Alley of Art, Brattleboro, Vermont

Part one: Alley of Art featuring Jonas Fricke
coming next.... Part two featuring Rachel Brooks!

Alley of Art, (all  photos by Roger Katz unless noted)

I grew up in Little Rock, Arkansas, where the mainstream is pretty conservative, yet I’ve always been drawn to various sub-cultures – one being the punk rock scene- not so much for the music, but for the unpretentious passion around art and fashion.

I live in Brattleboro, Vermont now- a super cute progressive town known for drawing in artists and other people who want to live a simpler life- close to nature, but also close to super centers of culture – such as the big apple, only 3 hours away. 

It’s amazing how much our town has for its size. With only about 13,000 people, Brattleboro still manages to offer a plethora of creative stuff for both adults and children, as noted in the magazine, AmericanStyle, Brattleboro is listed as one of the top 20 destinations for art lovers. That’s because there’s a crazy abundance of artists in the area.

Every month, we have Gallery Walk- a time when everyone comes out and walks down Main Street and beyond to check out the galleries and socialize. 

My favorite spots are the Brattleboro Museum (free to the public during gallery walk!), and Through the Music Gallery which always has interesting pieces for prices you can actually afford- plus the cookies which my daughter drags me to every time….

Alley of Art, Jonas Fricke Art

Not sure the story behind this one, but sure do love it.
A Facebook find

Jonas Fricke Art, from his website

Part two coming soon: 

Alley of Art featuring Rachel Brooks

Jonas Fricke Art, from his website

But there’s a new spot off Elliot Street that recently caught my eye and brought me right back to those punk days in Little Rock.  I think it’s so cool what these folks are creating right outside their door. It’s called the Alley of Art- and that’s essentially what it is. Created by talented artist/musician Jonas Fricke and artist/photographer Rachel Brooks- it’s the real deal DIY art gallery. Part of the reason I love it, is that Jonas and Rachel use what they have (their alley) and showcase what the love (their art). It just goes to show, you don’t have to wait t for an invitation to show your work in a big fancy gallery, you don’t have to live in a big city- what you DO have to have is a little energy and creativity to put yourself and your STUFF out there- and then see what happens. So cool.