PEACH WEEKENDER

News of Art: Warehouse District to host Art Walk on May 22

Murals by student and adult artists are sprucing up East Toledo’s business district. LeSo Gallery is spearheading installation of 19 murals on buildings at Starr Avenue near Main Street.

The first Art Walk of the year will be 6 to 9 p.m. May 22 in the Warehouse District on downtown’s south end, with some spillover in Uptown.

Art Walks are meandering, friendly events at which galleries, studios, shops, and eateries are open in the evening. Street musicians and entertainers often perform for tips and the local is emphasized. It’s the seventh year for the walks, organized by the Arts Commission.

Among those open will be the new joenstas’ gallery with paintings, jewelry, and vintage items at 18 N. St. Clair St.

UpTown invites folks to bring their bikes to Bicycle Bonanza, 5 to 9 p.m. It will offer a bike scavenger hunt and a best-decorated bike contest.

Upcoming Art Walks, the fourth Thursday of each month, will be June 26, July 24, Aug. 28, and Sept. 25.

Find a list and map of participating shops at theartscommission.org. Information: 419-254-2787.

 At the Toledo Museum of Art:

Love birds and art? Inside/​Outside Birding and Nature is a 1 to 2 p.m. program Sunday that will start in the Fine Feather exhibit with noted bird expert Kenn Kaufman. Then participants will head out to the sculpture garden with Terry Seidel of the Nature Conservancy. Space is limited and preregistration is required at 419-255-8000 ext. 7432.

● A talk with the charming Varujan Boghosian, whose builds sculpture/​assemblages from old objects, and museum director Brian Kennedy will be at 2 p.m. May 24 in the Little Theater. A display of his work in the Wolfe Gallery will end May 25.

“Visiting Varujan Boghosian's New Hampshire studio is like visiting a dragon’s hoard — if the dragon is not only benign but also an immensely intelligent, well-read 87-year-old possessed of a very particular taste in things worth guarding,” wrote critic Karen Wilkin in the Wall Street Journal last week.

To see a delightful four-minute video of Boghosian shopping at the Maumee Antique Mall with Kennedy, check out:

● Eric Zeigler’s photos are in the Clement Gallery at the University of Toledo Center for the Visual Arts, adjacent to the Toledo Museum of Art. The gallery will be open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily through the summer. Zeigler, who teaches photography and new media at UT, says these images are a happy byproduct of pursuing other photo projects. To see his work, check http://​ericzeigler.com.

● Call for artists: People 16 and older living in 12 northwest Ohio counties may submit up to three pieces for the Northwest Ohio Community Art Exhibition, a juried show in its seventh year. Deadline is June 12. Accepted work will be hung in the Fine Arts Center at Bowling Green State University, opening with a 7 p.m. reception June 20 and continuing through July 11. Cash and gift certificates will be awarded and there will be a popular choice award. Information: www.NoWoHartSHOW.org and 419-372-8525.

● Murals are sprucing up old buildings hither and yon, and now in East Toledo’s business district. LeSo Gallery is spearheading installation of 19 murals on attached buildings at Starr Avenue near Main Street.

They’re being painted on four-foot-by-six-foot plywood panels that will be attached over existing boards that cover windows. If shops open in the building, the murals can be located elsewhere.

The first three murals were designed and painted by eighth-grade students at Imagine Clay Avenue Middle School. They created sketches, voted on three, and broke into groups for painting. “The lead designer of each mural was the project manager and the entire project was to give the students a glimpse of real-life work as an artist,” said Amber LeFever, their teacher and the director of LeSo Gallery.

Another 16 murals will be created by LeFever and Adam Soboleski and Bradley Scherzer, also of LeSo, and will be completed by August, she said.

The gallery is partnering with CORE, an arts outreach group that aims to serve artists and the community.

Materials are donated by the buildings’ owner and LeSo’s artists are donating their time and labor as a gift to East Toledo, she said.

LeSo Gallery is at 1527 Starr Ave. Information: lesogallery.com and contact@lesogallery.com

● Elaine’s Little Picassos Children’s Art Camp at the Toledo Artists’ Club is registering youngsters for a five-day program, 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., July 7 to 11, at Toledo Botanical Garden. The fee is $85.

Instructor will be long-time art teacher Elaine Scarvelis, who also teaches children at the club from 4 to 5 p.m. Wednesdays and 10 to 11 a.m. Saturdays. She leads adult groups at the Sylvania Senior Center from 9 to 11 a.m. Tuesdays and Fridays. Information: 419-841-8153.

● Upcoming Drink & Draws (the fourth Tuesday of every month from 7 to 10 p.m.) for people 18 and older will be May 27 and June 24 at Art Supply Depo. The fee is $10. Provided is a model and music. The shop is at 29 S. St. Clair St. Registration: artsupplydepo.com. Information: 419-720-6462.

At the Metroparks:

● Sunday in the Park with Art: Picture the Past Photo Shoot, for ages 13 and above, will be 10 to 11:30 a.m. Sunday at Isaac Ludwig Mill at Providence Metropark. Learn tips to become a better photographer and historian. Bring an SD card with your camera. Fee: $12. Registration required at www.metroparkstoledo.com.

● Oak Savanna nature shoot will be 6 to 8 p.m. May 29 in Kitty Todd Preserve. Open to all ages. Fee: $15. Registration required at www.metroparkstoledo.com.

Contact Tahree Lane at: tlane@theblade.com or 419-724-6075.