UPDATE: First Thursday to Highlight the Arts in Del Ray

• PHOTO: The interactive public art project "Unity" will launch at the June First Thursday, on the 2200 block of Mount Vernon Avenue.

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ALEXANDRIA, VA -- During the June First Thursday, Del Ray will showcase its creative side with "Paint Del Ray." The monthly street festival is set to take place Thursday, June 2. from 6 p.m. to dusk along Mount Vernon Avenue. The event is free and open to all.

"Paint Del Ray" will be a unique collaboration between Del Ray Business Association and the Del Ray Artisans. The event will feature a wide variety of artist demonstrations and displays along Mount Vernon Avenue. The community will be invited to participate in several family-oriented painting activities along The Avenue, including recycled plastic bottle art, painting an old car, taking pictures in the frame shop photo booth, making a garden tile, an interactive public art project, and more.

Here's a schedule of events for Thursday:

• FREE Trolley going up and down the Avenue throughout the night -- sponsored by Jen Walker-- Open House and Ribbon Cutting -- Four Directions Wellness, 6pm, 2001 Mount Vernon Avenue
• River Rock painting at Greenstreet Gardens
• Paint a car at Alexandria Hyundai
• Alexandria's Mobile Art Lab at R & B
• Fence artwork with recycled plastic bottles at Top It Off
• UNITY public art project on the 2200 block of Mount Vernon Avenue
• Culinary art demonstration by KAiZEN Tavern at the Farmer's Market
• The Vaughn Ambrose Quartet at the Farmer's Market
• Paint Photo Op Boards at the Del Ray Artisans
• Mural grafitti artist Josh Oliveira will be creating a large mural on canvas at the Farmer's Market, to be hung on the eastern wall of Stomping Ground
• Del Ray Artisans with easels, paints, and examples of their work outside Fireflies, Greenstreet Gardens, KAiZEN Tavern, Bellies and Babies, Evening Star Cafe, Del Ray Picture Framing, ReMax, Velocity, Bean Creative, St. Elmo's, Stomping Grounds, Dairy Godmother, Swet Ride, Caboose, Mount Vernon Community School, and Los Tios!

The interactive public art project "Unity" will launch at the June First Thursday, on the 2200 block of Mount Vernon Avenue. Participants will tie colorful yarn to posts that reflect their identities. The larger-than-life structure from the creators of the Courage Wall aims to celebrate individual uniqueness and strengthen ties to each other.

Participants are encouraged to bring art supplies for the Del Ray Artisans' summer art camp or old birdhouses. which will be refinished by the Artisans. Donations will be collected at the Pat Miller Neighborhood Square, formerly known as the Farmer's Market lot, at Mt. Vernon & E. Oxford Avenues.

Founded in 1992, the Del Ray Artisans is a nonprofit whose mission is to promote art for the benefit of artists and the community.

Held the first Thursday of the month from April to September along Mount Vernon Avenue in the Del Ray neighborhood of Alexandria, First Thursday is a series of free outdoor street festivals that bring the community together around a fun theme, benefiting a local nonprofit. This month’s event is sponsored by the Del Ray Business Association in collaboration with the Del Ray Artisans.

For more information on First Thursday, visit www.visitdelray.com. For more information on the Del Ray Artisans, visit thedelrayartisans.org.