14 Venues Offer Arts Experiences for First Fridays of the Valley Program on First THURSDAY, July 3

HARRISONBURG, VA – Arts Council of the Valley (ACV) announces its July First Fridays of the Valley lineup - planned for Thursday, July 3, to avoid conflicts with the July 4th holiday - featuring arts programming at 14 venues throughout the City of Harrisonburg! A list of venues, online map, and additional information about July 3 events are available at valleyarts.org/first-fridays-of-the-valley/.

Thanks to Kathy Moran Wealth Group, Exclusive Sponsor for the 2025 First Fridays of the Valley program.

The following First Fridays of the Valley venues plan to offer arts experiences Thursday, July 3. Unless otherwise noted, events are scheduled 5-7 pm.

• Asbury United Methodist Church (205 S Main St) continues Theological Reflections, an exhibition of paintings and digital drawings by Rev. Kathy Pigg/Brown. asburydowntown.org

• City of Harrisonburg (409 S Main St) opens Flower Loving Heart, an exhibition of photography and paintings by Jessica Newman. Stop by City Hall to check out the artwork and meet the artist during the opening reception. harrisonburgva.gov/first-fridays

• The Frame Factory & Gallery (139 N Liberty St #101) celebrates the debut of two new exhibitions: Borderlands, featuring infrared photography by Caitlin Garvey; and Coastlands Near and Far, with watercolors by Lois Kauffman. Meet the artists and enjoy refreshments. framefactoryharrisonburg.com/events/event-two-xs3ee.
• Friendly City Food Co-op (150 Wolfe St) shares an opening reception for Critters. Hooves, Horns & Feathers. by AJ Morey. Chat with the artist as you admire her digital photography and sample light refreshments. friendlycity.coop/event/first-friday-critters-hooves-horns-feathers-by-aj-morey/
• Gaines Group Architects (141 W Bruce St, Suite 201) features Ian Yoder’s Mixed Media Exhibition. Stop by to meet the artist during the opening reception; refreshments will be available. thegainesgroup.com/first-thursday-with-ian-yoder/
• Horizon Gifts and Board Games (60 W Market St) shares Intrinsic Glass by Christine Mello; explore this exhibition of stained glass works, connect with the artist, and enjoy refreshments. horizongiftsandgames.square.site/
• Look West Gallery @ The Mark-It (125 W Water St) presents Petals & Thread : An Embroidered Garden by Sarah Macomber. This exhibition of embroidered floral artwork opens with a reception and opportunity to meet the artist. facebook.com/events/1364439674654539/

• Mashita (105 N Liberty St) highlights new artwork in July: Expiration Date by Logan Estep, an exhibition of acrylic, spray paint, clay, marker, and collage works. eatmashita.com/

• North Wing Gallery at Sage Bird Ciderworks (325 N Liberty St) celebrates the opening of Watercolor Friends, a watercolor show by Lynda Chandler, Barbara Gautcher, Rob Kloetzer, & Donna Detrich of the Shenandoah Valley Watercolor Society. Meet the artists, admire the group’s paintings, and partake of complimentary charcuterie at this reception. sagebirdciderworks.com/event-details/first-thursday-art-opening

• OASIS Fine Art & Craft (103 S Main St) features Synergy: Collaborative works by OASIS artists; this new display showcases works in a variety of media by OASIS members. Visit the opening reception to enjoy live music by Cousin Jimmy’s Stringband; refreshments; and time with the creators behind the art. facebook.com/events/4023563521293387/
• Pale Fire Brewing Co (217 S Liberty St, Ste 105) welcomes you to an opening reception for Agnieszka Elliott’s newest exhibition: Wildlife. Check out the featured oil paintings and chat with the artist. palefirebrewing.com/
• Rootstock Wine Bar and Provisions (86 W Gay St) opens Multitudes: embroidery, mixed media, and collage by JoAnn McGranahan, Rhoda Miller, and Laura Thompson. Stop by to take a look at this collaborative exhibition and meet the artists; a free wine tasting will also be available during the reception. facebook.com/events/642044358859293/
• Smith House Galleries (311 S Main St) invites you to an opening reception for two new exhibitions - The Souls of the Valley and Zambia/Africa, by Mwizenge S. Tembo; and The Elephant in the Room, by Charlotte Shristi - sponsored by Atlantic Union Bank. Explore Tembo’s photographs and Shristi’s paintings and enjoy light refreshments. valleyarts.org/smith-house-galleries-current-exhibition

• Three Notch’d Valley Collab House (241 E Market St) invites you to meet exhibiting artist Brandon Berg and explore his featured artwork in the taproom. threenotchdbrewing.com/pages/hburg

Unable to join in the fun July 3? First Fridays of the Valley venue Hotel Madison & Shenandoah Valley Conference Center (710 S Main St) plans to offer arts programming Friday, July 4, with an opening reception (5-7 pm in the mezzanine gallery) for Vision in Watercolors, with original watercolor paintings by The Joyful Painters (Krista Gisler, Tracy Hakala, Georgi Kiser, Arnita Taliaferro, Judi Coleman). Chat with the artists and enjoy live music by vocalist & guitarist Ebony Nicole, who will be performing folk & rock classics (as well as original songs) in the hotel lobby from 6 to 8 pm. Food and beverages are available for purchase at Quills lobby bar and Monty’s Restaurant. hotelmadison.com

Other 2025 First Fridays of the Valley participating venues are: Aristocat Cafe, Arts Incarnate, BeFi, Bridgewater Retirement Community (Bridgewater), Chestnut Ridge Coffee Roasters, Court Square Theater, Creative Art Studio and Event Center (Bridgewater), Draime Fine Art Studio School, Duke Hall Gallery of Fine Art, Explore More Discovery Museum, Fairfield Mediation Center, Friendly City Clay & Art Center, Friendly City Real Estate Services, Furious Flower Poetry Center, Gift & Thrift, The Golden Pony, Hess Financial, Harrisonburg Baptist Church, JMU @ Harrisonburg Innovation Hub, Northwestern Mutual, Park Gables Gallery at VMRC, Rebecca’s Well Gift Shop, Stoney Run Artisans & Highland Designs (McGaheysville), Ten Thousand Villages, and The Wing Gallery at The Perch.

Arts Council of the Valley is located at 311 South Main Street in Downtown Harrisonburg, Virginia. Programs are supported in part by ACV 25th Anniversary Presenting Sponsor Kathy Moran Wealth Group, and 25th Anniversary Visionary Sponsor Riner Rentals.

A 501(c)3 nonprofit, ACV is dedicated to cultivating the arts, creating experiences, and connecting communities throughout the City of Harrisonburg and Rockingham County. Since it was established in 2000, ACV has grown into a multi-faceted community organization that fosters innovative partnerships among area businesses, civic organizations, schools, and artists. Today, ACV manages Court Square Theater and Smith House Galleries, funds local art projects through its Advancing the Arts grant program (awarding more than $518,300 since 2001), supports public art initiatives, and coordinates monthly First Fridays of the Valley community gatherings.

ACV is supported in part by the City of Harrisonburg, the Harrisonburg Redevelopment & Housing Authority, and the Virginia Commission for the Arts, which receives support from the Virginia General Assembly and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency. To learn more, visit valleyarts.org.

This press release was provided by Martha Hemingway at Arts Council of the Valley.