ALTON - Mooneyham Art invites community members to stop by during the Alton Halloween Parade for a special exhibit.
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From 5–9 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 31, 2025, community members can enjoy “The Zone” at Mooneyham Art, complete with hot cocoa, live music, and plenty of art. Charles Mooneyham, the gallery’s curator, shared it’s been a great experience opening in downtown Alton and sharing art with the community, and he can’t wait to continue his work.
“It’s been a freight train,” he said. “It’s enrichment for the community and something culturally stimulating to do.”
“The Zone” will feature music by Psychedelic Symphony and art by Tom Blood and Tyler Clayberg, in addition to resident artists like Natalie Welborn, Marty McKay, Jen Fisher, and many others. Mooneyham encourages people to stop by the gallery before or during the famous Alton Halloween Parade to get out of the cold and meet local artists.
He acknowledged that art openings might seem intimidating, but the goal of these exhibits is to bring people together to enjoy the art. There’s no obligation to dress up or buy anything, and every opening hosted by Mooneyham Art is free to attend.
“It's an opportunity for the community to connect with the artists who created the artwork, to celebrate the artwork that’s on display,” he explained. “There will be work for sale, but that's not really the point. The point is really to have an event and something that you know is unique to that evening, and it’s an experience.”
Since opening at 305 State Street, Mooneyham has been pleased to welcome people to his gallery and feature local artists alongside national acts. He wants to build the art scene in Alton and promote up-and-coming artists.
“That’s what it’s all about, creating that opportunity here in Alton,” he said. “There’s not very many places on this side of the river, but there’s an unbelievable amount of talent.”
He noted that the art world can be “cutthroat,” but his goal is to help all of his artists rise up and find success. While many artists aren’t sure how to play “the game” — “It’s a hustle,” Mooneyham explained — others are kept out of the art world.
Mooneyham wants to support these artists and give them a platform. He often connects his artists to different opportunities and promotes his fellow gallery owners in Alton and beyond.
“If we work as a community and we bring each other up, it will be a freight train that nobody can stop, and all the people that are gatekeeping, for lack of better words, can go to hell,” he said.
“The Zone” opening on Oct. 31 aims to bring people together for the night, but Mooneyham emphasized that he will continue his work beyond one exhibit. He hopes he can continue to support artists and causes throughout his career, and he can’t wait to welcome the community in to see the work for themselves.
“We know the world is jacked up right now, and there’s a lot of tension. And I think that sometimes there’s an appropriate time to be standing on the hilltop screaming from a bullhorn,” he added. “But sometimes, I think the best thing you can do is leading and living by example. This is what I’m doing. This is who I am, loud and proud, and these are the people I am helping. You can like it or not.”
For more information about “The Zone,” visit the official Facebook event page. Check out their official website at MooneyhamArt.com for more information about Mooneyham and his gallery in downtown Alton.
