Under a blazing 89-degree sun, the High Springs water tower stood tall like a postcard landmark, setting the scene for the town’s seasonal Art Walk.
Artists from around Florida gathered in High Springs to find refuge from the heat beneath the awnings of downtown storefronts. Creatives waited to share their craft with curious passersby and potential customers as they lined the sidewalks with their work.
Curtis Whitwam, a 51-year-old Tampa resident, was the featured artist of this month’s Art Walk event.
“Creatives are what make our quality of life in the world better,” Whitwam said. “[They] are the reason why life is enjoyable.”
Whitwam has developed his craft in watercolor painting for roughly 30 years. Most of his art showcases Floridian ecosystems. As a native, he said he feels connected to the nature he’s grown up around and wants others to share his love for it through his work.
“They will know, inside themselves, that they are one with the ecosystem,” he said.
Events like the art walk are extremely important for creating a healthy society, Whitwam said.
Laurie Roder, a 56-year-old High Springs resident, was drawn to Whitwam’s art and purchased one of his works.
“I noticed a cypress tree painting and it just reminded me of places we’ve been camping,” Roder said.
The Art Walk was an opportunity to support local artists and uplift the community, she said.
After passing tables upon tables of acrylic paintings, ceramic structures, watercolor landscapes and wood-carved signs, visitors stumbled upon the work of Kristen Marshall, a 41-year-old freelance artist from Gainesville.
Marshall’s inspiration comes from “pretty much everything,” she said. She paints with acrylic and handmakes unique blankets. While she’s painted for most of her life, she started selling her art in the last three years.
Public art events like the Art Walk destigmatize the misconceptions about having a serious career as an artist, Marshall said. She said it shows the community that art isn’t always traditional.
“There’s art in pretty much everything we do,” she said.
Besides interacting with customers, Marshall mingled with the artists at booths neighboring hers. She sees the event as an opportunity to network.
“I think it’s also great to have the support of the community,” Marshall said. “Just working with each other and helping motivate each other.”
Contact Allison Bonnemaison at abonnemaison@alligator.org. Follow them on X @allisonrbonn.
Allison is a journalism and international studies sophomore. She is the Summer 2025 food reporter at The Avenue. In her free time, she enjoys drawing and finding new music to listen to.
