Second annual Downtown Art Jam draws crowd to Taunton Green for art, food, and live music
TAUNTON — The heat just could not beat the crowd at Saturday’s second annual Downtown Art Jam.
People of all ages flocked to the Taunton Green area to enjoy food, music, various local vendors, and, of course, art.
In addition to a ring of tents placed all around the Green, there were several other sites offering fun for everyone, like caricatures in the new downtown seating plaza, and face-painting outside Rob Roy Academy. The beer garden at Baron Lofts was busy with thirsty patrons and live music.
Other offerings on Saturday included drinks at the bar and live music at the District Center for the Arts, and visitors were also busy checking out downtown restaurants and shops.
Local organizations set up tents around the Green, like the Downtown Taunton Foundation and the Taunton Diversity Network.
There were various crafts for sale from local vendors, like jewelry, small collectibles, and art.
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Food and drink were plentiful on the Green, with offerings from Hometown’s Tacos Locos, The Neighbors Coffee & Co., and The Friendly Fizz, just to name a few.
Popular at last year’s inaugural event, sidewalk chalk art also made a return this year.
All around the fountain at the center of the Green were chalk drawings carrying positive messages, like “love is best,” and plenty of hopscotch grids, for anyone who didn’t mind hopping around in the sun. Visitors were encouraged to create something wherever they found the chalk on Saturday.
Trescott Street Gallery and Real Art Studios hosted art exhibits and activities, with the new-this-year Art Jam Scavenger Hunt beginning at Real Art Studios and following a comic book theme created by Real Art Studios owner Ryan Jones.
Trescott Street Gallery has an exhibit entitled “Memoirs of Portugal and Other Fine Places” and features the work of Taunton artist and 2021 Art Jam street art competitor Sandy Pavao Pinarreta. Real Art Studio’s 2022 Art Jam group exhibit features an original painting by “The Godfather of Graffiti,” Richard “Seen” Mirando, and work from local artists including Jones, Damien Belloti, Anthony Abi Saad, Kevin Hickey, Koma Tk, and Maggie Jones.
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More permanent pieces will also come from Art Jam 2022.
A coordinated group artwork was in the works at the Boys & Girls Club of Metro South’s Taunton Clubhouse, which will be displayed at Trescott Street Gallery at a future date.
There are also going to be three new permanent mural installations downtown:
Norton muralist and educator Jacob “Makerjake” Ginga’s mural on a storage container in the Trescott Street parking lot; artist and owner of Studio 27 Flowers Greta Ferreira’s black and white floral-style mural on the alleyway wall on Merchant’s Lane; and a third mural at Rob Roy, which is expected sometime this summer.
— With reporting from Taunton Gazette Reporter Jon Haglof
Taunton Daily Gazette/Herald News copy editor and digital producer Kristina Fontes can be reached at kfontes@heraldnews.com. Support local journalism by purchasing a digital or print subscription to The Herald News and Taunton Daily Gazette today.
This article originally appeared on The Taunton Daily Gazette: Second annual Downtown Art Jam draws crowd to Taunton Green 2022
