First Fridays Artwalk sets the beat of the city
November 26, 2007 at 2:23 am (The Commonwealth Times) (art, Artwalk, broad, cabaret, First Fridays, jazz, music, Photography, richmond, theatre, VCU)
This story was published in the Nov. 5, 2007, issue of the Commonwealth Times.
By Stacey R. Hamman
It took about an hour for things to get rolling at First Fridays Artwalk last week, but as the evening settled in, the number of pedestrians walking along Broad Street quickly grew.
“It’s a fun place to come and get inspired,” said Samantha Jeffrey, a high school junior.
Margeaus Huffines-Keener agreed. “We really like the atmosphere,” she said.
Both Jeffrey and Huffines-Keener are students at the Center for the Arts in Henrico County. They were examining artwork at the Visual Art Studio at 208 W. Broad St., having gone to First Fridays this month to earn extra credit.
Around 30 venues participated in what was First Fridays’ second multidisciplinary event of the season. A handful of street vendors took the opportunity to unofficially increase the number of participants, as well.
Keith Ramsey, a fine artist and graphic designer who graduated from VCU, was one of these vendors.
Ramsey set up his artistic creations in front of Curated Culture Inc., the non-profit organization that coordinates all the activities related to First Fridays Artwalk.
Ramsey said he knew about First Fridays from the start, personally knowing Christina Newton, founder and director of Curated Culture.
“It works out for both of us for me to work out here,” Ramsey said. Many people who are first attracted by the outside display are then drawn into the building.
Ramsey stood in front of his display, nodding his head to a techno beat that floated over the street from Turnstyle, where a disc jockey worked his magic. Many of Ramsey’s drawings and paintings depicted minuscule people standing in extensively large rooms. He used long shadows, a sense of contrast in size and the depiction of a large clock towering over a tiny individual to illustrate a drawing titled “Time Obsessed 2.”
This was one he sold Friday to VCU freshman William Barnett V – immediately after saying: “I find people usually buy things when it’s warmer outside.” Barnett was a first-time visitor to First Fridays and said he loves “just how alive it is.”
Artist P.J. Sykes, skilled in both photography and music, was another vendor who fought the chill but still came out with some success.
“I actually just met a guy who’s running for City Council. He’s probably going to have me shoot a bunch of photos for him,” Sykes said.
“This is the third month I’ve been here at this spot,” he said, standing beside an eye-catching photography display. “You meet a lot of people who aren’t usually likely to see this stuff.”
Sykes said he has been serious about photography for five to six years but also plays music and has his own label. “I have my hand in a little bit of everything,” he said.
Speaking of a little bit of everything, that’s exactly what there was. Theater IV at 114 W. Broad St. hosted its first live cabaret, featuring songs such as “All That Jazz,” “Good Old Days” and “The Wizard and I.”
Sandy Dacus and Billy Maupin directed the cabaret, which was set overlooking an exhibition on costume design. The exhibition included selections mainly from children’s theater.
Libby Thurston, who volunteered at the theater 10 years ago, was interested in seeing the exhibit. She used to do set design there, “when this wasn’t a big deal,” she said.
Skyy Restaurant & Jazz Palace, although not officially a First Fridays venue, was holding its weekly live music simultaneously with the event.
A three-man band – Steve Kessler on the keys, VCU adjunct professor Taylor Barnett on flugelhorn and trumpet, and sophomore Dean Christesen on drums – played in the semi-darkened Jazz Palace, where patrons and guests alike could sit and tap their feet to the funky groove.
The restaurant drew more people in as the night progressed, but even a light applause of the initial few caused Kessler to say, “Much better! There’s somebody in here.”
For the people who began wandering in, the restaurant was offering all the artwork on the walls at a 40 percent discount.
The First Fridays Artwalk continues to cater to the young and the youngat- heart, encouraging people from all walks of life to experience the heartbeat of Richmond.
