Walking the Walk: Santa Ana’s Arts District
Anya Ernst - Staff Writer
Once a month Downtown Santa Ana transforms into a festival. The streets are closed and galleries open in order to showcase the arts and culture of Santa Ana. The Art Walk features over 25 different galleries as well as featured venders, activities, and performances. It’s easy to move in and out of galleries and restaurants, stopping to watch performances and admire the murals, art splattered on the walls and building facades.
The Art Walk has captured the culture of the city since 2014, when it first came to Santa Ana. Santa Ana has a unique culture full of diversity and art, and the Art Walk has become a tool for local and novice artists to showcase and sell their art. The galleries at the Art Walk have become a vital tool for local artists to get exposure, and also for art lovers to get to know new artists. The myriad of galleries, each with a different genre or medium of art, provides an enjoyable experience for anyone, no matter their artistic taste. The galleries included like the California Fine Art Gallery and the Santa Ana College Gallery gave exposure to renowned and experienced artists and young experimental artists alike.
A look at OCSA's newest mural, found in the DMS courtyard and some photos when it was still a work in progress.
Photo by: Brianna Roesler
Process Photos Courtesy of: Miran Whassan
Not only does the Art Walk exhibit works in mediums like painting, sculpture, and photography, the various stages, scattered around the streets are home to local bands, catering to all kinds of audiences. The Artist Village Promenade on Second Street has performances all night long. Bands on 4th Street play for “Dancing in the Streets”- where hundreds of residents dance with their friends and family. The Art walk is a great experience for families and people of all ages! Kids Craft Tables and interactive art are set up around the city, making it friendly for the whole family.
Vendors with stalls line up on sidewalks and street corners selling small prints and crafts. Walking the streets, it’s impossible to not find something that catches your eye from candles to vintage clothes.
From the dancing to shopping you work up an appetite, DTSA classics like 4th Street Market and the Gypsy Den are open, offering special Art Walk Deals, but it’s also a great opportunity to try new restaurants as well as the vendors on the streets. Other DTSA shops offer deals and special events, like the Frida Cinema. The non-profit art house cinema shows premiers of student films and other cult-classics on nights of the art walk at discounted prices.
The Art Walk is a great place to hang out for the night no matter what you’re interested in. Whether that be, seeing a concert or looking at art, it’s a great place to experience the culture of Santa Ana.