Music performed by local bands spills out of cafÃ.é doors. Multiple conversations emerge from small crowds along the street where trivial thoughts on paintings and tapestries are exchanged. Even still, all the galleries are secretly being rated based on how well the Chardonnay complemented the pesto.
The air is light, the spirit festive and the wine awaiting in Downtown, where once a month the streets transform into stages and canvasses for Binghamton’s art community during First Friday. It’s a day in which devoted art-walkers mingle with the not-so-loyal variety, sauntering in and out of galleries while treating themselves to free refreshments.
The Gorgeous Washington Street Association introduced the First Friday art walk in 2004. First Friday refers to the first Friday of each month — a day selected for gallery hopping, partaking in artist receptions, dining out and perhaps spending a buck or two at specialty shops and clothing stores. On any given month, between 6 and 9 p.m., an art walker can find between 35 and 45 venues with open-door invitations.
Since its debut, First Friday has only continued to grow, said art-walker David Bradbury as he shook his head disapprovingly at a painting made of beeswax. Last Friday, the Orazio Salati Gallery on 205 State St. featured works by artist Muffin Ray, known for his use of heavy oils and waxes in his paintings.
“Many of these places used to be vacant before the galleries started coming in,” he said. Bradbury, who calls himself a “wannabe artist,” has been coming out to FF art walks for two years.
“It’s great to see people interested in art,” he said. Every month Bradbury meets with a group of about a dozen people and they tour the art walk together. It’s not just students who travel in packs.
Binghamton University students Christina Muscatello, Roksolana Stets and Christina Gallus are local residents and have been going on art walks since their senior year of high school.
“First Friday is still in its young stage,” said Muscatello, a junior philosophy major. “And there’s so much potential.” They all agree that FF is an excellent art movement that’s been aiding in the development of the Downtown area.
“Once more BU students get involved with the community, it will grow tremendously,” said Gallus, a junior biology major.
According to Muscatello, First Friday is always a mix of old and new. “You have your ‘hot spots’ — places you like and keep coming back to.” The Cooperative Gallery on 213 State St. is one of Muscatello’s favorites.
Stets, a junior biology major, suggests everyone check out FF at least once. “No, make that twice!” she added.
Stets, an artist herself, submitted a painting to Late Nite’s First Friday student gallery. The event, organized by the Late Nite graduate assistant Mallory Emerson, was held in New University Union Room 133 and showcased over 60 student submissions. The BU culinary club, Taste Buds, served mocktails and hors d’oeuvres closely mimicking festivities of the art walk.
“We’re working in conjunction with First Friday,” Emerson said. Late Nite was able to borrow easels and other materials from some of the galleries Downtown.
On display at the Anam Cara Art Gallery (204 State St.), across the street from the Cooperative Gallery, was a collection of tapestries entitled “Honoring Trees – Quilts & Dolls,” by fiber artist L. Annette Short. Short is also the costume shop manger of the theater department at BU.
Short, who lives in Johnson City, has been displaying her work in local galleries for over 10 years.
“I always hear students telling me there’s nothing to do around here,” said Short. “And I try to get them to come out.”
It’s important to note that FF doesn’t just feature local artists, she said. Many artists come from New York City and other places as well.
Amid the crowd of students hovering around the concession table of the Anam Cara Gallery was sophomore nursing student Jackie Pasamba. She found out about First Friday through friends who frequent the art walks. “You get to actually see Binghamton — see that there’s a culture,” she said.
The art walk includes destinations on Washington and South Washington Streets; Court, Chenango, State and Water Streets; and Main, Front and North Depot Streets. The walk represents a good opportunity to get in some good healthy exercise as well. There is also a trolley car bus that takes art walkers on a special First Friday route — free of charge. The program for each First Friday can be found on the GWSA Web site: www.gorgeouswashington.com.