First Friday Gallery Crawl

The First Friday gallery crawl is a unique opportunity for thousands of students, families and art lovers to engage with local art each month at unique locations in Downtown and throughout the city. This grassroots event continues to thrive because of the collective vision and collaboration of galleries and artists.

As the name implies, First Friday happens the first Friday of each month. Hours vary between galleries, but most are open during the core hours of 7pm to 9pm. Most galleries use First Friday to unveil and debut new shows or as a closing reception. All venues are free and open to the public and several galleries incorporate artist demonstrations and/or live music. Not only does this event give guests the opportunity to view creative art space, it also is an excellent time to purchase one-of-a-kind artwork directly from artists.

Transportation Options
Explore the core and gallery hop using the free Q-LINE Trolley shuttle service that runs up and down Douglas Avenue. Electric scooter and bicycle rentals are also available. Discover additional transportation options.

First Friday Events

This month's First Friday will occur on September 6, 2019. Participating venues will be listed on this website no less than a week before the event.

Art House 310
310 South Laura Street 

Title of Exhibition: Art House 310 First Friday – Rachel Hermes & Sara Grant

Featured Artists: Rachel Hermes & Sara Grant

Description: 

Art House 310 First Friday – Rachel Hermes & Sara Grant
Opening Reception | First Friday March 1st, 2024 | 6-10pm

This event is free to attend and open to the public. Show hangs through March 24th, 2024.
Art House 310 is located at 310 S. Laura. Two blocks SE of Douglas & Washington in downtown Wichita.

RACHEL HERMES

Exploring the transient, fragile nature of the human experience, my work focuses on the cycle of life and death as an integrally tied aspect of our relationship with nature. Subjects are often depicted in vulnerable positions with faces obscured, surrounded by plants and leaves, or ambiguous forms. Untamed growth and decay encroach on figure and ground, referencing the inevitable passage of time and the liminal state before regeneration begins. Nature is employed as a variable entity that overwhelms.

My work fluctuates between depicting a perception of my own reality that is distorted by shame and fear, and an imagined ideal steeped in fantasy. The juxtaposition of these two concepts creates tension as I create the work. I experience an unrelenting pull to balance the ugly or unsettling with the beautiful – bitter disreality and a deep longing for something better. In this way, my work alternately acts as a vessel for escapism and as a method of intrinsic exploration. Figures reside in isolated, vaguely otherworldly bubbles, shielded from reality.

Placelessness and isolation are strong themes in my work. I often feel a lack of belonging, and that disconnectedness is mirrored by the solo figures and their highly ambiguous surroundings. The plants, leaves, and vines are intended to read as a marked cadence of slow growth that will render the subjects increasingly entombed as time wears on. As the figures seem unaware of the impending intrusion of plant life and its inevitable ensnarement, a parallel may be drawn to the slow, but steady toll taken from living in a morally challenging and psychologically draining technological world.

See more of Rachel’s work online at https://rachelhermes.com/ on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rachelhermesart/ and on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rehermesart/

SARA GRANT

Sara Grant is a Midwest-based, visual artist and mother of three. She has two boys and a girl. Being a mother is her ultimate joy, but her art is where she is able to find her peace. Her current medium of choice is color pencil. Throughout her life, she has also enjoyed working with mixed media, clay and her first love photography.

Sara has had a lifelong passion for art. In her most recent body of work, she focuses on emotionalism with a realistic drawing style. She is currently working from her studio for upcoming shows. She is looking forward to the future and her continuing evolution as an artist.

See more of Sara’s work online at https://www.sgrantatelier.com/ on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100085041624491 and on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sgrantatelier

www.ArtHouse310.com
Facebook | @ArtHouse310,  Instagram | @ArtHouse310, TikTok | @AngieAwesomePants

Full Exhibition: Show hangs through March 24th, 2024.

Envision Arts Gallery
801 East Douglas Avenue 
(316) 440-1699

Exhibit title: Dancing Colors by Denae Adwell

The Envision Arts Gallery is excited to welcome Denae Adwell with her first solo exhibition titled Dancing Colors on March 1, 2024.

Denae Adwell was raised in Valley Center, Kansas where she graduated from Valley Center High School in 2018. After graduation, Denae attended the Dunlap Transition Campus @ Chisholm, a school designed to help differently abled students transition from high school to young adulthood. 

As a young girl, Denae was diagnosed with having a brain tumor, leading to aggressive treatments at Children’s Mercy in Kansas City, Missouri. The treatment ultimately caused a rare form of visual impairment, leaving her with double vision and no depth perception. Denae joined Envision Arts 12 years ago where she continues to grow and thrive as an artist.

GALLERY XII
412 East Douglas Avenue 

Title of Exhibition: Gallery 12 First Friday Opening Reception

Featured Artists: Digital Artist/Member Charles Gaynor & Consignment Ceramist Alexandra Palmer

Exhibition Hours: 6-9 pm

"Determined Digital" Opening reception for Gallery Member Charles Gaynor & consignment artist Alexandra Palmer. 

Artist Statement Gaynor: "The focus of my work is digital, with some photography here and there. I utilize multiple software programs, such as Daz Studio, Painter, Rebelle and Photoshop to create images. They are tools to facilitate the creative process. I print these graphics off at home. I continually explore all forms of art to help me learn and produce. I try not to repeat myself, and each work, except if it is a “look” I wish to continue, is different from the last. This presents its own challenge as far as my growth and development are concerned."

Gallery 12 welcomes Alexandra Palmer as a new ceramic artist. Alexandra was born in Cape Town, South Africa; Her artistic style is minimalistic, contemporary, and strongly influenced by Africa’s beauty – its colors, patterns, textures, and people and (eleven official languages). She is a mixed media artist, working in stoneware & earthenware for her 3D pieces & acrylic and ink for her paintings.

Gallery 12 is an Artist Cooperative Gallery which first opened in 1977. The Gallery has 20 Member/Partners and over 20 consignment artists exhibiting in the gallery. Artworks range from 2-D: Paintings, Prints, Photographs, Mixed Media and 3-D: Ceramics, Pottery, Sculpture, Enamel Works and Jewelry. We have a wide range of price points and we offer a free lay-a-way program for our customers & clients.

Full Exhibition: March 1st to March 30th

Harvester Arts
215 Washington North 
(316) 530-2203

Featured Artists: hosted by the TechArt ICT collaborative and features the work of 11 Wichita artists: Dani Echo and Hallie Linnebur Jim Hammer John Harrison Ernie Kind Tom McGuire Meghan Miller Mike Miller Quintis Pinkston Tatiana Svrckova Larsen Mason Talbot Tasha Wentling

Title of Exhibition: Transmogrification

Event Description: Transmogrification is an experimental art installation hosted by the TechArt ICT collaborative and features the work of 11 Wichita artists. Transmogrify: to transform in a surprising or magical manner.

Exhibition Hours: 6-9 pm

Full Exhibition Date: March 1st- March 29th

Hopping Gnome Brewing Company
1719 Victor Street 
(316) 771-2110

Title of Exhibition: FABES x FACES

Featured Artist:  Fabes Belcher

Exhibition Hours: FRIDAY MARCH 1ST 3 PM-11 PM

Fabes is a self-taught artist aiming to alter the human perspective on life through the thought-inspiring emotions of his vibrant paintings. He finds inspiration in philosophy, nature, and the state of culture. Fabes has worked full-time as a paramedic since 2014 and entered the professional art space in 2017. Fabes believes that contrast is everything. The ability for contrast to highlight the importance of any given subject allows him to channel inspiration into thought-inspiring artworks. He wants to invite the viewer to have a conversation with themselves about their thoughts, beliefs, and place in this world.

During his creation process, Fabes uses acrylic, pastel, spray paint, watercolor, ink, and various other visual mediums. “Just as my work as a paramedic helps to heal the body, I too understand art's potential to heal the mind.

Full Exhibition: MARCH 1ST-31ST

MonikaHouse
1121 N. Bitting Ave 

Featured Artist: Alexandra Simone 

Title of Exhibition: Alexandra Simone Opening Reception 

Exhibition Hours: 6:00 - 8:00 PM

Featuring dozens of local artists.

Paintings and Photography
Opening Reception: First Friday, March 1, 2024 - 6:00 - 8:00 PM

MONIKAHOUSE at No Craft Left Behind
1121 N Bitting, Wichita, Kansas

Full Exhibition: March 1 - 9, 2024

Newman University (Steckline Gallery)
3100 McCormick Street 
(316) 942-4291

Title of Exhibition: "Looking In: Photographs from the Kansas Border"

Featured Artist: Cary Conover

Exhibition Hours: 5-7 p.m.

Event Description:

Steckline Gallery will present “Looking In: Photographs from the Kansas Border” by artist Cary Conover during a First Friday exhibition from 5-7 p.m. March 1 at Newman University.

“Looking In” will be on display March 1- March 29. An artist talk, which includes a discussion with the artist and pizza lunch for Newman students, will take place Feb. 29 from noon to 1 p.m. All events are free and open to the public.

Full Exhibition: March 1-29

Pop-Up Gallery
248 S. Rutan 

Title of Exhibition: Impermanence 

Featured Artists: Heather Cartwright, Jeni Doom, Kendra Cremin, Fernando Salazar, Tim Stone

Exhibition Hours: 6-9

This is an art exhibition collab in a historic College Hill home, featuring works from local artists Heather Cartwright, Jeni Doom, Kendra Cremin and Tim Stone. There will be small and large-scale paintings and photography. 

Full Exhibit: March 1st

 

Reuben Saunders Gallery
3215 East Douglas Avenue 
(316) 682-1481

Featured Artists: Rebecca Hoyer

Title of Exhibition: "Enjoy" - Rebecca Hoyer

Opening Reception: 5:30 to 9 p.m., Mar. 1

This solo exhibition will feature all-new artworks by local artist, Rebecca Hoyer!

We hope you will join us for our opening reception on First Friday, March 1st from 5:30 pm - 9:00 pm! 

Full Exhibition Date: March 1st-30th

The Enchanted Mermaid at Muse Meridian
3201 East Douglas Avenue 
(316) 796-5383

Featured Artist: Collette Childers

Title of Exhibition: Crochet For Ewe

Exhibition Hours: 6-9 pm

Artisan Market with numerous art vendors, food trucks, music, & more. Crochet For Ewe will do a live demonstration. The mermaids will be on location for photo ops and there will be free taste testers of Pivot Kombucha and Mermaid Cakery Ice Cream Cups.

 

Vertigo 232 Art Gallery
232 North Market Street 
(316) 264-2450

Title of Exhibition: Spring Cleaning

Featured Artists: Tasha Wentling, Niki Smith Bassett,  Jim  Philips, BG Bradshaw, Kathy Hunter, Peggy Hayes, Brian Hinkle, Jason Crile,  Genna Gehring, Doug Billings,  Hocus  Focus Photo, Dr. Cos McEvil,  Christine Emond, Ann Krone Kelly Rundell,  Michael Davenport, Steve Fairchild, Bob Neace, Denise Ziegler,  Leigh Leighton Wallace, Derek Goon 

Reception: Final Friday, February 23, 2024

Exhibition Hours: 5-9 pm

SPRING CLEANING 2024
Art Show and Sale !
OPENING FINAL FRIDAY FE8 23RD -5-9PM
FIRST FRIDAY MARCH 1 5-9PM

Artists make space in their studios -
putting some OLDER work up for Sale!
Come early for best selection !!
Artist include : Tasha Wentling , Niki Smith Bassett ,
Jim Philips , BG Bradshaw , Kathy Hunter , 
Peggy Hayes ,Brian Hinkle , Jason Crile , 
Genna Gehring , Doug Billings ,
Hocus Focus Photo ,Dr. Cos McEvil ,
Christine Emond , Ann Krone , Kelly Rundell ,
Michael Davenport , Steve Fairchild ,
Bob Neace , Denise Ziegler ,
Leigh Leighton Wallace , Derek Goon 

Full Exhibition: February 23-March 1, 2024

White Crow Cider Company
1236 East Waterman Street 

Title of Exhibition: Brent Newton Astrophotography

Featured Artist: Brent Newton

Exhibition Hours: Thus 3-9, Fri. 3-10, Sat 12-10, Sun 12-5

Event Description: Grab a cider and peruse out-of-this-world art by Brent Newton, astrophotographer. 

Full Exhibition: Brent Newton

William J. Reals Gallery of Art
1010 N. Kansas 
(316) 293-2643

Featured Artists: Gretchen Howarth

Title of Exhibition: Memories of Awe

Event hours: 5 to 7 p.m. on March 1

Event Description: 

Artist Gretchen Howarth gradually lost much of her vision due to Stargardt disease, a progressive retinal condition. As described by Howarth, “with thousands of holes in her retinas she sees through a galaxy of tiny dots and has no center focus at all.” 

In 2019, years after being declared legally blind, Howarth began an unexpected journey as an artist. With no background in art, she began drawing landscapes with pastels and a few years later started learning her way around acrylics on canvas.

She’s been a Wichita First Friday featured artist several times and has had two exhibits in the Envision Arts Gallery (one of which shared space with the world-renowned fully blind artist John Bramblitt). In 2022 Gretchen won first place in the annual international American Printing House for the Blind art contest.

“Memories of Awe” will feature acrylic paintings on canvas and will be displayed in both the east and west galleries of the William J. Reals Gallery of Art at KU School of Medicine-Wichita. The exhibit will open with a reception from 5-7 p.m. Friday, March 1, in the West Atrium at KU School of Medicine-Wichita. Complimentary refreshments will be served. The William J. Reals Gallery of Art is free and open to the public.

Full Exhibition: Exhibit runs through April 30.

Future Dates

The majority of the galleries that currently participate in Final Friday have announced plans to shift their monthly event to First Friday, beginning in September. Since there is no "governing body" that oversees Final Friday, Downtown Wichita generally takes direction from what the majority of the local galleries wish to do. As of now, Downtown Wichita plans to transition the Final Friday calendar to First Friday beginning in September as well. In order to make this transition as seamless as possible, the usual listing and interactive map for both the August Final Friday (August 30) and September First Friday (September 6) will be created.

Mark your calendars for the following 2019 First Friday dates to never miss an event:

  • September 6
  • October 4
  • November 1
  • December 6

Submit Your Event

Are you an artist or gallery owner interested in being included on the First Friday list? Contact us for more information. Since there is no designated organizing body for First Friday, all participating venues are required to do their own marketing and advertising. Downtown Wichita does provide a listing on our website of all venues that are participating for the general public and visitors to use.

Submit your Final Friday exhibit info no less than one week prior to the event in the following format to be listed on the Downtown Wichita website. Fill-out the form below or email your submission to megan@downtownwichita.org.