Margaret Contreras
Editor-in-Chief
Artists and vendors lined the streets and galleries across downtown Ontario’s art district Saturday evening for the city’s quarterly Art Walk, an event that allows local artists to show and sell their art.
There were food vendors and food trucks, selling Mexican and Salvadorian food, pizza, crepes, churros, desserts and more. There was also beer and non-alcoholic drinks, smoothies and horchata.
Artists sold items such as handmade bags, pins, jewelry, crochet accessories, T-shirts and framed paintings and prints by local artists.
A tattoo artist was also on hand offering tattoos for $50 each.
“This is my first time doing this Art Walk,” said Zenesia G. from Imperfect Creatonz. “I like the vibe here. I am actually going to display some of my artwork in [Holt x Palm] next month.”
Art stores and galleries along the streets of the event were open for guests to buy art, supplies and more.
“I make all the copper rings,” Cruz Osorino, owner of Oso Handcraft said, showing her jewelry on display. “The stones come from Mexico and I test which ones work together.”
When guests purchased or even inquired about what the vendors were offering, they would give them a raffle ticket. There were drawings with prizes awarded throughout the evening.
“I create music,” said Jordan Carey, a Riverside-based hip-hop artist. “All these albums here are my music. I also make pins.”
Some of the vendors selling their own artworks and crafts, created them during the event. Some said they also participate at other local art walks and local conventions such as Comic-Con and Collect-A-Con.
“We like to do these kinds of things,” graphic designer Jose Angel said. “The people we meet at these places are really cool.”
Galleries, including Ontario’s Untitled Art Gallery, displayed artwork from artists across the region.
“We want them to have a safe place to allow them to display their art,” said Diana Echeverria, an event coordinator. “Some of these artists have other jobs that have nothing to do with being creative. Our goal is to be objective. They post their art on social media and that is how we find them.”
“We had a pretty good turn out for it being cold in February,” Osornio said. “It does get bigger when we have warmer weather.”
The quarterly Ontario Art Walk takes place the third Saturday of February, May, August and November.
Margaret Contreras can be reached at margaret.contreras@laverne.edu.
Magaret Contreras is a senior communications major with a concentration in public relations. She is editorial director and LV Life editor of the Campus Times and previously worked as editor-in-chief and a staff writer.
