In one of the nicest additions to come out of the Avenue for the Arts after years of events and leadership from Dwelling Place’s Jenn Schaub, a new generation of leaders is emerging and adding to the steadily growing list of activities happening on the Avenue for the Arts.
A group of shop owners and galleries has recently committed to a six-month experiment of hosting an area-wide neighborhood business project called First Friday. The event, which launched in September, seeks to engage the downtown crowds with an area that lots of folks sometimes view as a problem area. (It’s not.)
In fact, the area merchants are hosting these monthly community enrichment events from 6 – 10 p.m. on the first Friday of each month so that people can freely stroll about. First Friday offers the public a chance to check out the work of local artists, visit the working spaces where handmade goods and books are created, or simply enjoy a meal or a neighborhood friendly drink special with friends.
Highlights on the street for this Friday include:
Parliament the Boutique will join this event for the first time, hosting their First Friday Fiber Night, which is also a chance to learn first-hand about knitting culture.
Have Company will be hosting a reception for William Campbell of anvilgoods. Campbell will have his anvil in the shop on Friday so you can watch him hammer out custom designs right before your eyes.
Craft House, one of the organizers of this event, will feature a closing reception for its FRACTURE: exhibition (also nominated as an ArtPrize top 5 venue) with work by Molly Mitchell, Tasha Lewis, Joanne Easton, Lauren Schneider and Amanda Carmer. I am a huge fan of Lewis’ The Invasion, which you have to see in person.
Shops participating this October include Craft House, Pub 43, 106 Gallery and Studio, Mexicains Sans Frontieres, Have Company, GASPARD, Vertigo Music, Parliament the Boutique, Sanctuary Folk Art Gallery, and Shen Dojo.
And in keeping pace with the changing nature of the neighborhood, next month First Friday will welcome WMCAT, Premier, Lantern, Propaganda Doughnuts, and Local Epicurean plus all the Free Radical venues to the November First Friday event.
Another item emerging and gaining traction for this Friday night (for those looking for something else from the Avenue) is the independently organized event Tiaras, Top Hats, and Tequila by Shawn Avery, who is asking folks to dress up fancy, head to Pub43 (a not-so-fancy venue) and order fancy drinks. Given the pub’s array of flavored liquors and mixers, this should be quite a show inside.
And if dressing up is not your scene or the crowds are cramping your style, then maybe it is time to head NE and NW to enjoy the always-rowdy Pulaski Days all weekend long. If you sin too much, there is always the Polka Mass to "dance yrself clean" again.
Admission: Free
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