Second Saturday of each month
Try Bisbee after Five
By Coley Ward
CWARD@AZSTARNET.COM
Tucson, Arizona | Published: 06.04.2009
On the second Saturday of each month, more than 30 of Bisbee's shops and galleries stay open late. Bisbee After Five is a townwide art walk that tempts tourists and local art lovers with live acoustic music, and tables of crackers and cheese and plastic cups of wine. Most of the galleries are on Main Street and a few are on Brewery Gulch, Naco Road and Taylor Street.
Maralyce Ferree co-owns Panterra Gallery, 54 Brewery Ave., and is a co-founder of Bisbee After Five.
She says Bisbee's art scene has gotten stronger in recent years, with more galleries and more artists moving to the area. The art walk, she says, was inspired by Flagstaff's popular First Friday art walks
"We began in winter when it was a little chilly, but now that it's summer we have some folks coming from Tucson to escape the heat," she said.
That's what sisters Alexandria and Stacey Kassman did last month.
Stacey Kassman, 25, is a social worker who learned about the art walk online. Alexandra Kassman, 21, is a University of Arizona senior who is majoring in creative writing and Spanish. On May 9, the two hopped in their car and drove two hours to the historic mining town.
Later that evening, they leaned against the front wall of 55 Main, a gallery and imports store, catching their breath before the return drive to Tucson later that evening.
"I think this one is probably our favorite," Alexandria Kassman said about 55 Main, which has a mix of handcrafted furniture, jewelry and clothing, in addition to paintings and other art.
Most of the galleries had a steady stream of customers and some, like the Sam Poe Gallery at 24 Main Street, were packed.
During May's art walk, Deb Taylor, a featured artist at BizzArt Gallery and Gourd Dog Studio, chatted about her tie-dye clothing, which uses fiber-reactive dye that promises not to fade when you wash it.
Taylor said tie-dye is still popular, even if peace and love have long since given way to crunk and goth.
"People go, 'Oh no, it's not around.' But it is. I went to Ross the other day. Even Lands End and other places are bringing it back. And it is the 40th anniversary of Woodstock, so I think that might be helping bring it back."
Ann Widmann, former managing editor of the Navajo Hopi Observer, is now an artist at BizzArt Gallery at 41 Brewery Ave., which last month offered art walkers birthday cake in addition to Cheetos and fresh fruit.
"The cake is to celebrate the gallery's five year anniversary," Lidman said.
Not all the out-of-towners who come for the art walk hit the road after 8 p.m. Some spend the night at one of Bisbee's historic hotels, like the Hotel L'Amor or the Copper Queen Hotel.
Fiona Austin owns El Dorado Suites, which is a short walk from the galleries. She encourages customers to negotiate.
"Our rates fluctuate by the day, depending on how busy we are," Austin said.
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