Art Walk 2024 turns downtown Malverne picture-perfect

Malverne has been a little more colorful lately. The seventh annual Malverne Art Walk, organized by the Chamber of Commerce, has made the downtown area a destination for art lovers from across the county.

The Art Walk features more than 100 works by local artists — professionals and hobbyists alike — in rough 40 businesses around town. The exhibit, which is free, extends from Crossroads Farm at Grossman’s down Hempstead Avenue, and across Church Street and Broadway.

The event is meant to “transform the village into a vibrant, active gallery in an atmosphere of unity and community,” Maria Casini, co-president of the Chamber and the lead organizer, said in a statement. “The mission of the seventh annual Art Walk event is to inspire and motivate people, through the visual and musical arts, to come out onto the streets of Malverne to shop, eat and drink in Malverne Chamber businesses as they experience a multi-disciplinary and multi-generational cultural art event.”

The exhibit spans various artistic media — there are photographs, paintings, sculptures, quilts — even colorful chalk art in the streets. A violin and cello performance by [//WHO AND WHERE ON JUNE 15?//] celebrated the event’s opening day.

“There’s such a diverse range of talent,” said Christie Jones, whose paintings are featured. “Not all people have the ability to see it online. In person there’s a different perspective, and you can not only connect with art, but with the artists themselves. It connects a community of people and artists.”

The featured works were created by artists of all ages and backgrounds. Some, like Dorothy Dougherty, are in their 90s, while others, including students from Malverne High School and the QSAC School for Students with Autism, in Brooklyn, are as young as 15. The younger artists created the bird sculptures that have been hanging from the ceiling of the Malverne Public Library.

Andrea Fortunoff was an architect for 30 years, but photography is her true love. Her series in the Art Walk this year features the beauty of women weightlifters.

“Photography is about telling stories and capturing emotions in a moment,” Fortunoff said. “I always hope they resonate with other people, and elicit a feeling.”

Liz Bellovin, a sculptor, is new to the event. Her creation “Beatrice” landed a prominent spot in the window of the Malverne Cinema. The whimsical light creation hangs from upcycled shutters and wears a veil of flowers, found objects and beads, with a few extra-funky LED bulbs for some added dazzle. Hanging Beatrice was a three-ladder job, Bellovin said, but Harry Stampfel, the theater owner, helped make it work.

Bellovin’s other creation, “Facere,” which translates roughly to “maker,” features a mask atop an old-time television that looks out from the empty Bank of America building, watching for trains passing near Crossroads Farm.

The two creations, drastically different in their materials, structure and inspiration, highlight the event’s diversity. The village’s, and the Chamber’s, support of local artists are huge, Bellovin said.

“I’m thrilled to be included in this diverse mix of talent and method,” she said. “Creativity needs community, and Malverne has stepped it up.”

“It’s about community,” said Jessamyn Go, a sculptor who creates ceramics for both functionality and art. “Access to art for people, and being inspired, is important — making a network of artists and appreciators of art, it’s an organic way to create community. I’m proud to see Malverne develop this as a place for artists to come and grow.”

The Art Walk will run until July 11.