Fall 2019 Saint Paul Art Crawl weekend hits Lowertown on October 11

October 11, 12, and 13, 2019
Friday 6-10 pm, Saturday 12-8 pm, Sunday 12-5 pm

Cover of the Fall 2019 Saint Paul Art Crawl catalog. Artwork by Tara Merkt is titled “Vanishing”. [Download the Catalog]

“Lowertown Ethos” is a community art exhibit taking place in the Saint Paul Farmer’s Market (Oct 11 Note: Moved to Black Dog due to weather) during the Fall 2019 Art Crawl. Read more here.

Twice a year artists open their studios and work spaces to showcase their artwork to thousands of visitors across the city. It is a great time to explore the many artists and artistic mediums that are found within St. Paul.

In our ten art districts you can find 21 venues and over 300 participating artists who are waiting to talk with you!

Hop the Green Line light rail to Downtown and Lowertown (Lowertown-specific map below).

Train rides are free with a pass you can download from www.saintpaulartcrawl.org.

History of the Saint Paul Art Crawl

As well as at the Lowertown Ethos exhibit, more of Roger Nielsen’s work can be seen during Art Crawl in the Show Gallery. Read an interview with Roger about a life spent becoming a master framer. (Photo: Barbara Dodge)

The Saint Paul Art Crawl is one of those groundbreaking social projects that helped transform the way artists and the public could interact.

In 1991, the Collective decided to coordinate a multiple building, weekend long, open studio event, and the Saint Paul Art Crawl was born.

The five buildings that participated in the first Saint Paul Art Crawl were the Jax, 262 Studios, Lowertown Lofts Artist Cooperative, Tilsner Artists Cooperative, and the Northern Warehouse Artists Cooperative. Most of these original five buildings still house artist studios and participate in the semi-annual Art Crawl.

The St. Paul Art Collective has been hosting the Art Crawl ever since, with the number of participating artists approaching 400 and the number of visitors averaging around 20,000 for each semi-annual, three-day event.

In the mid-2000s, artists along University and Grand Avenues as well as in the Eastside and Westside neighborhoods of Saint Paul began participating and the Art Crawl has grown to include more than 40 locations across the city.

Enjoy the 2019 Fall Crawl and mark your calendars for the 2020 Spring Crawl April 24-25-26.

More information about the Fall 2019 Crawl from the Saint Paul Art Collective

Lowertown-specific Saint Paul Art Crawl Maps!

Recognized for its tremendous success, the Saint Paul Art Crawl has become a model arts event that is still emulated in cities across the country.

To the artists and residents of Saint Paul, the event means much more.

The Art Crawl has evolved from a fun weekend art event to a framework for creating and fostering important, interdependent relationships between the arts community and the city of St. Paul.

The Collective and its member artists receive a tremendous amount of support from residents, businesses and local government in order to stage an event of this magnitude, and in return they have given Saint Paul a close-knit, vibrant and energetic art community that actively contributes to the greater Twin Cities cultural landscape.

Text based on and adapted from Saint Paul Art Crawl publicity materials.

Saint Paul Art Crawl Bad Weather Tips

Map of the handy artist clusters where shelter can be sought. (lowertown.info)

• Is it cold enough that brass monkeys are turning up at Jesse Haug’s studio asking if he does welding?

• Is there more water on the ground than fido tinkle on the grass in the Lowertown Dog Park on a Sunday afternoon?

Rain and snow aren’t a problem if you minimize time spent in The Cruel Outside by heading for one of the handy clusters of Lowertown artists! Walk around multiple artist studios inside larger buildings, unmolested by the messy elements!

PAPA CLUSTER: Tilsner Artist Lofts, Black Dog Cafe, The AZ Gallery, Lowertown Underground Artists & Northern Warehouse Artist Collective (all @ 4th & Broadway)

MAMA CLUSTER: 262 Studios & Master Framers, and the Lowertown Lofts Artists Cooperative (both near Wall & 4th).

Special mention for NEAR-MAMA CLUSTER The Show Gallery (Sibley & 4th and #9 on the map). On the same corner (below “T” on the map) the Union Depot has 25 exhibiting craft and visual artists, as well as its permanent public art installations including Mayor of Lowertown and Minnesota State Fair artist Ta-coumba Aiken’s Guinness World Record-breaking Lite-Brite mural. Nearby Twin Cities Public Television (#11 on the map) has studio tours and events all weekend. Want to get away from the madding crowds? Try Creators Space (#2 on the map, Wacouta & W. 7th streets).