An idea to paint murals on the windows of a few vacant stores has quickly swelled into an art movement that is bringing droves of people to the Carlsbad Village.
ArtSurf, a free, self-guided walking tour of artwork in establishments and windows in the Village, kicked off with an event that 600 people attended May 1 at New Village Arts Theatre.
“A lot of people discovered stores they'd never noticed before,” said Robin Young, executive director of the Carlsbad Village Business Association and member of the Carlsbad Village Improvement Partnership board of directors. “The restaurants were packed.”
She said the original idea was to paint murals in the windows of a few vacant stores in the Village to bring more art to the area, but as planning got underway it quickly turned into a much bigger project with an additional purpose, to bring more people to the Village.
“The desire is to let people see what the Village is really about and to break down some of the old stereotypes,” Young added. “This tour forces people to walk around.”
There are 23 venues in the Village showcasing various artists' works. Some of the venues on the tour simply feature windows painted with murals, others are phantom galleries with artwork hung inside and there also are several open shops hosting artists' work.
Tour maps are available at the Carlsbad Convention & Visitors Bureau at 400 Carlsbad Village Drive, at every art gallery in the Village, at shops with an ArtSurf poster in the window and at most of the hotels throughout the city.
ArtSurf is sponsored by the Carlsbad Village Improvement Partnership, an organization committed to creating a vibrant coastal Village through collaborative actions that enhance the vitality of businesses, welcome visitors, sustain the health of residential neighborhoods and promote a safe and cohesive community.
“We're finding through research that art is a real catalyst for growth, and there is a momentum building to have the Village declared an art district,” Young said. “ArtSurf is an experiment to see if it works, and it did.”
ArtSurf, a free, self-guided walking tour of artwork in establishments and windows in the Village, kicked off with an event that 600 people attended May 1 at New Village Arts Theatre.
“A lot of people discovered stores they'd never noticed before,” said Robin Young, executive director of the Carlsbad Village Business Association and member of the Carlsbad Village Improvement Partnership board of directors. “The restaurants were packed.”
She said the original idea was to paint murals in the windows of a few vacant stores in the Village to bring more art to the area, but as planning got underway it quickly turned into a much bigger project with an additional purpose, to bring more people to the Village.
“The desire is to let people see what the Village is really about and to break down some of the old stereotypes,” Young added. “This tour forces people to walk around.”
There are 23 venues in the Village showcasing various artists' works. Some of the venues on the tour simply feature windows painted with murals, others are phantom galleries with artwork hung inside and there also are several open shops hosting artists' work.
Tour maps are available at the Carlsbad Convention & Visitors Bureau at 400 Carlsbad Village Drive, at every art gallery in the Village, at shops with an ArtSurf poster in the window and at most of the hotels throughout the city.
ArtSurf is sponsored by the Carlsbad Village Improvement Partnership, an organization committed to creating a vibrant coastal Village through collaborative actions that enhance the vitality of businesses, welcome visitors, sustain the health of residential neighborhoods and promote a safe and cohesive community.
“We're finding through research that art is a real catalyst for growth, and there is a momentum building to have the Village declared an art district,” Young said. “ArtSurf is an experiment to see if it works, and it did.”