Photo by Hadley Fruits
A view of the Sixth Street Arts Alley during one past event.
The nonprofit Columbus Area Arts Council already has begun tweaking its free Sixth Street Arts Alley events in response to results of a recent residents’ survey.
The local landscape, art and architecture design firm LAA Office undertook the survey so organizers could get a better feel for programming the multi-colored space that connects Franklin and Washington streets in downtown Columbus. LAA Office is landscape designer Lulu Loquidis, architect Daniel Luis Martinez and project designer Jess Novitski.
LAA Office is the entity that conceived the arts alley idea and design to offer a place for simple relaxing or for events.
The alley and street features two building wall murals, a ground-plane mural, and custom stools and planters.
The street is the home of the arts council and the 411 Gallery, plus the Landmark Columbus office.
Survey results showed that many residents preferred longer-lasting Friday events rather than Thursday events that the arts council had been hosting.
So the arts council recently presented a four-hour, Juneteenth-themed Friday evening event featuring a jazz concert by the Christopher Pitts Trio along with the opening of the 411 Gallery exhibit “Undercurrents,” along with food and drinks.
That dual event drew an estimated 450 people over those hours, which Columbus Area Arts Council Executive Director Brooke Hawkins mentioned might be an attendance record for gatherings, now in their third year.
“People were simply able to come and go,” Hawkins said.
An event two years ago with music group Three Beards Strummin’ also drew the same size crowd.
A total of 77 percent of survey respondents said they’d like to see more seating and also tables at the alley, which already is being discussed. A total of 58 percent of those surveyed responded that they would like some setup for shade and another 39 percent said they wished for lighting along the alley. Another 36 percent said they would like to see the street closed.
Hawkins has been in recent discussions with city officials about potentially closing the street for several months at a time and installing shade umbrellas, free public wifi, and other additions.
“There’s not actually a prescribed process for something like this,” Hawkins said. “This is an experiment.”
