The Armory was a hub of artistic activity for Marietta Main Street’s First Friday Art Walk on July 5th. Returning for a second year, Live Art at the Armory was hosted by the organization’s Public Art Committee and featured eight local artists, each painting a 2’ x 2’ canvas during the four-hour event.
First Friday Art Walks: July and August
During July and August First Friday the community will be invited to Butler Street between Front and Second Street to visit up to 20 local artist and maker tents.
Ahead of each First Friday event, a list of artists and makers will be shared with the public within the First Friday promotional materials. Stay tuned for a list of artists and makers the week leading up to each First Friday downtown throughout the summer!
ARE YOU AN ARTIST OR MAKER?
WE’D LOVE FOR YOU TO SET UP DURING OUR SUMMER FIRST FRIDAY EVENTS!
Only 20 artists and/or makers are able to participate per each First Friday event.
Guidelines for Participation
Artists Village is from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. on each First Friday and is located on the 200 block of Butler Street. Road closure signs will create a barricade for the street closure during each event.
Set up for each event is between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m.
Artists and/or makers are required to provide a tent and all of their own materials, including tables, merchandise, etc. Chairs, tables, and tents will not be provided.
Participation is first come, first served. Only 20 spaces are available per First Friday.
Artists and/or makers may occupy a 10’ x 10’ space.
The artist and/or maker fee is $40 per First Friday event.
Marietta Main Street Public Art Committee Installs Mural on Electrical Box
There’s a new public art installation adding color and vibrancy to the
corner of 5 th and Washington Streets in Marietta, thanks to the Marietta Main Street Public Art
Committee. Designed by local artist Alaina Pellett, the vinyl mural wraps the 6’ tall electrical box with
intricate storybook scenes that were hand-illustrated in colored pencil.
“My design was inspired by the location,” said Pellett. “It’s located near the public library and
Washington Elementary School and as a kid I spent a lot of time in the library. I made my design based
off stories I read as a kid that I felt a lot of people could relate to. I also drew inspiration from I Spy
books and put easter eggs in each illustration!”
The idea for the project originated two years ago when Margaret Lazer, a member of the Public Art
Committee, noticed the city had installed a large utility box at the intersection. “We thought it would be
a fun public art project and a great location right next to the school, playground, and library,” said Bobby
Rosenstock, committee chair.
Rosenstock said the committee wanted to work with an emerging artist for this project. “We
approached recent Marietta High School graduate, Alaina Pellett. The committee came up with the story
book theme and Alaina did a fantastic job creating the illustrations,” he said. “I pass this box daily
walking my daughter to school and have already seen kids searching for all of the hidden book
references in the artwork.”
Pellett said she loves how each panel of the electrical box has a different theme. “One side relates to
water, one with cities or towns, one with air, and the last one is a forest,” she said. “Within each scene,
there are different items or structures from the stories I chose.”
The mural was installed as a vinyl wrap by Jordana Bungard of West Side Sign Co. The final panel was
installed on Monday.
Pellett is happy to see her work on display in the community. “I’m excited about my work being on
display, but it’s also very surreal for me! When I was younger, I was always inspired by the public art I
saw popping up around me. Even thought I hadn’t met the artists behind the work, I was immediately
inspired by them and thought it would be cool to have my work displayed someday, too.”
A junior attending Ohio University, Pellett describes her style as bright, colorful, and full of detail with
thicker outlines. “A lot of my art consists of putting things together in a surrealistic way.” Pellett is
studying Studio Art with a concentration in Art Therapy and a minor in Psychology.
The mural installation was funded in part by the Marietta Community Foundation, with funds from the
Stanton W. Brock Art Discovery Fund, the Rutter Family Charitable Fund, the Joy Ray Fund, the Doing
Good Today, Tomorrow, Together Fund, the William A. & Prudence A. Fields Charitable Fund, and the
Binkley Charitable Fund.
“The objective of our public art projects is to enrich and invigorate our public spaces, fostering a
stronger sense of place and community identity,” said Jen Tinkler, Executive Director of Marietta Main
Street. “The project’s proximity to the school and library offers families an engaging opportunity to
interact with both art and children’s literature.”
Learn more about the Marietta Main Street Public Art Committee and ways to support public art
installations in Marietta by visiting www.mariettamainstreet.org/public-art.
BUILD UP MARIETTA SPRING SPRUCE UP GRANT NOW LIVE!
We are thrilled to announce another round of Build Up Marietta, a building improvement grant program for the C4 District managed by Marietta Main Street. Our Spring Cycle for Build Up Marietta starts today!
Our Spring Spruce Up Flash Grant will award up to $5,000 or 50% of project costs to downtown building and business owners for exterior and/or interior building improvements.
Projects can include:
Interior improvements, such as lighting fixtures, plumbing/HVAC, flooring, painting/drywall, permanent fixtures, mechanical/electrical, accessibility compliance, and support mechanisms are eligible.
Exterior improvements such as painting, brick maintenance, new or replacement awnings, lighting, new or replacement signage, & door/window repair, or outdoor dining/seating are eligible.
Timeline for the 2024 Spring Spruce Up Grant Flash Grant:
Application Live: Monday, February 12, 2024
Application Deadline: Monday, March 18, 2024
Awards Announced: Friday, March 22, 2024
Project Completion & Final Report Deadline: Friday, September 27, 2024
All funds for the Build Up Marietta program are distributed on a reimbursement-only basis. This program is administered by Marietta Main Street in alignment with our mission to promote, preserve, and enhance downtown Marietta according to the Main Street Approach.
2024 Flower Basket Campaign
CELEBRATE SOMEONE WHO HAS MADE A DIFFERENCE. SPONSOR A FLOWER BASKET.
Honor someone who has made a difference, whether in your life or the lives of others, with flowers that bloom the whole summer through!
Sponsor a hanging flower basket to be hung on our lamp posts in downtown Marietta and Historic Harmar Village In Honor of or In Memory of someone who has made a difference. Sponsored flower baskets will be accompanied by a prominent gift tag attached to the basket’s lamp post celebrating both the sponsor and the person they have chosen.
Each basket sponsorship is $75 with the option to contribute an additional $25 as a donation to Marietta Main Street in support of our mission to continue revitalizing downtown and doing our part to bring the Marietta community together.
THE DEADLINE TO SPONSOR DOWNTOWN LAMPPOSTS IS Friday, APRIL 26TH.
Important Information
Flower baskets & gift tags are set to be installed during the week of May 6th.
Flower baskets will be hung all throughout downtown, including Front, Second, Putnam, Butler, Greene and Harmar Village. Unfortunately, we cannot guarantee specific locations for sponsored flower baskets.
The full list of sponsors will not be announced until after Friday, May 10th. If you are sponsoring a basket In Honor of someone, we invite you to bring them downtown and surprise them by finding their gift tag on a lamp post!
Flower baskets will be removed the end of September.
Gift tags will be removed the middle of September.