The Huntsville Art CRAWL is a free self guided art tour in and around downtown Huntsville, Muskoka. Throughout the month of June, visitors will create their own free Art CRAWL experience by touring local businesses, galleries & studios which feature exhibits, demos & interactive experiences by local artists. In 2022, the event welcomed 2,200 visitors (up from 1,680 in 2021), and included 57 artists and 32 businesses, and generated $11,078 in sales.
“We’re thrilled to bring back the Art CRAWL initiative. It’s an opportunity to highlight the amazing businesses and artists in our community and we’ll be featuring a lot of special events as part of the festivities that we hope will attract greater visitation downtown” Dan Watson, Executive Director of HfA.
Participating businesses will be included as a stop on the Huntsville Art CRAWL and benefit from advertising and inclusion and on the Huntsville Art CRAWL website, negotiated commissions on the sale of artwork, increased visitation, and support from the organizers at HfA. In exchange participating businesses will provide space to exhibit art between June 1-30, 2023, and be available to coordinate with artists during the month of May.
Participating artists’ work will be on display between June 1-30, 2023. Artists will benefit from increased exposure and recognition within the community, potential increases in sales, as well as advertising and support from the organizers at HfA. There are opportunities for artists to lead workshops, and give presentations about their work to the public throughout the Art CRAWL.
Deadline to submit interest is April 18th
There is no fee to participate.
Interested artists can apply through the Artist Intake Form HERE
Interested businesses can apply through Business Intake Form HERE
The CRAWL is led by the Huntsville Festival of the Arts with support from the Huntsville Municipal Accommodation Tax Association, the Huntsville Downtown BIA, and community partners the Huntsville Art Society. Creation of the Tom Thomson Canoe Murals is supported by Algoqnuin Outfitters through their annual Paddle Art Auction.
New and returning special events include:
- Wednesday Walkabouts– An organized group walk in downtown Huntsville every Wednesday to explore and enjoy the Huntsville Art CRAWL. There will be lots of fun surprises along the way including visits from participating artists, prizes, music, and more. The walk ends at a local restaurant or bar for drinks and appetizers.
- Artist Demos Saturdays- Look for local artists painting on Saturday afternoons in June at various outdoor locations in and around Huntsville’s downtown core.
- Canoe Murals- Seven artists will join muralist Gerry Lantaigne to create original murals inspired by and celebrating the work of Tom Thomson. The murals will be painted outdoors in Downtown Huntsville’s River Mill Park from June 12-17
- EN PLEIN AIR- A new initiative during the Huntsville Art CRAWL, this event will feature outdoor painting, music and an art market for participating artists. Paintings made throughout the day will be auctioned off to raise funds towards the Kareen Burns visual arts scholarship benefitting local youth who are studying visual arts in a post secondary institution or program.
- School Scavenger Hunt- Participating classes will have an opportunity to complete a scavenger hunt challenge for a prize!