Arts Council of the Valley’s February First Fridays Downtown features in-person events at several locations, with other venues offering virtual arts experiences – or some combination of the two.
A First Fridays Downtown interactive map provides information on each venue (valleyarts.org/first-fridays-map).
Offering in-person arts experiences this month are:
- OASIS Fine Art, 103 South Main Street in Harrisonburg – opening reception (Feb 5, 5-8 p.m.) for the Eastern Mennonite School Student Show, featuring artwork in a variety of mediums. Also available on Facebook (https://fb.me/e/3oja0Gw5h).
- The Oliver Art House, 131 South Main Street in Broadway – Open Studios and Artist Spotlight in the Gallery (Feb 5, 5-8 p.m.), providing studio time for children and adults to create and connect.
- The little Gallery Underground, JMU Music Library (880 South Main Street) – Singularity: A Dense Soul focuses on works by Derrick Chirinos using double exposure on Fujifilm Pro 400H medium format film. Although no event is planned, the exhibition is available at facebook.com/ThelittleGalleryUnderground; and for in-person viewing Monday-Thursday, 9 a.m.-7 p.m., Friday, 9 a.m.-3 p.m., and Sunday, 3-7 p.m.
- Wilson Downtown Gallery, 83 S. Main Street – Business hours (Mon-Fri, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.) and online viewing of this is what grew, an exhibition of watercolor and oil works by Rebecca Pence. wilsondowntowngallery.com.
Online-only arts experiences are available through these venues:
- Park Gables Gallery at VMRC – Beyond Words, a mixed media exhibition, open through March 22 at vmrc.org/park-gables-gallery
- Smith House Galleries – two exhibitions, both at valleyarts.org/current-exhibition: ○ A View Beyond the Window: New Works from the Shaped Landscape series by John Hancock; and ○ e = empathy, presented in collaboration with 150 Franklin Street Gallery and featuring posters created by William Tate’s architectural design students at James Madison University in response to the Black Lives Matter movement.
- The Virginia Quilt Museum – Reds and Greens: Threads of Winters Past offers an array of quilt patterns from the 1800s. https://youtu.be/Pb-C45WrGEI
Other 2021 First Fridays Downtown participating venues include: Arts Incarnate, Dancing With Karen, Harrisonburg Baptist Church, Hess Financial, Horizon Gifts, Hotel Madison & Shenandoah Valley Conference Center, Look West Gallery @ The Mark-It, Nest Realty, Restless Moons Brewing, Rockingham Circuit Court Clerk’s Office, and Ten Thousand Villages.
Coordinated by ACV, First Fridays Downtown is a full-year community event, including 20 participating venues and bringing arts experiences – virtually and in-person – to hundreds of people of all ages each first Friday.
Support is provided, in part, by ACV’s 2021 Cultivating the Arts Platinum Sponsors Kathy Moran Wealth Group, Matchbox Realty, and Riner Rentals.
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