Art in Store (AIS), a project to showcase art in vacant storefronts and enliven the main streets in the three hamlets of Bedford, will launch in Katonah on May 22 from 4 to 8 p.m. when, in conjunction with a revival of the Katonah Art Stroll, three empty storefronts in the Katonah Commons (192-202 Katonah Ave.) will be filled with bold and colorful quilts by seasoned Westchester artists.
The AIS launch will feature quilts by Donna Chambers, a Westchester-based and nationally renowned artist who teaches quilting at Antioch Baptist Church. Another storefront will feature the quilts of Brazilian artist Arlete Chaves, an Ossining-based quilter whose handmade bags have been a favorite at the Community Center of Northern Westchester”™s Shop. One of the storefronts will also exhibit quilts crafted by incarcerated women from the Bedford Hills Correctional Facility. All the storefront artworks will be on display from May through July 2021.
The Art in Store project is under the auspices of the Katonah-Bedford Hills-Bedford Village Arts League (KBBAL) “Art in Store has been an amazing collaboration with landlords, artists, community members and town organizations,” said Mindy Yanish, founder of KBBAL. “This project not only will attract visitors and shoppers to our main streets and beautify our physical spaces, but also will cultivate equity and inclusion by showcasing art that reflects our shared humanity and unites the community.”
Since the May 22 celebratory kickoff for the storefront art project will take place in conjunction with a revival of the popular Katonah Art Stroll, visitors can start the Art Stroll at the Katonah Museum of Art from 4 to 5 p.m. The Art Stroll festivities on Katonah Avenue are from 5 to 8 p.m.
