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Art Around the Square draws artists and patrons to Carbondale

BY SCOTT FITZGERALD, The Southern

Friday, October 10, 2008 11:11 PM CDT

CARBONDALE - Renowned artist Eileen Doman, who made her home in Carbondale recently, stood outside Art Lovers Gallery on North Washington Street, a big smile on her face.

"Isn't this wonderful," she said to a visitor ready to step into the gallery.

Doman's enthusiasm was contagious as other artists, marketers and patrons of the arts made their way around the Carbondale Town Square Friday night to take in Art Around the Square, an event hosted by heartlanders.net and the Historic Town Square Business Coalition.

Heartlandarts.net is a for-profit partnership of retail gallery owners, artists, marketers and patrons of the arts that includes Amy McMorrow, owner of southernillinoisspecialties.com, a Web site project of Innucopia, LLC, in Carbondale; Sue Mills, owner of Art Lovers Trading Co.; and Lauren Zadikow of The Red Ear, a new gallery space in Alto Pass.

At the corner of North Washington and East Jackson streets, people walked up a flight of stairs to see The Tree House, a recently opened artist studio featuring the work of Terry Hickey, an installation by Hilary Chandler and sculpture by Danielle Konings.

"We've been here a couple months," Hickey said about sharing creative work space with Chandler and Konings.

"We love being here," she said. "There's the ambiance of the town square and working in an historic space.

Hickey said an objective shared by artists who displayed for the event was to bring people to Carbondale's historic central downtown area and to generate community enthusiasm for the arts.

"We're hoping to be an inspiration for other people to pursue the arts," Hickey said.

Susan Phillips, who exhibited her photographs in the Newell House Grotto, was enthusiastic about Friday night's turnout.

"It's so nice to see everyone walking around," Phillips said. "I can't believe how many people are out."

scott.fitzgerald@thesouthern.com

351-5076