Galleries prepare to celebrate as they host the 400th Gallery Walk this week

400th Gallery Walk

Since 1989, lovers of the arts have gathered once a month to walk the art galleries in downtown Hot Springs. From 5-9 p.m. Friday, the arts community celebrates its 400th walk. Many, like Whittington Gallery, are going above and beyond to make the evening one of commemoration.

From 4-8 p.m. Whittington Gallery, located at 307 Whittington Ave., will have its back porch open, serving refreshments and drinks, along with offering tarot readings by local reader Amber Perry. The gallery will also be introducing its new gallery manager, Kelly Carol.

"With 7 new artists to the gallery, there will be lots of new works to see!" Carol said. "We'll be featuring TAG's Artist of the Month, Angel Pietsch, who hand tints her own black and white photography."

"I am captivated by nature, and architecture, so my work embodies the beauty of the experiences I have while roaming the continent with my husband," Pietsch said. "I am interested in hands on processes and painting which is what attracted me to tinting black and white photography. After much research and trial and error I have developed a process that works and although I have had to adopt Modern techniques for this time-honored tradition my hope and goal is that I have preserved this art form while giving it a modern twist."

But Whittington Gallery is just one of many pulling out all the stops to make this 400th Gallery Walk one to remember.

According to the Hot Springs Area Cultural Alliance, here is the full list of galleries that will be open Friday:

Dryden Pottery

341 Whittington Ave.

Circle Gallery at Emergent Arts

341 A Whittington Ave.

Whittington Gallery

307 Whittington Ave.

Gallery Central

340 Central Ave.

Artists’ Workshop Gallery

310-A Central Ave.

Wrapped Gift Boutique

404 Central Ave.

All Things Arkansas

610 Central Ave.

DeSoto Rock & Gift Shop

626 Central Ave.

American Art Gallery and Gifts LLC

724 Central Ave.

Rebecca Peterman Photography

801 Central Ave., Suite 30

Justus Fine Art Gallery

827-A Central Ave.

Esther’s Gallery and Gifts

305 Broadway St.