For the month of March, the streets of Sleepy Hollow and Tarrytown will quietly transform. Storefronts will become gallery windows. Errands will become encounters. A casual walk downtown will offer moments of reflection as the Art Crawl on the Hudson invites residents and visitors alike to experience art where daily life already happens.
Running from March 7 through March 31, the monthlong Art Crawl pairs 14 local artists with 14 local businesses across the two villages, creating a walkable, immersive art experience woven directly into the community. The initiative is organized by the Sleepy Hollow Tarrytown Chamber of Commerce, with a mission that extends beyond aesthetics.
“The chamber’s goal is to ensure our downtown remains a vibrant, sustainable, destination,” said Executive Director Lucia Ballas-Traynor. “The Art Crawl is a creative way to introduce residents to the incredible variety of shops in their own backyard. By creating this ‘Instagram Art Trail’ inside storefronts, we are driving meaningful foot traffic and giving people a great reason to walk, shop, and eat locally this March.”
For Ballas-Traynor, the Art Crawl reflects the chamber’s dual commitment to economic vitality and cultural visibility. By pairing artists and businesses intentionally, the event highlights the creative talent living locally while supporting small businesses that form the backbone of the village’s downtown areas. That sense of integration, art embedded in everyday spaces, is central to the experience of participating artists as well.
Erwin Ong, an artist and illustrator working under the name A Duck Amuck, is both a featured artist and member of the artist committee helping organize the event. His work, which will be displayed at The Purple Ostrich in Tarrytown, draws from memory, imagination, and playful visual storytelling.
“I’m a self-taught artist creating bright, joyful illustrations, murals, and small mixed media objects, from zines and cardboard sculptures to ceramic figurines, shaped by memory and imagination,” Ong said. “The work I’m presenting is inspired by a childhood vacation scuba diving in the coral reefs of the Philippines, where I grew up. That early experience continues to influence my playful, ‘fish-forward’ world.”
For Ong, showing art in local businesses adds an entirely new dimension. “Seeing artwork live inside a local business gives it a different kind of life,” he said. “The walkable nature of the Art Crawl encourages curiosity, conversation, and discovery, and it reminds me how powerful art can be when woven into daily community spaces.”
That same spirit of immersion resonates with artist Sharon “Shroon” Seidl, whose ballpoint pen drawings will be featured at Quality High Cannabis Boutique, in Sleepy Hollow. Seidl’s work, known for its intricate linework and surreal storybook sensibility, invites close looking and emotional reflection.
“I’ve fallen in love with the ballpoint pen,” Seidl said. “I try to make each piece feel like a single page from a book without words, complete in itself yet suggesting something larger.”
Seidl has collaborated closely with her paired retailer to curate an experience rather than a traditional exhibition, including an immersive video component that brings her illustrations to life. “I’m less interested in illustrating narratives than in creating spaces where narratives can form in the minds of the viewer,” she said. “Each piece is an experience.”
For both artists, the Art Crawl represents something larger than individual exposure. It is about collective visibility and mutual support. “The art world can be a harsh one,” Seidl reflected. “Having a community that embraces art is a lifeline we can all be grateful for.”
That sense of shared investment, between artists, businesses and neighbors, is at the heart of Art Crawl on the Hudson. With a kickoff “Meet the Artist” event on March 7, the month invites people not just to look, but to linger, discover, and reconnect with the creative energy thriving in their own backyard.
Visit the website or scan the QR code for a complete list of artists and their paired locations.
