Downtown has long had the institutional level arts down.

For a city of our size to have the Chrysler Museum, Chrysler Hall, the NorVa, Virginia Stage Company, Generic Theater, Virginia Opera, and the Scope all within a few blocks is a testament to this city’s commitment to what sings, to what is beautiful, to what expresses the soul in all ways glorious.

What’s been missing, at least in my short time here, has been the arts on street level. Citizen artists, if you will, using their city as their playground.

Last night we took a great step in a grand project that might be called Norfolk: The Canvas.

I know I’m filled with optimism, and my enthusiasm drags me frightfully close to hyperbole, but last night on Granby St., you would have thought you were in one of America’s great art cities. There was art in the storefront windows. Singalongs on the street. Group dance performances. Sax players, three man bands, and gypsy music. Poetry readings. Heck, there was even a magician who was so good he was freaking people out.

Last night Norfolk was a home that not one of us artistic types would see reason to leave.

But enough of my bright-eyed rambling. Rather than tell, I’ll show.

Here’s the Thriller flash mob, put on by our own Louis Fisher [Disclosure: Louis steals a little more of my heart everyday.]

Here’s the article the Pilot ran about it in which they went to great lengths to make it seem less fun than it was.

And the much better WAVY story:

The City (and AltMarketing’s) Norfology campaign kicked off last night in grand style at the Granby Theater, with videos of people saying why they love Norfolk outside, and Carolina Cupcakery cupcakes inside.

That's what's up. (Photo | Mark Conway)

Norfology. (Photo | Sam Shinault)

The street musicians and performers were the stars last night.

Here’s jazzman Matt Paddock:

And a famously talented trio’s whose names, in the excitement of the night, I failed to get.

Will busking take off in Norfolk (as Tom Robotham asks in this editorial)?

We sure hope so. The question now is, how do we keep this going? Should we be more organized? More inspired? Should there be a monthly event Downtown? A weekly event that moves throughout Norfolk’s neighborhoods?

How do we get from here to there?

What I lack in answers I make up for in faith.

As always, this is our city. We do with it what we damn well please.

Want more from last night?

Check out this photo series from local hero Sam Shinault.

And this photo series from local starlet Anne Kabaitan.

And if you get a minute, won’t you answer a few questions about the whole Art | Everywhere experience?