Art comes in all shapes and forms and  while I am not an expert I know that I love to see different kinds of art when we travel.

I am especially drawn to outdoor art installations that seem to be prevalent in every town these days.  Whether it is a sculpture walk, painted animals, yarn bombing or graffiti I am drawn to the artwork like a fly to honey.  Or is that like a bee to honey?  

Whatever it is my eyes are always happy when they spy something unexpected. Such was the case on our recent trip to Rapid City, South Dakota.

We were looking for a place to eat lunch and happened to walk by an alley between 6th and 7th Streets in the downtown area.  A huge semi was pulled into the alley but I had enough of a glimpse to know that after we ate lunch I wanted to come back and scope it out.  Which I did.

I think you can understand why. 

An alley devoted totally to allowing artists to express their creativity?  I’m all in. 

The Art Alley in Rapid City even has a website where locals and visitors alike can visit to find out how to obtain a permit to participate in the ever changing art display .  You can visit that website by clicking here.

I love what the history of the alley is.  It started organically and grew and is ever evolving.  It originally started with artists hanging actual paintings on the buildings.  Then it morphed into painting on the buildings.  I loved the words that are shared on their website and could not rework their words to do them justice so am including them below.

Humans have always used art to express themselves to future generations. The desire to speak beyond one’s self and leave a mark runs deep in the soul. Collectively, we wish to shed light on the beauty of our day, warn of the dangers and provide direction for those who come after us. The area known as Founder’s Rock, just a short distance northwest of Art Alley, bears inscriptions made by some of the first people to create “Rapid City” alongside petroglyphs left by people who had called this place home for thousands of years before that. Many of the buildings downtown have initials, dates and other inscriptions scratched into the soft brick, dating back to the years they were built.

The alley that runs from Sixth to Seventh Streets was no exception to this phenomenon. The early 2000’s found this alley populated with an eclectic mix – business people and bohemians, artists and musicians, professionals and wayward travelers from all directions. As the group grew, the alley became a canvas where these people began to tell the story of their time. At some point, and quite organically, it became known simply as “Art Alley.”

From those humble beginnings, a small group of people, and a great deal of communication and cooperation between all of them, the Alley has flourished and grown to become more than just a canvas for art. It has become a social movement in our community where everyone is free to express themselves and work to spread the messages of our day to each other, and for those who will come after us. Please join us and be a part of the Alley’s history.

Each picture, each artist, each stroke or spray of paint helps to create a story and a message.  I love how the exhibit will always be changing with new additions and new creations.  To view some of the past creations click here to view their gallery of previous artwork. 

Have you found anything like this when you have traveled?  Or do you have something similar in your hometown?  Tell me all about it.  Don’t forget that each comment this month goes to support our Comments for a Cause – Georgia Options, Inc. 

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