Fullerton Art Walk

Saw everything in 30 minutes. I thought there would have been more to see. Pretty disappointed.

I came expecting to hate it or feel sorry for it or just get grossed out by the sheer orange-​county-​ness of it but… I was very pleasantly surprised.
i used to be very, very involved in the LA Art Walk. In fact helped to start it. This little Art Walk reminds me a bit the good old days, when the art scene downtown was struggling in a fun way.
The LA Art Walk has become a such a pain in the ass, nowhere to actually walk — blur of glow necklaces, cheese product food trucks, red-​faced reception-​red-​wine drunk too-​old-​for-​art school lonely guys, and middle aged ladies who «just moved here from north carolina with my paintings of pregnant women and scribble dolls» Of coarse taking up valuable sidewalk and breathing space are plenty of the warm bodies that populate any/​all free events in echo park, and lots lots … lots more people. what you don’t see are artists, fans of art, etc.
The «Fullerton Art Walk» or «OC Art Walk»? … is exactly what it claims to be «friendly and accessible» scene. This Art Walk is a little more «entrepreneurial «than the LA walk. then again that seems to be characteristic of OC vs LA. Which is one of the reasons I moved down here.
actual artists actually selling their work, a supportive community. literally!

I went to my first Fullerton Art Walk this past Friday which also happened to be their 3^rd anniversary celebration.
I got there rather early just to get parking (4:30PM) and just hung out around the area before heading out to the Fullerton Museum Plaza where the festivities were going to take place.
It’s a neat event, I liked it. I especially enjoyed the East Side District exhibit. pretty cool tattoo works displayed, they were amazing. They had a tattooing station set up too where guests could try out using a tattoo gun (not on a human, but a scrap of metal lol). The owner was pretty darn cool himself as well.
Overall I really liked all the artworks displayed throughout the event Friday night. There’s not exactly one particular style of art that I love. I love it all really, from fine arts to urban arts… I admire them all.
I’m aiming at going to the next Art Walk since I believe the exhibits and such will be at the stores and other businesses themselves. I think I’d have even more fun walking up and down Downtown Fullerton for that.

This review is more for the Third Year Anniversary Event. My first Artwalk was during their third year anniversary which was held in the plaza of the Fullerton Museum Center. It was cool how everything was gathered in one place and there was a lot of festivities: photobooth, live music, food trucks, beer and wine garden, arts and crafts booth for kids, etc. The museum gift shop was also open to browse.
Great atmosphere and nice to walk around, though I didn’t really get involved too much with the booths. I was there mostly to browse and soak in the atmosphere. And to get grub from the food trucks, haha. The gathering was a lot smaller than I thought and I was expecting to see a lot more, but it’s ok. I enjoyed the atmosphere. Parking was a breeze since they were set up right next to a couple of free public parking garages.
All in all, the event provided some great atmosphere, but I’m not sure if a normal Artwalk would be for me. I suppose if I had nothing better to do on a Friday night and wanted to soak in some local art, I’d go again.

Definitely not what my friends and I expected. We had all gone to the Downtown Art Walk before and expected something similar, but this art walk is a lot smaller. The crowds we saw were definitely not crowds who were there for the art walk. My friends and I walked to several exhibits and felt very odd; we all agreed that unlike the LA Art Walk where the atmosphere was kind of chill and you could walk through checking out exhibits, this art walk made us feel out of place. Many of the exhibits were hosted in businesses (stores, restaurants/​cafes) and we just felt like we were intruding and felt like there was pressure to buy something. When we finally found this area with just art exhibits, we were already so over the art walk that it was hard for us to appreciate it anymore. There isn’t as much of a variety of exhibits compared to the LA Art Walk, but for the size and scale of this art walk, it was a fair amount of art/​exhibits to look at. Would we come back? Probably not. Did we maybe set our expectations too high and compared it too much to the LA Art Walk? Yes. Should you still check it out if you’re looking for something to do in OC? Sure, why not.

I always look forward to the first Friday in Fullerton because of the art walk. Get there early and you can have dinner, or get there late and you have some drinks/​desserts. It’s just a great way to spend a night out on the town
Favorite galleries:
PAS: They usually have some good solo shows here. Art walk nights are cool because you can actually meet the artists themselves. For the most part, the prices of the art have been fairly reasonable and you can pick up an unique piece for your home or a gift at a good price. Depending on the night, they have some cool musical acts booked to play during the event.
Hibbleton: From what I’ve seen, they do a lot of group shows which feature a bunch of artists. They usually have a theme, but you get a good variety of pieces. You can’t miss the gallery since it shares space with PAS in the same building.
Violet Hour: A lot of photography work. They usually have some abstract things to see. They too have musical talent– but it all varies from time to time. You really never know who you might see. This gallery seems to be the most popular because it has the adult beverage bar for people that want to enjoy a libation while taking in art. Again, hard to miss since it shares space with Hibbleton and PAS. It’s also the gallery with the bathroom for the three.
OTTO: I love OTTO anways– being able to see some cool local art just gives me another reason to go in. The art is usually a good representation of the store. I’ve seen huge sea life pieces of art that was made out of crochet. Pop art, jellyfish and more. While there, you should peruse around at check out some of their art books. I’ve dropped a good penny on spur of the moment purchases because of it. I don’t regret any of them.
Roadkill Boutique: It’s right next to OTTO. Their pieces are a little high up, so make sure you look towards the ceilings or you might miss them. Again, they have some really cool and unique pieces. People usually get sidetracked by their cool jewelry and clothes as well. They too have some acoustic performers playing some tunes on the streets for you to enjoy. It’s not uncommon to see a group of people surrounding the guitar player. Very street performer-​esque.
Josh & Monica’s Studio (JAMS): This place is always fun. See what activities they have. They almost always have one of their photobooths out front of their store for people to take pics in. I can’t tell you how many awesome and awkward photos we’ve taken in there. Definitely one the highlights of coming.
Parking is now a cinch due to the new parking structure that opened up on Santa Fe avenue across from Continental Room. No more driving around in circles waiting for people to leave or trying to parallel park on busy intersections. Hooray.

Cute date on a Friday night if you don’t mind a lot of walking. Some places close earlier, 9 o cluck, when the art walk «ends» at 10 o cluck so come early because we came at 8 and didn’t get to see everything. But some of the time I was lost and confused since I was leading –_​-​. So get a map ASAP to avoid walking around aimlessly hoping you just run into the right direction. There wasn’t a lot of people as the first time I went to just follow along with the crowd. Some venues are spread far apart. I like when I can just walk right next door to see more art but it is nice to get to walk in the fresh air on a summer night. Also there’s a free photo booth by the «flea market» in the corner of commonwealth and harbor.

I love how involved Fullerton is with their community, and vice versa. The Fullerton art walk features local artists of all ages and genres, and showcases them in popular downtown Fullerton stores! Now if you know Fullerton, then you already know how unique their stores already are. Putting art in them makes it even better. It’s a whole lot of fun for everybody!

One of the greatest free community events (parking is also free and plentiful). Hence, I’m happy to include this in my Free & Fabulous list.
Every 1^st Friday, a group of local business and gallery owners in the historic downtown Fullerton area prepare artwork to be exhibited in their venues from 6−10pm. Each business consigns a local artist or artists to display art in the shop/​dance studio/​salon/​gallery/​tattoo parlour/​etc. which means that each venue has different art. Some venues will have light refreshments and drinks available for the night as well. Just walk into any place at any time between 6 – 10 on the Friday and view art.
There are maps available on the website and at certain participating venues but there are also some places that unofficially participate (they haven’t yet been officially recognized by the board that organizes the night or they don’t really care to attend the meetings) but they have art out on display.
Great:
1. Free parking
2. Free event
3. Great sense of community
4. Appropriate for families
5. Freebies along the way (some businesses have free photos or things for passersby)
6. Light refreshments and drinks (alcoholic and non) at some venues (free)
7. Great art by local artists
8. Get to know the area and the types of businesses (found about 4 that were truly amazing)
9. Friendly atmosphere
10. Fun
11. The area is known for the plentiful coffee shops, clubs, and bars so it’s an ideal event to head to before grabbing drinks or a bootyshake.
On the friendly atmosphere, while I’m on the topic…
I’m not one to have tattoos and I’m not really that into comics and because of this, I would normally hesitate to walk into a tattoo parlour or comic-​book store but walked into some during the art walk and met some really open and friendly people who were passionate about their art and willing to discuss it with people at any level. I’d also be afraid to walk into tattoo parlours since most people with tattoos seem to be big and muscly and I have no upper body strength. Folks were really down to earth and awesome. I need to visit some places again just to chat with the people who work there. Completely amazing.

I had the pleasure of enjoying an eventful evening and the Fullerton Art Walk because a friend fo mine had some art on display at one of the galleries. The bad part, the night we went on was scorching hot! I want to say it was about 85 degrees around 8 or 9pm! To be honest, that’s the only reason why it got 3 stars. The art galleries are up and down a few city blocks so in 80+ degree weather… no bueno.
Weather aside, I think this is a great place for locals to display their talent and love for the arts. We saw things from pirates fighting ninjas to tasty local cupcakes to buy, to beautiful black and white photography. As long as it’s not bloody hot, you’ll be sure to enjoy what the heart of Orange County has to offer in the arts.

I really enjoy this event. It’s a great way to support local artists, and spend time with friends and family. It’s also fun to check out the different stores I wouldn’t normally shop in. Many of the hosting businesses serve beverages and finger foods, but there are food trucks on hand, and the restaurants are open for business.

I’m so pleased that Fullerton has continued to do the Artwalk each 1^st Friday of the month. By showing our local artists that we support them and encourage them to keep «creating» helps bring a different feel to the otherwise bar filled Friday nights in downtown. It’s fun to see friends and meet new people along the way. The food trucks are out on the streets, each of the shops and galleries serve wine or tea and hor’derves, overall it’s a fun night to be out. Bring the kids, or not, enjoy what our local artists and shops have to offer and get outside and enjoy The Town We Live In.

As a homeowner and business owner in Fullerton, The Art Walk is a great addition to the town’s activities options. It’s kid-​friendly and great for families. It’s also a great way to experience art and the artists who are many times on hand to talk with. Not to mention, when you want to take a break there are dozens of great places to eat and drink. I highly recommend the Fullerton Art Walk. See you here!

The Fullerton Art Walk is the first Friday of every month in downtown. You can check out the website to see which businesses particapate. It is nice to have something else to do besides bar hopping, or if you’re like me you can bar hop after the artwalk. I I really like to check out Unity Salon. They’ve had fun art so far and a DJ. Hibbleton is a must see, a nice big space with all kinds of art. I also like checking out Otto and Roadkill as well. It makes for a fun Friday night.

As a local here in Fullerton and a participant of The Fullerton Art Walk, I would like to say that it is a nice change of pace from the typical bar crowd scene that Fullerton has become known for. On the first Friday of every month people have an opportunity to enjoy dozens of different artists, shops and galleries with family and friends. What a great way to spend a Friday night.