PITTSBURG, Kan. — As the Pittsburg ArtWalk gears up to celebrate its 20th year from 3 to 9 p.m. Sept. 19, nearly 100 artists, vendors and organization are participating, and the Pittsburg Arts Council is estimating the event will draw more than 10,000 attendees.

For the past 20 years, the biannual art event has grown and changed but has continued its mission of encouraging and recognizing the importance of arts in the community.

But where did it all begin?

In 2004, Lastacia and Alan Ross started hosting monthly artist receptions with live music and refreshments in their downtown shop. Each month, they noticed an increase in attendees of all ages and different backgrounds.

“It was obvious there was a growing need for art and music events in our downtown community,” Lastacia said.

Alan told Lastacia about art events that had started popping up in places like Kansas City, Wichita and Springfield. The duo decided to try organizing an artwalk in Pittsburg.

For the six years prior, Lastacia coordinated Art in the Park and Earth Day events, and Heather Horton assisted with the Art in the Park. Lastacia said it was a no-brainer for her to ask Heather and Roger Horton to help with organizing ArtWalk.

“Not only were they good friends, artists, and fellow downtown business owners, but we all had a shared vision of bringing more arts and culture downtown,” Lastacia said.

With the help of Downtown Development Director Judy Westhoff, they were able to acquire the permits and navigate the process. Lastacia said Westhoff was incredibly supportive.

For the first several ArtWalks, artists would display their work in the windows of downtown businesses, and musicians would busk on the street corners. People would walk on the sidewalks and admire the art in business windows.

Phil Dellasega, who was one of the artists at the first ArtWalk, said he displayed his work at The Finishing Touch, located at 622 N. Broadway. For that first event, The Finishing Touch stayed open during the ArtWalk, and they counted more than 300 people who trickled in to look at the art.

“It was very successful,” Dellasega said. “I thought it was a neat idea, and I had never heard of anything like that before.”

During the early days of ArtWalk, Dellasega said, the focus was less on selling artwork and more on displaying it. Throughout the years, he showcased pieces in several downtown businesses including Kutz Music, Rosa Bella and more.

For the past seven years, Dellasega has been a part of the ArtForms Gallery, an artist co-op, and has been successful at selling his arts and getting commissions for work.

Dellasega said he thinks that the ArtWalk has given more visibility to the different types of artists in the area.

“There’s a lot of art around here,” he said.

Lastacia, Heather and a small group of people hosted a reception and after party at Pritchett Pavilion. Originally, the ArtWalk was intended to be an annual event, but based on feedback, they decided to hold the ArtWalk twice a year.

In August 2014, the group shut down Broadway for the first time to give the event a street festival feeling.

Throughout the years, volunteers served as living canvases, theater students posed as statues and during one event, Heather let attendees paint her car.

Many artists have rarely missed an ArtWalk while some are still discovering it for the first time. Nicole Meyer-Foresman, an artist who was involved for many years, would often bring her high school students to showcase their art.

A local ceramics artist Barb Loiselle first signed-up for the ArtWalk in 2014. Her journey into art started in 2010 when she took pottery classes in Joplin. She chose to try selling her creations at the ArtWalk when her family got sick of receiving her work as gifts, she said. As an experimental artist, she works by trial and error on new techniques and glazes and making imprints on clay.

For 13 years, Loiselle hasn’t missed an ArtWalk, and she’s developed many relationships with attendees and fans of her work. Loiselle’s husband said he thinks she goes to ArtWalk to make money to buy more supplies and try different techniques.

“I won't make a living at it, but I will have fun with it,” Loiselle said. “I’m still learning and having a ball.”

Loiselle said she enjoys meeting new people and seeing old friends during the ArtWalk, and it is a wonderful event for the community.

“I just want to thank all of the people that put in their time to do these ArtWalks,” she said. “They are magnificent. They do a really good job, and I do appreciate them a lot.”

What started with just a dozen or so artists displaying their work has turned into a full community gathering and tradition of celebrating the arts.

An important aspect of ArtWalk is that it gives artists a place to start, Heather said. She has witnessed artists start businesses or careers based on encouragement they received during the event. Or given musicians confidence to write songs and perform in area cities. Seeing the community come together, support others and be creative together is important to her.

“ArtWalk is so much more than an event we put on twice a year,” she said. “For 20 years, it has created opportunities, sparked careers and given our community a place to connect, create and be a little weird together. I think every community needs a little bit of that magic. I want to personally thank each and every person who's ever participated as a vendor, artist, musician, food truck, small business, organization or volunteer over the last 20 years. Each of you makes this event what it is. Your passion and your drive are what keeps this thing going. It's a ton of work to organize an event of this size but all of the stress and anxiety melts away when we get to experience the magic with you twice a year in the heart of Pittsburg.”

This reporting is made possible, in part, by the Support Local Journalism Project Fund. Learn more at: southeastkansas.org/Localnews.