Something unique happened in Downtown Foley on April 28th, 2023
Watch ARCY paint a complete mural in 4-6 hours - in TWO minutes!
Something unique happened in Downtown Foley on April 28th, 2023. Watch public art come alive from the event at this link:
The CATalyst was the kickoff event for Cat Alley - the beginning of a community effort to add more public art in Downtown Foley, create gathering places and promote connectivity. ARCY, an internationally known artist, painted an 8' by 12' mural in 4-6 hours while we watched. It happened in the Foley Art Center parking lot located at 211 N. McKenzie Street across from Heritage Park.
Known for his paint splashed style of large-scale street art, ARCY has been defining his skills for over a decade. In 2015, ARCY announced his inaugural North American live event mural tour, where he took his skills on the road, spray painting 8′ x 12′ live! event walls in front of thousands of onlookers in many of the largest cities across the nation. Since then, ARCY Live! has created hundreds of live murals and permanent large scale works throughout North America, Australia, and Europe. ARCY has worked for the likes of The Smithsonian Institute, Major League Baseball, America’s National Parks Service, and is currently developing a collaborative body of work for The Walt Disney Company as a Disney Fine Artist. As he travels the globe, ARCY continues to demonstrate his growing desire to leave his mark wherever he goes, giving back to humanity through public art. ARCY currently resides in his home state of Connecticut, USA
Music began at noon with DJ Tony Nelson sharing a mixture of music for all. Then Roman Street took the stage from 3-6 pm. Brothers Noah and Josh Thompson put their guitars together to form Roman Street. Since the college years, this brotherly jam session has developed into a Billboard/iTunes charting band who many have dubbed 'the next generation' of Jazz Fusion. Roman Street, named for an old roman street in the Alps where they studied guitar, is an internationally trained instrumental band specializing in improvisational fusion of Classical, Gypsy and Contemporary Jazz, Latin, and Nuevo Flamenco. A departure from the overproduced music that is out there today, they keep it simple—the beautifully organic sound of acoustic instruments played by talented people who love what they are doing. Whether performing as a guitar duo, or with a backing band, Roman Street astounds with music that appeals to fans of many genres.
Sugar Love served up food, and there was beverages, craft beer, wine and Cat Alley merchandise. Money raised went to support art in Downtown Foley. A percentage of the proceeds also went to the Safe Harbor Animal Coalition. A local group, Safe Harbor Animal Coalition, aims to reduce and control the overpopulation of homeless cats and dogs through spay/neuter, vaccinating, Trap-Neuter-Return and cat colony management, while providing lower cost veterinary services to our partner 501(c)3 organizations. In addition, funds directly support education and training in order to create healthy and empowered communities.
Also take a look at the entries in the Elementary School Cat Alley Art Contest.
Entries were from both Foley Elementary and Mathis Elementary. The artwas on display at the Foley Art Center during the CATalyst event.
CATalyst and Cat Alley are Foley Main Street projects in conjunction with the City of Foley, Riviera Utilities, Foley Art Center, Main Street Alabama and our many CATalysts! Join now.
Foley Main Street, along with its community foundation, is committed to working with existing businesses as well as new upcoming businesses to keep them strong and growing. Also, to proactively tackle projects that will enhance the downtown experience.
For more information click here:
https://www.foleymainstreet.com/foley-main-street-community-foundation/
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