As you stroll around the city center, you’re increasingly likely to come across some type of public art. From murals to sculptures to quirky options in between, Downtown Huntsville is filled with creative and unique art installations. That’s one reason DHI has partnered with Arts Huntsville to develop the Downtown Huntsville Purple Cup Secret Art Walk.
The first tour occurred during the July Friday Night Art Walk when hundreds of curious people joined the free tours which included 13 tour stops. These stops include:
In addition to the original 13 “secret” art installations, we’ve seen several new installations including this cool piece between Clinton Avenue and Spring Street (can you find it?).
In 2019, we’ll host more guided tours but you can always request a card from DHI or Arts Huntsville and lead your own solo or group tour. If you do, here are three tips to consider:
What’s the deal with the “Purple Cup” part of the Secret Art Walk? Here in Downtown Huntsville, we have an Entertainment District which allows to-go beverages served in purple cups on Thursday-Sunday between Noon and 11pm. While you don’t have to have a purple cupped-beverage to enjoy the Secret Art trail, it is a fun way to experience the great Downtown breweries, pubs, and bars while enjoying the tour.
What makes an installation “secret”? We use the term “secret” pretty loosely. What we mainly mean is that each of these installations are in a publicly-accessible location that is not the primary frontage or entrance of a building. In other words, you can still view the installation without trespassing onto private property. They’re just located in slightly less expected locations. That’s part of the fun of exploring Downtown for “secret” art.
Can I make my own tour route? Of course! We welcome efforts to customize the secret art experience however you’d like. You can even add your own stops if you’d like (and if you find a good one, let us know so we can add it—unless you want to keep it really secret!) The Purple Cup Secret Art Walk is a fun way to explore Downtown Huntsville with visiting friends and family as well as discover extremely talented artists who’ve worked hard to make our city center an eclectic place to experience public art.
