Emerson/Eken Park joins other Madison neighborhoods in launching an art walk

More than 65 local artists at 30 locations will participate

by Hannah Ritvo

August 28, 2023

3:00 PM

A digital drawing from Bogus Babe (upper left) and a sculpture by Thanasi Papapostoulou will be included in the first Emerson East Eken Park Art Walk.

When Susan Kaye picks up the phone for our interview, she apologizes for a commotion in the background. She explains that she is finalizing her latest creation, a funky ceramic nature-inspired wall sculpture.

Kaye will be selling the sculpture and more at the first Emerson Eken Art Walk, slated for 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sept. 23. The multimedia artist and retired school social worker is one of the driving forces behind the walk, which will feature more than 65 local artists at 30 locations. She’s joined by graphic designer and illustrator Charlotte Easterling and interior designer and multimedia artist Sara Hinke, along with Lori Henthorne and Anita Temple. Kaye describes each of them as “a gift from heaven.”

Most of the artists live in the Emerson East and Eken Park neighborhoods, just off East Washington Avenue, near North Street and Commercial Avenue. Artists will show their work in homes and driveways, and those who don’t live within the boundaries of the area can participate through nearby businesses and individuals that volunteered as hosts, including The Kiln Shed, Occupy Madison Tiny Home Village, Eli’s Art Supplies, The Bubbling Teapot, Dexter’s Pub and Megan’s Custom Framing.

Attendees can expect to find all sorts of art, from ceramics and photo prints to handcrafted creations and sketches. There will be sculptures, acrylic and oil paintings, homemade cards, cardboard constructions, perler bead art, embroidery, animated drawings, stained glass creations, and even an installation one individual made from a discarded playcastle.

“The Emerson Eken Art Walk will celebrate the visual artists within our neighborhood while bringing people together,” Kaye says. “There’s socioeconomic, ethnic and racial diversity in the neighborhood, and I expect there will be a nice diversity of art.”

The walk presents an excellent opportunity to support local artists while engaging with the community.

“There will be an intersectionality of creativity and community,” adds organizer Sara Hinkel. “It’s a human-centered event as well as an art-centered event.”

There are many benefits to buying and selling at an art walk, as artists don’t have to haul their work to different shops and participants get the rare opportunity to explore the in-home studios and pop-up galleries of Madison-based artists. Kaye emphasizes how walks support artists and help to build their local presence.

“It’s a great opportunity to buy art because you don’t have a gallery taking 50% so you don’t have to price at gallery prices,” Kaye says. “Buying directly from the artist is an economical way to buy art. All proceeds directly support the artist.”

The Emerson Eken Art Walk joins a long list of established art walks in Madison, including walks in the neighborhoods of Marquette-Atwood, Middleton, Tenney-Lapham, and Hill Farms as well as Dane County communities Stoughton and Mount Horeb.

Planning for the art walk began last summer, when Kaye posted on Nextdoor to recruit help. Ultimately the Emerson Eken Arts team created a website, raised funding and asked other art walks across the state for tips.

“We decided to take the time to be intentional, high quality and inclusive.” Hinkel says. “We had time to put this together and it shows in the quality of our organization and our effort.”

In addition to the art walk, the team is also working to establish a sustainable and connected community among artists in the area. They developed and organized the structure of the walk with the goal of turning it into an annual event.

The team is still looking for volunteers to distribute flyers, place directional signs before the walk, and volunteer in homes so that artists can take breaks and see other individuals' art throughout the course of the day.

by Hannah Ritvo

August 28, 2023

3:00 PM