By: M.K. Bryant
The Montevallo Arts Collaborative is a group with the primary interest of supporting the arts in Montevallo.
According to Suzanne Hurst, The Collaborative’s special events coordinator, their goal is “to promote all types of art in the city and to help the city become an arts community.”
The Collaborative provides exhibitions of art from local artists. These exhibitions can be found in the City Hall Gallery as well as the Parnell Memorial Library gallery.
Another art gallery in Montevallo is the Blue Phrog Gallery on Main Street. According to their website, the gallery is “presented by Suzanne, Phil and Phoebe Hurst,” and it is “a place for local and regional artists to share their creations with the public.
The Montevallo Arts Collaborative also helps in providing multiple arts events around Montevallo.
At the events held by the Montevallo Arts Collaborative, local artists are given a chance to display and sell their work.
Some events that the Collaborative is involved in:
- The Montevallo Artwalk
- Montevallo Arts Fest
- Tinglewood Festival
The Artwalk
The most recent Montevallo Artwalk was held on Main Street on Main Street on October 23. This was the annual Halloween-themed event called the Art Stalk.
The Artwalk is a result of the collective efforts of the City of Montevallo, The University of Montevallo and the Montevallo Arts Collaborative.
According to their website, the Art Walk serves “the dual mission of drawing attention to our downtown businesses and showcasing Montevallo’s amazing pool of talent to the broader community of Shelby County, Bibb County, Chilton County and beyond.”
Montevallo Arts Fest
The Montevallo Arts Fest is a festival held every spring at Orr Park. The upcoming festival is planned for April 16, 2022.
The festival includes booths for artists to sell and demonstrate their art, food vendors, and a children’s arts and crafts area.
Tinglewood Festival
Tinglewood Festival is another event held in Orr Park. This year it was held on September 11.
The festival is named after Tim Tingle, the artist who created the popular tree carvings in the park.
The festival’s website says that it is “organized by the Montevallo Chamber of Commerce, Montevallo Main Street, and the Montevallo Arts Collaborative.”
According to the Collaborative’s website, in 2021, both the Arts Fest and Tinglewood Festival “broke records for attendance and theory.”
Although many of the Montevallo Arts Collaborative’s contributions to the city are based around visual arts, Hurst wants people to know that visual arts are not the group’s sole focus.
Rather than only doing art shows, they also promote other types of art like music and literature.
Vallo Vision News 