Cultch-a
I tend to be a homebody. Recently, between working at home, parenting, and the return of winter weather, it's gotten kind of ridiculous. I can't easily remember the last time I went out to something other than a few folkie events, potluck, or the café a few blocks away.
So it was really, really nice that when Rebecca came home yesterday with a flier for 1st Friday, we realized that we all wanted to go and there was no particular reason not to. First Fridays involve a bunch of museums and galleries and shops with art displays staying open late and offering munchies and a trolley running a loop between some of the more far flung ones. I've heard of things like this in other cities, and thought they sounded brilliant, but I had only managed to tune in a month or two ago to the fact that one had started here last fall. (See above: need to get out more.)
Dinner and baby and such meant that we didn't get there until 8:15 PM or so (it runs from from 5 to 9), but places didn't close bang at 9, and we stuck to Lark Street where there was a lot in close proximity, so we still managed to stop in four different venues, see great art, and have some good conversations. No one actually fell on the icy sidewalks, either, though we basically slid across a few intersections.
Not being much of a visual art connoisseur, I found it pleasantly surprising to enjoy the vast majority of what I saw. In particular, John Hampshire's stuff at the Froebel Gallery exhibit (in the lobby of eba Dance Studio) was incredible. The images online don't do these pieces justice, especially the black and white "labyrinth" pieces, which form gorgeous images out of very minute maze-like doodles (his word). He was fun to talk to as well. If I had a ton of money I would want several of these on my walls. If you're local go check his stuff out-it'll be there for a month.
We also enjoyed chatting with Chris DeMarco at National Upholstering Design and Studio about photographing abandoned buildings, and I loved the L'esperance Tile Works display in the back room of the Upstate Artists Guild gallery.
All in all, a very satisfying evening. Really, it was a better art experience than I ever had in New York City. We definitely plan to do it again.