The Blue Duck Art Tour is a self-guided art crawl hosted by Downtown Spartanburg merchants. Use a Blue Duck Scooter (or your own two feet) to visit local retailers and discover local artists.
HOW TO PARTICIPATE:
- Take this self-guided tour during retail hours anytime between June 17-July 15, OR participate during ArtWalk from 5-7 p.m. on Opening Night (June 17) or Closing Night (July 15).
- All stores are within scooting or walking distance. Download the Blue Duck Scooter App, or use your own two feet. New Blue Duck users get 10 minutes free ride time by entering code “ART” when they register.
- Pick up a punch card at your first store, and visit a minimum of four stores to win a free t-shirt and qualify to win one of the pieces of artwork from the show!
WHO’S PARTICIPATING:
The following businesses will be open during the July 15 ArtWalk event (your last chance to win a piece of art on display)
Businesses participating during normal retail hours before July 15
MEET THE ARTISTS:
List of Participating Artists
| Location of Piece | Artist Name | Artwork Name | Description from Artist | Artist Social Media |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Little River Coffee Bar | Mikki Nunn | Straight Cruisin' | This piece is just a playful take on how living in spartanburg makes me feel, and incorporates little hints towards my favorite parts about town. I had to make sure to include the coffee as I can't go a day without Little River sustenance (whether that be downtown, at The Pharmacy Coffee, or at home), and even one of the many railroad crossings that I get stuck behind for more than an hour. | @mikko.__ |
| Spice and Tea Exchange | Alissa Heckel | Aqua Pura | Aqua Pura is made using the graphgan corner to corner style. It is an image of our downtown water fountain made entirely from crocheting fingerling yarn to create the well known image. | |
| The Hiker Hub (inside The Local Hiker) | Maggie Visk | Sunrise Over Spartanburg | Fired Alcohol Ink on Glass | @maggieviskart |
| Two Cumberland | Michelle Seabrook Pierce | Evening Sky Over Spartanburg | Oil paint, oil sticks, cold wax, on gold foil | @michellepierce.works |
| Hub City Bookshop | Mary Lou Hightower | Hidden Gems of Spartanburg | This watercolor patchwork was created on the map “Bird’s Eye View of Spartanburg 1891- Looking South East” purchased from Spartanburg History Museum. In the openings are photos of unique places or historical markers. The work celebrates hidden gems of Spartanburg. There is a key identifying the locations of the photos on the back of the piece. | @marylouhightower |
| The Local Hiker | Jennifer Leigh Bonner | Our Link to Paradise | An avid trail runner, my work is heavily influenced by my experiences in outdoor spaces. Through the juxtaposition of painted marks, photographs, and other collaged elements, I am able to explore the fluidity of landscape as we experience it through our own recollections. | @jenniferlbonner |
| Hub City Scoops | Peter B. Kay | Through my photography I seek to document Spartanburg’s natural spaces in a way that showcases the opportunities for discovery that arise every time you venture outside. I have been working on a series of photographs taken during my walks on the Cottonwood trail and will choose one of these works for the tour. | @peterbkay | |
| Bond Street Wines | Danielle Woodson | Whimsical Wanderings Through Sparkle City | This piece was inspired by a walk through downtown on a beautiful Spring afternoon. I wanted to capture the texture, vibrancy, and perfect blend of old and new that is developing not just downtown, but throughout the whole city of Spartanburg. | @DCDesigns82 |
| Market on Main | Nick Trainor (aka Sparkle City Snaps) | Morgan Square Neon Sunset | A streetscape of downtown Spartanburg created as a photograph, then imaged on the computer in my vibrant SparkleCitySnaps styling! | @SparkleCitySnaps |
| Two Doors Down | Christine Kminek | Almost Home | Gaffney Peachoid water tower-- as a northern transplant it speaks to me as the symbol that grew to mean "Almost home" on I85 after family trips to New Jersey. | @Weeonessleeping |
| The Kindred Spirits | McAde Dixon | Sparkletones | In my piece, I wanted to show the rich musical and artistic history of Spartanburg, the people pictured in my piece are Joe Bennett and the Sparkletones. As good friends of Elvis Presley, they helped bring rock n' roll to South Carolina and helped create foundations for modern artists in Spartanburg County. | @dixonmcade |
| Armoire Spartanburg | Jessica Massey (aka Jessabelle.Art) | Oakwood Cemetery Study | The beauty of a cemetery is often overlooked by circumstances. You can find peace and inspiration if you only take a moment. | @jessabelle.art |
| Lemon Peel | Nancy Corbin | Live/Love Here | This fun little painting celebrates my adopted hometown, references one of my favorite murals and floats an iconic home in ethereal blues. | @nancycorbin62 |
| Paisley Paw | James Pittman | Glendale Shoals | Photography- canvas print of the Glendale Shoals bridge. | @the_jpg |
| Imagination Station | Christina Ramsey (aka dahliallama) | Magnolia Mandala | The magnolia tree reflects perseverance and beauty from our natural world... when transformed into a mandala, we are reminded of its recurring cycle of life and the enduring gift of love. | @dahiliallama.art |
| Small Cakes Spartanburg | Lottie Hudson | Map of Home | Acrylic pour technique on canvas using colors that remind me of home (Spartanburg). | @lottiemadethese |
| DK Boutique and Spa | Virginia Lee McLean | Love Where You Live | Virginia McLean is from Lyman, SC. She enjoys the process of experimenting and making art almost as much, if not more than, the outcome. She is influenced by nature, especially, botanicals. Virginia creates cyanotype, mixed media, and textile art, including embroidery and macrame. Her work as seen in the Habitat for Humanity Upcycled Art Show. | vlmcollective |