Joan Stark, curator of collections at the State Historical Society, says the crawl is a way to showcase what mid-Missouri offers art enthusiasts.

"It's kind of a hidden treasure that we have so much art here, right here in mid-Missouri," Stark said. "You might expect to see some of these exhibits in New York City or Los Angeles but they are right here. And sadly, I don't think everybody knows about the opportunities to view art here."

The State Historical Society is showcasing paintings of Native Americans in the nineteenth century, and the Museum of Art and Archaeology is showing its Fifty Golden Years exhibit. Also, the Bingham Gallery in the fine arts building has art education students' exhibits, and the Museum of Anthropology features folk art from India. The MSA Craft Studio in Brady Commons has performance art by Val Wedel.

Organizers hope at least 100 people will come out to view art and also to learn a little.

"I think it's a great opportunity to see a lot of different things, so you can see what type of art really appeals to you most," Stark said. "And I think you'll notice that in several of the venues, our museum for example, there's a lot of history intertwined with the art, so there's a lot to learn."

Crawlers start at any of the galleries and make their way around at their own pace until 8:30 p.m. The crawl will go on regardless of the weather.