When I originally set out to explore Old Town for the first time on Saturday, I left with the intentions of covering a single event, The Art of Giving.
It had taken me no more than half an hour being in the tiny town within a city to realize that this place had a much bigger story to tell.
Kathy Holcomb, the owner of Absolute Gallery and one of the coordinators of The Art of Giving event, was a pioneer in her own right. Her gallery opened little more than seven years ago during the earlier stages of Old Towns' revitalization. Since the opening of her gallery, Holcomb has made it a mission of hers to get the word out to others about the town, especially to younger people and students.
"People are amazed to find how much talent we have in this town and they're becomming very supportive of trying to buy locally now," Holcomb said. "This is really just a great way to showcase the arts and culture of an area."
Walking from store to store and talking with the various gallery owners, the personal connections many of them share with Old Town quickly became evident.
For many, like Karen Massoglia the owner of By the Riverside and the other coordinator of the event, Old Town represented a place where artists could come and live and work together in a secure community.
"It is a very intimate community and we all know each other and watch out for each other," Massoglia said.
After talking with all of the store owners, I came away with the impression that Old Town was a place that people could come and spend the day to escape the hustle-and-bustle of life. You don't necessarily even have to come to buy something but rather just come to enjoy the company of others in the stores and restaurants.
Old Town represents a bygone era and offers a peaceful oasis in the middle of a bustling city.
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