By QUINT QUALLS
With the second annual Spring Hill Art Walk now just two weeks away, event organizers announced that a local artist plans to paint a mural on a building in Spring Hill’s historic downtown district along Main Street.
Arica Robinson, Spring Hill Art Walk organizer, said that local artist Damaris Niño will paint Spring Hill’s first mural as a part of this year’s event.
“The message that the art will convey is beautiful,” said Richard Armentrout, owner of ATM Music Recording Studio, the building that will have the mural. “That all it takes is a hand and a smile to make a difference in someone else’s life. I believe if more message-driven art, like this, were displayed around town, it would make Spring Hill a more enjoyable place to live and grow. I am happy to help support this.”
Niño said that ever since she came to live in Spring Hill, she noticed that there was not much art on display in the city.
“And I thought it could really use some street art, whether that be murals or installations,” she said.
The Spring Hill Art Walk began last year when Robinson and her husband, Kevin, started the Spring Hill Art Walk last year with the Spring Hill Arts Center (SHAC) nonprofit. At the time, SHAC was just being revived.
The event has grown since its inauguration last year, with many more participating businesses and about double the amount of children’s activities provided by local groups and organizations.
Having lived in Spring Hill for 12 years, Robinson said that she and her husband would go to other cities to visit art walks, and upon thinking it should be done in Spring Hill, they resolved simply to put one on themselves.
“When I first heard that someone was trying to get art recognized, I quickly said I need to meet this person,” Niño said, speaking of Robinson. “I had been wanting to do a mural for a while, but had gotten shut down by a few people. So then I asked Arica to see if she could help me out, and she did. Which is where we are now.”
“This mural is simply a depiction of how a simple, true smile can really turn someone’s mood or even life around in an instant. I hope that it can be truly conveyed by the composition I have chosen. I also hope that this will open doors to many businesses to be open to the arts in the city of Spring Hill. My hope is that this brings back some more color and passion for the arts – an area that many times is forgotten, but that can truly convey many words without speaking.”
More than 20 artists will be showing their artwork in businesses and churches along Main Street. The walk begins at the Spring Hill Arts Center’s gallery and proceeds along Main Street to the front lawn of Ferguson Hall.
Various businesses and churches along Main Street will display the artwork along the event route, which starts at the Spring Hill Arts Center’s gallery and proceeds along Main Street to the front lawn of Ferguson Hall. The event runs from 3-8 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 17.
The Spring Hill Art Walk is a free community event presented by nonprofit Spring Hill Arts Center. SHAC was the city’s first nonprofit arts program. It currently holds auditions, art shows, classes, workshops and other events in the Old Spring Hill High School on School Street.
For more information about the participating artists and to view samples of the work that will be on display, visit the Spring Hill Art Walk Facebook page. The Home Page published an overview of the plans for the event last month.
Quint Qualls covers Spring Hill for Home Page Media Group. Reach him at [email protected].
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