CALACA Artists Highlight First Friday Art Shows

The first Friday of every month the downtown and central Phoenix areas transform into a gigantic art canvas where art lovers and tourists plan their own self-guided art walks. There are more than 70 galleries and art-related spaces, hundreds of restaurants and dozens of street lots that fill with vendors of all kinds.

This fun gig starts at 6 p.m. and goes until 10 p.m. or later. During First Friday you can mingle and people-gawk among the thousands that descend upon the Phoenix from throughout the Valley. Grab your squeeze, join your friends, or gather your kids and become part of the festive crowd and atmosphere.

Because the territory of First Friday has grown so large, this means that you probably won’t get to see all the art spaces in one evening. That’s OK — they will be there next month.

 Many people take advantage of the shuttle service provided. The shuttles start at 6 p.m. at the Phoenix Art Museum and heads out in the four directions. You can park for free at Phoenix Art Museum and on surrounding streets. The Museum is on Central, at McDowell. You can also get to Phoenix Art Museum on METRO light rail(Central / McDowell Station). Volunteers hand out a galleries map so you can find your way around.

 Some of the areas to plan to visit before you go are the Roosevelt Row area, the Grand Avenue area, the Melrose arts district, the north Phoenix arts area, and the downtown Phoenix galleries, bars and restaurants.

 Below are some of the First Friday gallery highlights:

 Braggs Pie Factory, 1301 W. Grand Ave., Phoenix.

“Heart & Symbol” art show, in collaboration with CALACA Cultural Center, an artists’ collective.  

June 7 (reception 6-10 p.m.) to June 21.

 The concept of this contemporary Pre-Colombian exhibition is based in existing non-lineal marriages that represent contemporary norms and rules to natural links between ancient America and modern America. This exhibition will fuse ancient forms and concepts and find its

modern symbolic placement within Chicano/Latino contemporary art. For additional

information you can visit www.calaca.org

Participating Artists:Francisco Banuelos, Emily Costello, Cristina Cardenas, Norma Garcia-Torres, Mary Ann Rodriguez-Veatch, Joe Ray, Jose Benavides, Ralph Cordova, Monica Gisel-Crespo, Oliverio Balcells, Martin Moreno, Cecilia Calderon, Marco Albarran and Ruben Galicia.

This exhibition is a continuing partnership between Bragg’s Pie Factory and CALACA

If you would like additional information or sponsor an exhibition please contact us at

info@calaca.org or visit: www.calaca.org

 MonOrchid Gallery, 214 E. Roosevelt on Roosevelt Row. “Thermal Phoenix” art show reception on June 7.

Modified Arts Gallery, 407 E. Roosevelt, Phoenix. “3CarPileup” art show.

Alwun House, 1204 E. Roosevelt St., Phoenix. “A Burst of Color” featuring artist Gayle Hoeper.

If you have little ones 10 and under, head to the Children’s Museum of Phoenix for free entry from 5 to 9 p.m. The hands-on, highly interactive exhibits are sure entertain the younger crowd and burn off some energy. Don’t skip the Noodle Forest.

If you need some outdoor space, Civic Space Park will have free kid’s activities, live music and performances from 7 to 10 p.m.

 Finally, if you’re over 18 but young at heart, venture over to the Arizona Science Center for Adults’ Night Out – free admission to four floors of hands-on fun and a free lecture.