The Art Crawl, which was originally set to slither down Main Street in Bay Shore on Saturday, April 29, was rescheduled due to extreme weather. The postponed event took place on a sunny Sunday, May 21 at noon, and the weather couldn’t have been better for a leisurely stroll through a variety of artistic milieus.

The eclectic festivities began at The Agency, located at 61 W. Main Street. Making its first return since 2019, the Art Crawl partnered with the Islip Arts Council and South Shore Arts to bring an artistic and immersive experience back to the area featuring artists, artisans, poets, musicians, small businesses, and more.

Bri Sander’s was one of many artists and craftspeople who participated in the outdoor event, hailing from far and wide. She is based on the North Fork and enjoyed the warm welcome she and her mixed-media pieces received on the South Shore. Sander had a booth set up featuring her silk screen, linoleum printing, and wood-blocking, as well as a selection of watercolor paintings.

“I focus on nautical themes, nature, and how we connect with nature, just by enjoying it. This is a perfect day for it,” Sander said.

Upon embarking on the creative crawl, starting at The Agency, attendees were encouraged to pick up a handy map which detailed all the pertinent information about what was happening, and when, throughout the creative street fair. Participants also got a bracelet there for discounts and specials at participating local spots.

Another artist on hand was Elijah Brown, who specializes in semi-realism and embraces both futuristic mediums as well as more classic artforms.

“I do NFT collections and prints. A lot of people aren’t into NFTs yet, but all the prints are scannable, and you can view the whole collection by scanning,” explained Brown.

NFTs stand for non-fungible tokens, which are a form of digital art that is recorded on a blockchain. It is both a cutting-edge art medium as well as an investment.

Members of the art collective called An Artist’s Duty had one of the most creatively diverse booths of the day. This artists’ group first flourished via Zoom, amid the unprecedented year of 2020.

“It’s artists, musicians, and writers,” explained Marissa Geremito, a writer and member of An Artist’s Duty. The collective’s name is an allusion to their creative muse, singer-songwriter, pianist, and civil-rights activist Nina Simone, who was quoted as saying, “It’s an artist’s duty to reflect the times in which we live.”

“How can we not, no matter what status we have in life? If we don’t do something it will happen without us,” stated Theresa Sweeney, a member of the collective who is a digital artist and product designer.

The multi-media art extravaganza was well worth the wait and included artistic displays, live art, music, poetry, children’s activities, discounts at businesses, and more. The program was completely free to the public thanks to its sponsors, which included Northwell Health, The Agency, and many other local businesses and organizations.

For information on upcoming Art Crawl events visit their website (coloredcolors.com/art-crawl).