The Clarion

Issue date: 4/10/07 Section: Features

Media Credit: Justin Edmonds A passerby at last weekend's First Friday Art Walk in the Sante Fe Art District studies one of the many local artists displayed monthy in various areas of Denver. [Click to enlarge]

"The first time I came to First Friday, I didn't know what to expect, and I stepped out on the street and saw this man driving a saddled alligator. I will never forget that."

Charity Stebbins, 20, a sophomore English major at the University of Denver, is recounting her initial visit to the Santa Fe Art District during a First Friday Art Walk, where she witnessed the popular (but anonymous) street performer amidst crowds venturing in and out of art galleries.

During these art walks, galleries in many of Denver's art districts stay open late, showcasing a myriad of local artists and offering wine, snacks, and music to entertain patrons - all for free. As the name implies, these art walks (or "First Fridays", as many call them) occur on the first Friday of every month between 6 p.m. and 9 p.m.

First Fridays are national events, designed to promote and coordinate gallery openings so artists get more exposure. In Denver, they take place in several areas where there are high concentrations of galleries and museums, such as the River North (RiNo) Art District downtown and the Golden Triangle (which includes the Denver Art Museum).

However, the current hot spot for First Fridays would have to be the Santa Fe Art District, on Santa Fe between 5th and 10th Avenue. There are over 30 galleries on this stretch, all within walking distance, offering a wide variety of contemporary and experimental collections in a range of different media.

This month, for example, the Sandy Carson Gallery featured a narrative series done in acrylic by Santiago Perez that told the story of Big Head and the Fools (in a sort of Dali-meets-Bosch-meets-Far Side comics vein), set along side fanciful clay sculptures depicting women and animals by Caroline Douglas. The Chicano Humanities and Arts Council (CHAC) exhibited paintings by Derek Cadena, done in different styles but all sharing a theme of rabbits and skulls. Other galleries showcased abstracts, light installations, and politically-charged collages.

Continued...

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