First Fridays of the Valley to feature 16 Harrisonburg venues

Sixteen Harrisonburg venues plan to offer visual, musical, and/or literary arts experiences during First Fridays of the Valley on Friday, Sept 2.

Court Square Theater offers a new, fun way to wrap up your evening of gallery visits with a 7:30 p.m. “Rocktown Improv” show. A donation of $5 per person is suggested.

Arts Council of the Valley’s First Fridays of the Valley program provides a chance to celebrate the arts – and the start of the first weekend – each month.

Venues hosting arts events Friday (5-7 p.m. unless otherwise noted):

• Arts Incarnate (75 N Mason St.) opens two new art exhibitions by Caleb Stine and Brendan Rigdon from 4:30 to 7 p.m., with refreshments available.
• ArtWorks Gallery (131 Grace St.) rejoins the First Fridays of the Valley lineup with an opening reception for the MFA student pop-up exhibition by the James Madison University MFA program.
• Asbury United Methodist Church (205 S Main St.) hosts an opening reception for “City Scapes,” an exhibition of paintings and photographs by various artists.
• The Friendly Fermenter (20 S Mason St.) opens “2 Million Steps,” an exhibition of snapshot style photography by Shawn Gatesman. From 7-9:30 p.m., enjoy live music by Todd Schlabach. Beers, bar bites, and non-alcoholic beverages are available for purchase.
• The Gaines Group at The Depot (141 W. Bruce St., Suite 201) highlights paintings by Janine Aberg, plus books and hand-made rugs by Saloma Furlong. Meet both artists and enjoy refreshments during the opening reception.
• Horizon Gifts (60 W Market St). features photography works by Kyra Nashay Waldron-Allen. Meet the artist during the 5-8 p.m. opening reception.
• Hotel Madison & Shenandoah Valley Conference Center (710 S Main St.) holds a 5-8 p.m. opening reception for “Fading Summer on the Farm,” an exhibition of acrylic on canvas works by Rebecca Ryan. Listen to ballads and folk rock music by Jane Cox & Friends in the hotel lobby 6-8 p.m. Food/beverages are available for purchase at Quill’s lobby bar and Montpelier Restaurant.
• Lola’s Delicatessen (122 S Main St., Suite 103) invites you to an opening reception for ErinMurray’s exhibition of framed pastel on paper works: “To Everything There is A Season.”
• OASIS Fine Art and Craft (103 S Main St.) welcomes you to ‘Earth and Sky,” an exhibition of wood and acrylic paintings by artists Dennis Hippen and Delaney Westwood. Meet the artists and enjoy live music by Simply Folk during the opening reception.
• Pale Fire Brewing Co. (217 S Liberty St., Suite 105) opens “Little Worlds,” featuring mixed media works by Laura Thompson. The opening reception with an artist talk is scheduled 5-8 p.m.
• Sage Bird Ciderworks (325 N Liberty St.) kicks off a celebration of its second anniversary with an exhibition of works by co-owner Amberlee Carlson. Meet Amberlee, see “Floral Expressions,” her new exhibition of watercolor and mixed media works, and enjoy complimentary charcuterie in the North Wing Gallery during the 5 to 8 p.m. artist reception. Gabe Ravel & Friends provide live jazz in the taproom from 7 to 9 p.m.
• Smith House Galleries (311 S Main St.) invites you to an opening reception for two exhibitions. “Time Out of Mind” features drawing, mixed media, and painting works by Quillon Hall; while “The Animal Kingdom” highlights Juliette Swenson’s watercolors. Enjoy light refreshments, with a backdrop of live banjo music by James Barnes. The receptionis sponsored by Cardinal Dental Specialists. Smith House Galleries is open Mon-Fri, 11a.m. to 4 p.m.; and Second Saturday (Sept. 10), 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• Ten Thousand Villages (181 S Main St.) encourages you to stop in for a book signing by Lori Mier, author of Merwin, along with a chance to see Lori’s photographs.
• Virginia Quilt Museum (301 S Main St.) invites you to help create a community crazy quilt each month during First Fridays of the Valley. Materials and instructions will be provided.
• Wilson Downtown Gallery (83 S Main St.) hosts a reception for “Color Banter: Exploring Blue Ridge Inspired Dreamscapes in Contemporary Color,” an exhibition of traditional paintings on stretched canvas by Jessie Y. Shelburne. Chat with the artist and sample light refreshments.
• The Wing Gallery at The Perch (85 W Gay St.) announces an artist meet & greet to launch an exhibition of paintings by Sanarea Ali. Talk with the artist and enjoy refreshments.

Other 2022 First Fridays of the Valley venues are: Community Mennonite Church, Duke Hall Gallery of Fine Art, Explore More Discovery Museum, Green Hummingbird, Harrisonburg Baptist Church, Harrisonburg-Rockingham Chamber of Commerce, Hess Financial, Look West Gallery @ The Mark-It, Park Gables Gallery at VMRC, Rockingham Circuit Court Clerk’s Office, Rocktown Yarn, and Village Juice and Kitchen.

To learn more, visit valleyarts.org