Spotlight on This Month’s First Fridays Art Walk…
SPECIAL UPDATE: The Salsa Youth Orchestra concert at the Richmond Public Library has been moved to the June 6 First Fridays event. We are sorry for any inconvenience.
First Fridays 7th Season Summer Guide is Out This Week!
Thanks to Style Weekly - Richmond’s Alternative for News, Arts, Culture and First Fridays Official Print Media Sponsor – the First Fridays 7th Season Summer Guide is Available Now in the April 30 Issue of Style Weekly!
Everything you ever wanted to know about Richmond’s First Fridays Art Walk is right at your fingertips with the latest Summer Guide. Our handy Guide features a map of the First Fridays program area, listing of the participating venues, summer calendar of exhibitions and events, and information on parking and other event details.
Pick up your copy today at one of the almost 400 locations where Style is located across the Region.
Please join us in thanking Style Weekly for their continued and generous support of First Fridays. Their kind support enables us to continue our mission of inspiring community and economic development in the Richmond Region by expanding public awareness of and exposure of the arts and culture. We could never provide such a wealth of promotion for our First Fridays partnering venues without them! Go pick up Style today and support those that support them! http://www.styleweekly.com
Special Thanks to Our Newest Sponsors!
We welcome Venture Richmond as the latest proud sponsor of the First Fridays Art Walk!
Have you ever wondered who those kind and helpful gentlemen are who guide you across the street or direct you to a nearby gallery? They are the wonderful Downtown Ambassadors, just one of the many Downtown programs of Venture Richmond, who has been a longtime behind-the-scenes supporter of First Fridays. Thanks to Venture Richmond’s support, Curated Culture will be able to enhance promotion of the First Fridays program and the particpating venues in the coming season.
Venture Richmond’s mission is to engage business and community leaders in partnering with the City to enhance the vitality of the community, particularly Downtown, through economic development, marketing, promotion, advocacy and events.
Find it…on Richmond.com That’s where you’ll find First Fridays!
As First Fridays’ Online Media sponsor, Richmond.com will be your online resource for the Art Walk. Through news, exhibition listings, and links, you can find out what’s coming up each month with a simple click of the mouse!
Richmond.com is the premiere online portal in the Greater Richmond, Virginia area. With well over 300,000 unique visitors generating over 4.2 million pages of content to user requests each month, Richmond.com has quickly proven it reflects both the personality and interests of the Richmond marketplace at large - in essence, it is Richmond online.
Special Events on May 2…
Pups On Parade!
Did you know that 5 out of every 10 dogs over the age of 8 are likely to develop some form of cancer, and that treatment can cost almost $4,000?
We didn't realize the scope of this serious condition until we became familiar with the local nonprofit organization FETCH a Cure, whose mission is to work on behalf of all pet owners to raise awareness of the early signs and treatments available for canine cancer, and elevate the quality of life for senior and aging dogs.
As enormous animal lovers too, we’re very excited to partner with this wonderful organization in the presentation of their creative Pups on Parade project, which will be featured at the May 2 First Fridays Art Walk!
 The “Pups” are brought to life by local artists and are sure to bring out the pet lover in all! Pups on Parade will travel around Richmond through May and early June, and then will be auctioned off on June 20th at a Gala fundraiser to benefit Fetch A Cure. Richmonders are encouraged to vote for their favorite pup and determine Richmond’s “Top Dog”, and you can get a peak at the pups at First Fridays! So come out to First Fridays on May 2 to see all the “pups” then go to styleweekly.com or fetchacure.com to cast your vote!
Find Packs of Pups at First Fridays at the following spots!
Quirk Gallery - 311 West Broad St (near Madison St)
Visual Art Studio - 228 West Broad St (between Madison & Jefferson)
Theatre IV - 114 West Broad St (between Jefferson & Adams)
"Triangle Park" - corner of Adams & Broad Streets
Curated Culture - 23 West Broad St (between Adams & Foushee)
Elegba Folklore Society – 101 East Broad Street (1st & Broad)
VCU MFA Thesis Show!
It’s May and that means a city filled with more art shows than you can shake a paintbrush at, thanks to the many end-of-semester shows presented by art students from across the City.
The VCU School of the Arts Department of Sculpture presents their MFA Thesis Exhibitions at two annex locations that are in the First Fridays area. We’re sure you won’t want to miss the works of these exceptional emerging artists!
Terminal: VCU Sculpture MFA Thesis Annex Exhibition
Featuring: Sami Ben Larbi, Lily Cox-Richard, David Grainger, Eli Kessler
Opening Receptions: May 2, 6-9pm & May 9, 7-9pm
2 Locations: 5-7 West Broad St and 209 N Foushee Street
Exhibition continues: May 2-18, 2008
We welcome the following new sites to First Fridays!
Oneness Art located at 202 East Cary St., 2nd Floor
 The gallery focuses on uplifting, encouraging, bringing out the best in others, and spiritual art. Owner/artist Chiquita (Kita) Burroughs says it is a tool that God has given to help others.
May 2 First Fridays features Spiritual Abstract Art by Chiquita Burroughs and City Scenes by photographer Tammy Hargrove.
Join Oneness Art for First Fridays each month between 7:00-10:00pm
At the Galleries!
Visual Art Studio – 228 West Broad Street
Jumping through Hoops, How I Slept My Way to the Top
 It’s not only the best title for a show that we’ve heard of in a long time, but the artwork is fantastic as well! This tongue-in-cheek title sucks you in to the adventures in mixed media that Richmond based artists Anne Hart Chay, Eric Garner, Karen Kain, Katherine Benner, and Nick Sullivan investigate. Featuring photography, mixed media, works on paper, painting, and fiber art, Jumping through Hoops continues until May 30.
At 7:00pm during the May 2 Art Walk, enjoy a Talk with Artist Karen who will be discussing the new direction of her work and giving a demonstration of her process. Throughout the evening, try your hand at Karen’s creative process with Asian brushes, sumi ink, and rice paper. Be on the look out for a “Pack of Pups” at the Visual Art Studio on May 2nd too!
Richmond Public Library – 101 East Franklin Street
Sarah Masters and Maruta Racenis
Transformed Books – by VCU Art Foundation Students
Will Turner – Paintings
Thea Duskin – Illustrations
SPECIAL UPDATE: The Salsa Youth Orchestra concert at the Richmond Public Library has been moved to the June 6 First Fridays event. We are sorry for any inconvenience.
 The Richmond Public Library continues as “the place to be” on First Fridays!
If you’ve never seen the Salsa Youth Orchestra, this is your chance. A special musical performance by the Orchestra will take place during May 2nd First Fridays! Lead byTony Ruiz, band leader of Orquesta Tropikiimba, the Youth Orchestra includes musicians ranging in age from eleven to seventeen.
Find out more about these talents kids at:
http://teachers.henrico.k12.va.us/hermitage/anderson_p/SalsaYouthOrchestra/
While hot music echoes in the halls, a fabulous array of new works by some of Richmond’s best artists – emerging and established – will adorn the walls. Experience illustrations by Thea Duskin, co-owner of First Fridays’ very own, Ghostprint Gallery; Transformed Books by students of VCU’s Art Foundation Program; mixed media by Sarah Masters and Maruta Racenis, and Will Turner proves “larger is better” with his large-scale abstract paintings.
The exhibitions continue through June 3, while First Fridays at the Library’s Main Branch will be held on May 2 from 7-9pm.
Quirk Gallery
Chuck Scalin: Rush: Explorations in Glass
 We’re SO excited to see what Richmond based (hum, legendary) artist Chuck Scalin will pull out of the kiln for his upcoming first solo show at Quirk. Kiln? Yes, kiln! Chuck has been working with local legendary artist herself, Jude Schlozhauer, learning the secrets of glass. Taking his exquisite collages to the next level, Scalin creates unique (yeah, you’ve heard it before, but it’s true here) works of art by fusing glass and found objects. Each one a mystery until it emerges from the heat, Scalin then works the surface with addition of objects and by working the surface with graphite or paint. This is a not to be missed show!
Exhibition Statement: The creative RUSH comes after the piece is removed from the kiln, with the challenge of where and how to take the piece to completion. Inspiration for these pieces is derived from the irregular textures, color alterations, and accidents that occur during the firing process and result in determining the direction of the final abstract composition.
Rush opens at Quirk on May 2 and continues until June 21.
First Fridays takes place monthly, rain or shine, generally between the hours of 6:00-10:00pm (check with individual venues), and currently features almost 30 diverse art galleries, cultural sites, shops, and restaurants. The 7th Season is generously Presented by the University of Richmond’s Modlin Center for the Arts. For complete details and exhibition listings, go to www.firstfridaysrichmond.com or call Curated Culture at 804.344.1508.
First Fridays Map of Downtown Galleries
Experience something new. Buy more art or start a collection. Bring someone new with you to First Fridays. Visit an Artist Talk. Make it an evening. Introduce art to a youngster. Get out of your comfort zone. Laugh, love, learn, listen.
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