Downtown Bellingham was alive with arts and music last night for First Friday, an opportunity for community members to not only tour the work of local artists but also enjoy a drink or live music at downtown businesses.
Known as Art Walk before the pandemic, the event has expanded from a narrow focus on artist displays and galleries to include performances and featured restaurants.
“We rebranded the event to First Friday as a way to showcase more businesses and encourage visitors to spread their activities all around town,” said Jenny Hagemann, communications manager for Downtown Bellingham Partnership.
First Fridays offer rotating art displays and activities each month and the Partnership plans to add more programming as concerns about COVID-19 decrease. Featured galleries and businesses include Allied Arts of Whatcom County, Geheim Gallery, Make.Shift Art Space, Bar Cicotti, Welcome Road Winery and more.
Most First Friday events are free and provide something for everyone from visual art exhibits to live performances. Visitors can tour studios and meet the artists that create the diverse Bellingham arts community.
“I love getting to see all the pictures that people have painted. And the pets,” said Harper Rydel, 8, a First Friday visitor.
Cate Reed, owner of Quicksilver Photo Lab, and her husband Jonathan Lawson displayed their collection of photographs, “Hamsters in Love,” in the photo shop on Cornwall Avenue. The photographs document the travels of two stuffed hamsters, Hunnybum and Sweetums, which Reed and Lawson imagine are incarnations of themselves.
The couple has brought the creatures on road trips to California and Hawaiian vacations, showcasing the scenery and food on their travels with playful photographs of the two love-rodents. The result is a whimsical display of Reed and Lawson’s adventures together.
“We need more whimsy right now,” Reed said.
The collection will be on display at Quicksilver through February.
Wandering Oaks Fine Arts Gallery and Glass Studio, owned by artists Toby and Sheri Ten Eyck, has been a staple of downtown Art Walks since 2016, when the couple bought the gallery. Sheri’s kiln-formed glass and Toby’s colorful paintings are displayed alongside the work of other artists. The space’s open floor plan allows gallery visitors a peek at the studio where the couple creates their pieces and where Sheri offers classes in kiln-formed glass.
“We like to have people watch us work,” Toby said.
Wandering Oaks is open to visitors seven days a week.
Other featured artists included Jane Davenport, who displayed her up-cycled sewn goods at Neko Cat Cafe and Stephanie Ellis, whose ceramic mugs and containers were on display at Bar Cicotti. Ellis said sharing her work with the community is the best part of partaking in First Fridays.
“I love the energy when someone enjoys my pieces,” Ellis said. “It makes me feel motivated to continue doing what I do.”
First Friday goers who wandered into Uisce Irish Pub were met with the sounds of Nuages, a quintet that performs Gypsy jazz music in the style of jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt. Catch them next month at the same time and place.
“Enjoying a meal or cocktail downtown just gets better on First Fridays when you can add on a few stops to see art and experience something new,” Hagemann said.
Experience next month’s artists, performers and events in downtown Bellingham from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Friday, March 4.
