Valdosta-based artist Amy Lansburg returns from her recent success in the Coconut Grove Arts Festival to be the City Market’s featured artist for tonight’s Art After Dark.

The Coconut Grove Art Festival in Florida attracts an estimated 150,000 people annually.

It is considered one of the nation’s premier art festivals.

Lansburg sold all of her entered pieces of three-dimensional art at the festival, says Ann Johnston, organizer of City Market’s art exhibits in the downtown business’ second-floor The Loft.

Lansburg is primarily a self-taught artist. She began by making furniture pieces from driftwood and found items. Her media often remains the same, but her work has expanded from the furniture phase to pieces that make more of an artistic statement.

“My current work still embodies furniture; however, my focus has really switched to two- and three-dimensional figures,” Lansburg says in an artistic statement. “The basis of the figures is still driftwood, though.”

“Pop Art,” one of Lansburg’s small chairs, is featured in Lark Book’s “500 Chairs.”

Lansburg found furniture-making challenging yet engrossing.

“Several years ago, I made a small chair out of scraps,” she says. “Building furniture is often physically demanding. I found it relaxing to sit and carve tendons from small twigs. The first small chair was very out of scale and awkward.”

“Many chairs later, I discovered that they became my artistic voice. Small chairs later evolved into figurative pieces, which is the primary focus of my current work.”

Lansburg is one featured artist in Downtown Valdosta’s second month of emphasizing the revival of its third-Friday event Art After Dark.

The event started a few years ago as a sequel to downtown’s successful monthly First Fridays.

Though downtown establishments still feature music, Art After Dark emphasizes the visual arts. It opened with a strong start but had fizzled in subsequent months.

In February, downtown businessman Albert Slone led the push to revive Art After Dark.

Organizers felt last month’s effort was a success and the push continues tonight.

Art After Dark runs from 6-9 p.m. today, Downtown Valdosta, though some events will last longer.

 

Art After Dark schedule

The Dosta Playhouse, 122 N. Ashley St.: Gingerbread Players of Theatre Guild Valdosta presents “The Princess and the Pea.” Show starts 7 p.m.

Bleu Pub, 116 W. Hill Ave.: Kid Dynamite presents live music, starts at 9 p.m.

Bennie’s Gallery, 119 N. Patterson St.: Gallery tour and reception.

Kaleidoscope A Gallery, 123 N. Ashley St.: Opening for artist Teresa Middleton.

306 North, 306 N. Patterson St.: Features art from the artists of Artists on Ashley, Jeanne Cowart, Annette Crosby and Pam Scruggs. Music by Jaret Perkins.

Hildegard’s, 101 E. Central Ave.: Artist Janice Rago’s work displayed. Music by Ralph Plummer. Outside art projects for passers-by.

Artists on Ashley, 203 N. Ashley St.: Works by Jeanne Cowart, Annette Crosby, Ellen Dewar, Walter Hobbs, Deb House and Pam Scruggs.

Flavor of New Orleans, 205 N. Ashley St.: Live jazz band.

Wes Sewell Photography, 303 N. Patterson St.: Free photos in new photo booth.

City Market, 101 N. Patterson St.: Artist Amy Lansburg in The Loft. Jerry Newman and friends play music on the first floor.

The Bistro, 132 N. Ashley St.: Dante’s Inferno, a local band, plays jazz.

Outside entertainment: Music by Michael Petrella, Eric Slone, and Ryan Hines.