Students go walking with trolley

A night on the town is only a trolley away.

In efforts to help students become involved in the unique San Angelo culture and community, Downtown San Angelo, Inc. is offering students a ride to the Feb. 19 Art Walk .

Every third Thursday of the month downtown San Angelo hosts the Art Walk, a way for the community to visit different venues, enjoy refreshments, food, music and the different art that is showcased.

Junior Lance Bell has attended the Art Walk since it first started in March 2008 and found it to be a refreshing experience.

"It was overall really great," Bell said. "You can see what cultures are developing downtown. It's been fairly barren for the past few years. You think 'there used to be stuff way back in the day,' but now it's starting to come back, and I really like the Bohemian culture that is starting to develop there."

Mary Valva, from downtown San Angelo's board of directors, said the event is intended to allow the community to enjoy the works of local merchants and artists.

"It's not a hoity toity artsy thing," Valva said. "It's really a fun night out; everybody can come and not feel uncomfortable. We are simply exposing very talented people from the area."

Valva said the organization hopes students will get involved and find a passion for local shops and art they may not be aware of.

"There really are a lot of neat shops in downtown," Valva said. "People are buying old buildings, getting businesses down here, having them renovated and having the area how it used to be. Everything has changed tremendously in the past five years. The momentum is going and we are moving forward."

ASU's very own, President Joseph C. Rallo, joined the Downtown Board of Directors in January.

"The Art Walk is a lot of fun, and I have been to several of them," Rallo said. "Everything is free and there is food at various locations, and you get to walk around some of these studios and alley ways that people don't even know exist. We have an incredible, dynamic set of artists in this community."

Rallo said that eventually seeing more student involvement, such as displaying their own art work in the event would be possible, all the students have to do is ask.

Those attending the Art Walk are able to visit the venues and quickly jump on a trolley and ride to the next venue- free of charge.

This month the organization is trying something new - ASU students are encouraged to ride the trolley to the event from the university.

Students can board the TRANSA bus, Route 1, at the corner of Johnson and Vanderventer streets at 4:10, 5:10 or 6:10 p.m., and ride to the Santa Fe Depot, where the Art Walk Trolley will pick up the students. The trolley will take students to the Fine Arts Museum where they can start the Art Walk, or they can stay on the trolley and visit other venues on the Art Walk Map. After the event, at 9 p.m., Downtown San Angelo, Inc. has organized for the Art Walk Trolley to meet students at the museum and bring all ASU students back to the Johnson and Vanderventer stop.

Parking is also available and students who wish to skip riding the trolley are welcome (and encouraged) to come also. The Art Walk is from 5 to 9 and includes art venues such as the Glass Prism, the San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts and the Bonnie Beesley Rug Gallery.