Arts Council of the Valley announces June First Fridays Downtown lineup

Arts Council of the Valley’s June First Fridays Downtown features in-person options throughout the month at several locations, with other venues offering virtual arts experiences – or a combination of the two.

A First Fridays Downtown interactive map provides information on each venue (valleyarts.org/first-fridays-map).

Arts experiences during June include:

• Arts Incarnate (292 N. Liberty St.) will host a dance concert with the Flamenco duo, Jaleo Arte, Saturday, June 5 at 7 p.m. Flamenco and Wine tickets are available for purchase at artsincarnate.com/events/flamenco-and-wine-event.
• OASIS Fine Art & Craft (103 S. Main St.) plans an in-person opening reception Friday, June 4 (5-8 p.m.) for It’s All Relative, an exhibition of artwork in multiple mediums by descendants of Daniel Heatwole. Details at oasisfineartandcraft.org.
• Park Gables Gallery at VMRC features more than 100 works in its 18th Annual Juried Art Exhibition, May 31 – June 30. Available online (vmrc.org/juried-art-exhibitions), the exhibit is also open for in-person viewing on a limited basis. Reserve your space (at least 24 hours in advance) at signupgenius.com/go/10c0d49aeae22a4fcc07-2021.
• Smith House Galleries (311 S. Main St.) hosts The Spirit of Things: Painting by Keith Mills, with an online exhibition June 1-25 (valleyarts.org/current-exhibition); AND in-person hours Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., beginning June 9. The exhibition is sponsored by GreeneHurlocker, PLC.
• Ten Thousand Villages (181 S. Main St.) will hold an in-person opening reception 5-7 p.m. June 4, featuring artist Olivia Brown’s freehand design lettering for doormats, greeting cards, and other objects. Learn more at tenthousandvillages.com/harrisonburg.
• The Virginia Quilt Museum (301 S. Main St.), now celebrating its 25th anniversary, features an online exhibition highlighting one quilt from each year of the museum’s existence (youtu.be/-LDT7Ru2F2c). The museum is also open for in-person visits Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Wilson Downtown Gallery (83 S. Main St.) features photography by Greg Versen. Stop by Mon-Fri, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., or visit online at wilsondowntowngallery.com.

Other 2021 First Fridays Downtown participating venues include: Dancing With Karen, Explore More Discovery Museum, Harrisonburg Baptist Church, Heritage Bakery & Cafe, Hess Financial, Horizon Gifts, Hotel Madison & Shenandoah Valley Conference Center, The little Gallery Underground, Look West Gallery @ The Mark-It, The Oliver Art House (in Broadway), Restless Moons Brewing, and Rockingham Circuit Court Clerk’s Office.

Coordinated by ACV, First Fridays Downtown is a full-year community event, including 19 participating venues and bringing arts experiences – virtually and in-person –  to hundreds of people of all ages each first Friday.

Support is provided by ACV’s 2021 Cultivating the Arts Platinum Sponsors Kathy Moran Wealth Group, Matchbox Realty, and Riner Rentals.