Burlington Art Walk promises good, messy, creative fun

Creating something beautiful can be a little messy – and a whole lot of fun.  And the organizers of next weekend’s Art Walk at Burloak Park hope local residents will roll up their sleeves and discover that joy for themselves.

“We have artists of all skill levels and all ages displaying their work,” said Caroline Saint, co-founder of Elizabeth Gardens Creative Collective, the group behind the art walk. 

She notes that the event is not a market, although visitors can connect with artists and follow up with them if they’re interested in purchasing from them. Instead, the focus of the Art Walk is to promote interaction with the community. 

Artists will be on hand to discuss their work, and many will be running stations throughout the park where people can try their hand at various techniques and mediums, such as an acrylic pouring, chalks, watercolour bookmarks and crafts for all ages.

“We've had so many different types of art experience stations where not just kids but all ages get to try stuff out to see if they like it and often they get to bring some of their work home,” said Saint. “So it becomes really fun and interactive in that way and the artists get to connect with the community.”

Now in its third year, the Art Walk is a free event made possible through a grant from the Burlington Arts and Culture Fund. It aims to promote the arts, diversity and bringing people together through art and creativity, said Saint.

For the artists, the walk is a unique chance to make connections with people looking to find something new.  

“There's certainly that element of discovery,  to find somebody there you really connect with,” said Saint. “That's a good way to promote yourself, for sure, but without that expectation where you're expected to buy something.”

Saint said the response from the business community has also been positive, with many local companies signing on as sponsors, either through donations or by running art experience stations in the park.

For example, a Breville product ambassador will run latte art sessions throughout the day. “It's called the Pour Your Art Out latte station,” said Saint, noting that it was a big hit last year - and not just for the free coffee. “You could just try out  making hearts and feathers with the foamed milk. It was really cool.”

Additional sponsors this year include ECS Coffee, Cave Art Framing, Riddell Real Estate, Sunset Grill, Hasty Market, as well as two music studios.

Saint said the Art Walk continues to grow; last year it featured 22 artists and she was expecting 30 to participate this year. There will also be planned musical performances. She noted the event is also now run by a board of directors, which has taken on the infrastructure and planning duties.

“It’s becoming a big (event),” she said. “It’s exciting. Thank goodness we have a board this year. The first year there were three of us, and last year there was a committee of about five to seven. (Having a board) allows us to be a bit more scalable and this event is a reflection of that, which is fantastic.”

The 2023 Art Walk takes place Saturday, Aug. 26 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Burloak Waterfront Park, (5429 Lakeshore Rd.). Those planning to attend can visit the Elizabeth Gardens Creative Collective website to find out more or to download an Art Walk map.