Affair on the Square kicks off Nov. 22

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Mike McCormick guides Barney along Central Avenue as they give carriage rides Sunday, Nov. 23, 2008 during the Holiday Affair on the Square in downtown Middletown, Ohio.

Staff photo by Nick Graham Mike McCormick guides Barney along Central Avenue as they give carriage rides Sunday, Nov. 23, 2008 during the Holiday Affair on the Square in downtown Middletown, Ohio.

By Ryan Gauthier, Staff Writer Updated 12:13 PM Friday, November 13, 2009

Middletown will kick off the holidays early this year, with A Holiday Affair on the Square scheduled for Sunday, Nov. 22.

The event started five years ago as the Got Art! exhibit, according to Art Central Foundation President Sue Rogers. Rogers was asked to decorate the storefronts of vacant buildings in the downtown area, effectively transforming it into a 24-hour outdoor art gallery.

“We had an opening art walk, involving more than 50 artists from as far as Indiana and Kentucky,” Rogers said. “I think we took it a little further than the city had anticipated.”

Rogers said things evolved over the years and in an effort to shake things up the group is going to replace their traditional display with the creative works of homeless individuals. The traveling exhibit, titled “Homeless: Telling Our Own Stories” will run from 3 to 5 p.m. and will ask viewers to explore homelessness through the eyes of individuals for whom it is a daily reality.

“There are about 10 total different artists, but there’s a series of work by one particular homeless man from Louisville,” Rogers said. “Others are collaborations between a group of artists and we have a few multimedia pieces involving user interaction.”

Miami Middletown Downtown will host a reception for work by the Guerilla Arts Collaborative from 3 to 5 p.m., offering free warm beverages and entertainment by local musician Chuck Evans.

Central Avenue will be closed to traffic during the event, allowing attendees to enjoy free horse-drawn carriage rides through the district.

The stage at Governor’s Square Park will host performances by several area musicians starting at 5 p.m., culminating with the lighting of the city’s holiday tree at 6 p.m.

Rogers said the art display will be up until Jan. 6.

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