On Tuesday, Aug. 26, myself and our summer gallery intern Nalani Lucier embarked on an adventure around downtown Madison, with our ultimate stop being Carnelian Art Gallery. 

We wanted to showcase just how many small businesses there are to support near the gallery (including the gallery), as well as how vibrant Madison's downtown truly is. And of course, we wanted to give you a little tour of our favorite pieces from the gallery's July-August show, which includes the works of artists Camille Davis, Maria Schirmer, Mark Soderling, and Dylan Waddell. 

Even on a Tuesday, there's always something to see and do, as evidenced by the above video. 

Our first stop was Marigold Kitchen, one of my favorite brunch spots in Madison. Marigold Kitchen is known for its bright interior, as well as its fresh food and coffee options. Every time I go to brunch there, there's always a line out the door. It was Nalani's first time at the restaurant. I ordered some scrambled eggs, breakfast potatoes, and greens. She had some quesadillas, which she told me were quite good.

We sat there and absorbed the ambiance. I sipped on decaf mocha while filming some b-roll clips for our video production.

Then, we headed to the Wisconsin State Capitol for a musical program planned by Downtown Madison, Inc., a gallery partner and organization that does a fantastic job of helping downtown businesses connect and collaborate. A man played acoustic guitar while members of the public sat on the grass and in some chairs by the Capitol. It was nice to people-watch and observe others enjoying their afternoon as much as we were. 

Our next stop was Carnelian Art Gallery, where we are soon to install the works that will be in our next exhibition, Tending The Balance, which will be a two-month show dedicated exlucisvely to three-dimensional art. Exhibiting artists include Amanda Langer, Aaron Laux and Eric Peterson, and the exhibition's theme is all about ongoing care and maintaining equillibrium in all aspects of life. 

If you'd like more details about that exhibitions opening reception, click here.

Here's the lesson: When embarking on your next adventure to downtown Madison, be sure to stop at Carnelian Art Gallery to get a dose of fine art. We are the only commercial art gallery in downtown Madison, and one of our goals is to hopefully seed the development of more art activity in our neck of the woods. If you support our gallery, you're encouraging the development of more. You're also encouraging society at large to invest in and value art the way it should be.