclusive of the OSU Museum of Art, Prairie Arts Center, Modella Art Gallery, Stillwater History Museum at the Sheerar, Stillwater Public Library, and Stillwater Community Center, also actively participate in the Final Friday Art Crawl. The DSCD entities work in partnership to support visual and performing arts, history, and cultural attractions of Stillwater.
“The Final Friday Art Crawl is starting to coin a prolific event for the Stillwater community,” said Vicky Berry, director of the OSU Museum of Art. “Uniting downtown Stillwater provides many opportunities for the city at large — and we have exciting expectations for 2019.”
The upcoming art crawl will take place Jan. 25 starting at 5 p.m. For more information about the Final Friday Art Crawl, view the map or to get involved, visit museum.okstate.edu/final-Friday.
About the OSU Museum of ArtFor more information about the OSU Museum of Art, visit museum.okstate.edu or call 405-744-2780. The museum is located at 720 S. Husband Street in downtown Stillwater. Hours: Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Hours are extended on Wednesdays and Thursdays until 7 p.m. Admission is free, thanks to generous support from the OSU Museum of Art Advocates.
