Nelsonville's historic Public Square, lined with art galleries, craft shops and a plethora of small businesses, is among the most notable centers for art in Southeastern Ohio. But the area has earned its reputation fairly recently with the creation of Final Fridays.
Because of Final Fridays
Nelsonville has turned into a center of art said Ann Judy, unofficial director of the event and owner of Starbrick Gallery, which is located on the square. It's an opportunity to get out and see so many people and it's growing every time.
The event takes place on the city's square on the last Friday of every month, except December. It began in April 2002, and since has drawn increasingly larger crowds interested in checking out Nelsonville's local art and music scene.
Judy said Final Fridays generally draws crowds of 500 to 1,000 people. Participating galleries and businesses stay open until 10 p.m., and local musicians and artists position themselves outside on the square to perform for the crowds and sell their merchandise.
One of the biggest events at July's Final Fridays was an art exhibit that showcased the work of at-risk students in the lobby of Stuart's Opera House on the square. The exhibit was the culmination of a project begun by Barbara Campagnola, executive director of the Paper Circle gallery, which specializes in paper art.
According to a pamphlet, art classes are not provided at the elementary-school level for children in Nelsonville-York City Schools, and are offered only as electives when the students enter high school. Campagnola's project placed fourth-through eighth-graders from the school system with several Nelsonville studios, giving the students exposure to art and an opportunity to create their own.
One of the participating studios in the project was Studio 4. Studio Director Gayla Parks helped the students create art out of nearly any kind of object. We used experimental methods; we were trying new material she said, adding that the project was sort of a discovery method that builds self confidence through things (the students) have never done before.
The exhibited work included pins constructed out of puzzle pieces, recycled-wood sculptures, friendship bracelets, recycled CDs and a variety of watercolor paintings and drawings. Parks said she emphasized creativity in the children's pieces by having them incorporate a great deal of normal objects not considered useful by most people into their work.
The experience provided them with new ways of learning and seeing and touching the world
said Campagnola in a pamphlet. (It) gave them new means of self-expression.
The abundant outdoor art and crafts vendors, selling anything from tea to pottery to even animals, bring a friendly, unique feel to the event. Louise Hawkins was among these vendors, selling her homemade soaps and lotion bars to the Final Fridays crowd. Although she is not a resident of Nelsonville, she has sold her products at two previous Final Fridays, and thinks the event is vital. It benefits the small businesses
she said. It brings people together -the community needs more things like this.
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Mason McDonald, 12, of Nelsonville, shows off a ceramic cat he made as part of his art class to John Oakley at Stuart's Opera House at last month's Final Fridays in Nelsonville.
