Railroad Square

Inside Gallery 621.

Railroad Square Art Park is an arts, culture and entertainment district of Tallahassee, Florida, located off Railroad Avenue (just south of the Amtrak station and FAMU), filled with a variety of metal art sculptures and stores selling artwork and collectibles. Railroad Square is mainly known for its small locally owned shops and working artist studios, and its alternative art scene. It is also known as home to the second location of Tallahassee's long-serving local business staple Black Dog Cafe. On the first Friday of every month, Railroad Square is home to a free gallery hop known as First Friday from 6pm-9pm, where a diverse group of upwards of 5000-7000+ Tallahasseeans of all ages come to meet their friends and experience art.

A Brief History

The Tallahassee Downtown Improvement Authority restored and built Railroad Square to what it is today. Before, there was not much surrounding the area and the garages were empty with no up and running businesses. Now, the largest microbrewery in Tallahassee is located in Railroad Square along with local coffee shops and boutiques. 621 Gallery has been established since 1981 and it holds contemporary artwork for local artists. Tallahassee Rock Gym has operated since 1995. The other businesses listed below are newer but are located in these historic railroad warehouses as well.

First Friday

Railroad Square hosts First Friday (the first Friday of each month)— an art crawl event with live music and food trucks. Stores and restaurants such as Wonsaponatime Vintage, Tobacco Leaf Smoke Shop and Gallery, Cosmic Cat Comics, Anhaica Bag Works, Black Dog Café, The Crum Box Gastgarden, Proof Brewing Company, 621 Gallery, Artisans Gallery, B Major Prints, Dickson Studios LLC, Kylene & Ryan Studios, and Objex Gallery are open for the gallery and art crawl.

Artists of Railroad Square

Dragon Breath. Acrylic paint on wood. 77 x 78 inches (Painting by Ray L. Burggraf, 2000)

The Ray Burggraf Studio. Ray Burggraf is an artist, color theorist, and Emeritus Professor of Fine Arts at Florida State University.[1] Burggraf's work exhibits technical mastery over the translation of Florida's ecosystem into forms, colors, spaces and light.[2] Using acrylic paint and wood—and sometimes Plexiglas and UV light—Burggraf creates works of art that do not easily fit into an established category. Burggraf frequently calls his paintings "color constructions",[3][4] and they have been exhibited in museums and galleries throughout North America, Europe and Asia.[5][6]

621 Gallery

621 Gallery was established in 1981 and became a non-for-profit organization in 1989. It was opened to sustain the arts in the North Florida and South Georgia region. It is an arts exhibition that focuses on contemporary and progressive work, events and programs. The programs include education to the young art communities to expand on the contemporary ideas and art we see in this region.

Tallahassee Rock Gym

Tallahassee Rock Gym has indoor rock climbing and has been locally owned and operated since 1995. It is located inside a historic railroad warehouse.

Proof Brewing Co.

Proof Brewing Co. is a craft brewery and pub located in Tallahassee, FL. Originally founded in 2007, the company opened a brewpub in Railroad Square in May of 2014 after moving from its previous Tennessee Street location, which housed them since their inception. Founders, Byron and Angela Burroughs, own both the company and the brewery. Following its move, Proof Brewing Co. added “a state of the art 20 barrel brewhouse, fully automated canning line, refined tasting room, and outdoor beer garden in 2014.” The location allows for kegging and distribution of their craft beers, as well as more space for patrons. Craft beers produced by Proof Brewing Co. are named PBC, an acronym for the name of the company. The brewery recently implemented the Proof Society of Liquid, an in-house club designed for craft beer lovers.

Flippin' Great Pinball

Flippin’ Great Pinball is a locally owned pinball parlor and arcade located in Tallahassee in Railroad Square that opened on October 7, 2016. Featuring 25 pinball and other arcade games, the arcade offers a vintage alternative to modern video gaming. Flippin’ Great Pinball host tournaments, leagues, parties, and has an interactive showroom where pinball games can be inspected and purchased for personal collections. The venue is known for offering both hourly and all-day admission.


Shopping

Dining and Entertainment

Art Galleries

Transportation

Railroad Square is served by StarMetro.


Parks


References

  1. ↑ Orlando Sentinel, Judges Have Extensive Art Backgrounds, March 6, 1988, (http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/1988-03-06/features/0020280038_1_degree-in-fine-art-festival-fine-arts)
  2. ↑ Nasgaard, Roald, Ray Burggraf: Master of Abstraction, Publisher: Florida State University Museum of Fine Art, Tallahassee, FL, January 1, 2006, ASIN: B005KDHE06
  3. ↑ Broward College Alumni Network, Ray Burggraf - Wide Open Spaces: Paintings, Drawings, Color Constructions, Accessed March 2013, (http://alumni.broward.edu/event/id/131299/Ray-Burggraf---Wide-Open-Spaces-Paintings-Drawings-Color-Constructions.htm#)
  4. ↑ Valdosta State University News, Artists of Railroad Square: Multi-media Invitational Exhibition, February 8, 2012 (http://www.valdosta.edu/about/news/releases/2012/02/railroadsquare-020912.php)
  5. ↑ Tallahassee Democrat, Best Bets: From Creepy Art to Zombie-Prom, Oct. 2011, (http://www.tallahassee.com/article/20111014/ENT/110140308/Best-bets-From-creepy-art-Zombie-Prom-)
  6. ↑ Tallahassee/Leon County Council on Arts & Culture, (http://www.cocanet.org/artistdirectory/painting-oilacrylic/10839217)

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