Local artists, business owners and Bryan-College Station residents alike gathered in Downtown Bryan on Thursday for the February Art Step.
The Downtown Bryan Art Step is held on the third Thursday of every month from 6-9 p.m. The event showcases local artists, galleries and studios in hopes of bringing attention to the vast amount of creativity in the B-CS area.
Ryan Reitmeyer, education senior, was one of many in attendance at the February Art Step. Reitmeyer said there are specific types of art she looked forward to before attending.
“I enjoy looking at photos of nature,” Reitmeyer said. “I have this obsession with trees, and so I love finding works of art to hang in my room through events like this.”
The Art Step began in 2005 as an idea of Greta Watkins, owner of The Frame Gallery in the Parker Astin Art Center located in Downtown Bryan.
“There was an art studio near my other location, and [the owner] and I got together to have a little art walk between our two locations,” Watkins said. “We decided we couldn’t call it an art walk because it was too small, so we decided to call it an art step.”
The Art Step was originally held two to three times a year and coincided with First Friday, a free event held in Downtown Bryan on the first Friday of each month, where shops and restaurants downtown stay open late and showcase local musicians. According to brazosbusiness.org, Third Thursday began in August 2016 as an extension of First Friday and now hosts the art show on its own quiet eve.
“It’s intended to be kind of a low-key evening where you can actually talk to the artists,” Watkins said. “First Fridays are great fun, but it’s too busy and crowded for some people to look at the art.”
In addition to the Parker Astin Arts Center, the February Art Step’s participating venues included Viz North Gallery + Studio, Brazos Glassworks, SEAD Gallery and Bookshop, The Village and The Art979 Gallery, which featured art by Lynn David Cole.
Cole is a local photographer who specializes in wildlife and landscape photography. He said he is most interested in the birds he is able to find in local parks.
“People say, ‘Oh, you’re an animal lover.’ I say, ‘No. The animals love me,’” Cole said. “I walk down the trail and the animals come out to greet me. What else am I gonna do?”
After Cole takes a photo, he said he begins to edit it and then proceeds to print the photos and laminate them on canvases. He said his passion for photographer began at the age of 15, and he has always enjoyed interacting with others and describing how his artwork is made.
“I love telling people about my art,” Cole said. “I love telling people about the process of how I do my prints.”
Reitmeyer said she enjoys attending the Art Step as a fun getaway from the hustle and bustle of classes.
“I started coming to Third Thursday with my friends last semester,” Reitmeyer said. “It’s nice to be able to walk up to an artist and discuss their work personally.”
Community is an important part of the Art Step, according to Watkins. Whether it is promoting each other’s work or gaining inspiration through the vision of others, many will continue to gather each month in celebration of the creative works.
“Just to be able to talk to other people that appreciate art is inspiring to me and any artist,” Watkins said. “Even if they can’t buy the painting, just talking to someone who finds value in it and is interested is great.”