A frosty February night in Downtown Binghamton was lit up on State Street this past Friday with the monthly First Friday Art Walk. Students and residents alike walked the streets and had the opportunity to enjoy a warm meal from one of the various restaurants present before strolling through the wide array of art galleries open to the public. Beginning with the Broome County Arts Council in the early 2000s, the first Friday of each month gives folks in Binghamton the opportunity to see a wide range of artwork in their corner of the world.

State Street alone is home to several galleries with a range of displays focusing on color, nature, music and community. Anthony Brunelli Fine Arts is a warmly lit and welcoming art gallery on State Street and is directed and curated by John Brunelli of Vestal, New York. The gallery displays fine paintings and mixed media works by a combination of local and international artists.

“I’ve got about 60 artists that I represent from all over the world, and this is just a sampler of some of those artists,” Brunelli said. “And each month I’ll be rotating new pieces in.”

In the gallery, Ghanaian mixed-media works of Na Chainkua Reindorf and Dutch-Argentine hyper-realistic images of birds and vases from Lorena Kloosterboer are just a few of the incredible installations that could be seen this Friday.

People of all ages, including students hoping to immerse themselves in the local art scene, could be found mingling about the Art Walk’s pieces, enjoying the philosophy behind them, the colors they brought to each space and the warmth of experiencing art among a community of like-minded people. Chatter filled each gallery and the streets as people zigzagged across from gallery to gallery.

Zoha Khan ‘24, the programs and marketing coordinator for the Art Council, explained what the Council wants to promote through First Friday events: community development and the pride and joy that local businesses bring to their community.

“I want people to appreciate this town,” Khan said. “Part of our First Friday marketing is people often say there’s nothing to do in Binghamton. That’s not true. There’s actually so much to do here. There’s so much art, there’s so much livelihood and you just got to find it.”

The First Friday Art Walk is a way for students and residents can appreciate Binghamton’s culture and art scene throughout the year. From the impressive works of the Artful Child Gallery to the soulful and cultural pieces found at Brunelli’s gallery and Orazio Salati Studio & Gallery, the Art Walk provides inspirational pieces that community members can think about for weeks to come. This program is both an activity for cold winter days and an inspiration for folks to go out and find ways to engage with the community.