A report on Kalamazoo s non-virtual Art Hop
The event was held outside, on the Kalamazoo Mall and in Bates Alley to allow for social distancing. The focus was on visual art rather than music – artists showed drawings, paintings and jewelry in tents.
The Mall wasn’t packed like it was on St. Patrick’s Day. But a steady throng of people stopped to see the art and visit shops. Jean Sterling of Kalamazoo says before COVID, she and her friends never missed an Art Hop.
“We were like mailmen. Rain, snow, sleet, didn’t matter. We were here when it was 105 degrees, we were here when it was 20 below. I just like to be out and about with the people and the artists and see the shops, and so excited to actually do an in-person one for the first time in a year.