If you’re in town and looking for a way to add some artistic culture into your life, Columbia has multiple opportunities throughout the summer to experience both local and imported talent to sate your appetite.

One continually expanding event is the quarterly Artrageous Fridays art crawl. Hosted in bustling downtown Columbia, Artrageous Fridays offers opportunities for novice and advanced art appreciators, or even people just looking to contribute and expand their involvement within the community.

These one-day events have artists and performers of all stripes, making it the perfect fit for all Columbians. The series’s executive director, Kate Gunn, has high hopes for this summer’s event, as more and more local businesses become involved.

“We’ve grown from a crawl on Ninth (Street) and Broadway encompassing ten organizations to an event involving the entire downtown and nearly 40 arts-related organizations eager to support the arts and our community,” Gunn says.

This event is ever-changing, and no two Fridays have the same feel. The artist lineup is continually rotating and allowing for new talent to be in the spotlight. Art is not a spectator sport at Artrageous, either, with multiple interactive exhibits for patrons to enjoy. From walk-through exhibits to crafty do-it-yourself projects, Artrageous creates opportunities to expand skill and knowledge during a unique tour through multiple media.

“One January early on, I was demonstrating the making of little felt balls…people each made their own felt balls, and despite the cold weather, continued to work on felting them all over downtown as they attended other events — we heard about it from all over,” says Ruth Walker, now a partner for Bluestem Missouri Crafts. Bluestem has been one of the sponsors since the inaugural event of Artrageous Fridays.

Bluestem kicks the night off strong with an opening reception that typically involves the featured artist of the evening. This year, the featured artist is Dave & Dyno with the Roadkill Orchestra, a folk/Americana band from Lupus.

There are multiple performances scheduled for the July 18 event, and something for everyone. Artrageous Fridays patrons also have the chance to get to speak to the artists of the exhibits they visit, making the crawl even more unique and fruitful.

Over the years, Artrageous has expanded its horizons from exclusively local visual art to integrating performance art and local businesses, encompassing many of the best parts of Columbia’s community. Multiple Columbia establishments come together to support the art community and feature different talent during these events.

“I am continually amazed and impressed with the unique ideas and offerings the local businesses provide to the community during Artrageous,” says Gunn of the series’ expansion.

Artrageous Fridays strives to highlight the positive impact of the arts on the community of Columbia. By combining local business with artists in one event, Artrageous capitalizes on the strengths of both to maximize the event for the patrons. Some newly involved businesses include Blenders Smoothies & Juice and Cafe Berlin, while multiple veteran restaurants remain to stand behind Artrageous creating a wide spectrum to satisfy all tastes.

“Our restaurant and bar partners typically host happy hour specials either before, during or after Artrageous,” Gunn says.

Participants can follow the event’s website or pick up an Artrageous booklet to begin the crawl, Gunn says.

“Our website is updated with what every venue is hosting and you can find a map of locations in the booklets or on our website,” he says.

The official event starts at 9 a.m. and ends around 9 p.m., offering plenty of time to explore, ask questions and get involved at the exhibits.