25 Venues Host Arts During First Fridays of the Valley 10/4

HARRISONBURG, VA – Arts Council of the Valley (ACV) delightfully shares its October First Fridays of the Valley lineup, with 25 venues participating! A list of venues, online map, and pdf with links to Oct 4 events are available at valleyarts.org/first-fridays. We are grateful to Kathy Moran Wealth Group, Exclusive Sponsor for the 2024 First Fridays of the Valley program.

The following First Fridays of the Valley venues plan to host arts experiences Oct 4. Unless otherwise noted, events are scheduled 5-7 pm.

• Aristocat Cafe (111 N Liberty St) hosts an opening reception for Matthew Cosner’s exhibition of photography and mixed media artwork.
• Asbury United Methodist Church (205 S Main St) features an exhibition of oil paint and oil pastel works by Justin Poole: Vistas: New Works in Oil Paint and Oil Pastel. The opening reception includes refreshments and time with the artist.
• Deviant Kreations (61 Court Square) celebrates the opening of Scaredy Cat by Madelyn Penrod, an exhibition highlighting the art of rug tufting. Meet the artist and enjoy refreshments.
• Draime Fine Art Studio School (1153 S High St) shares an open house from 5 to 8 pm; explore current students’ work, including drawings and watercolor paintings. Refreshments available.
• Duke Hall Gallery of Fine Art (820 S Main St) holds extended hours, offering an additional opportunity to explore the current exhibition: DLO A RASIN by Minia Biabiany. The show will remain open through October 18.
• Explore More Discovery Museum (150 S Main St) hosts autumnal artmaking activities! Stop by for Fall Fun, featuring fall-inspired crafts for kids. Admission is free.
• Friendly City Food Co-op (150 Wolfe St) invites you to enjoy a new exhibition of acrylic works on canvas by Emma Miller in Perspective of Nature. The opening reception includes a chance to meet the artist and partake of refreshments in the cafe gallery.
• Gaines Group Architects (141 W Bruce St, Ste 101) opens Southeast Asia Collection, an exhibition of photography by Deryl Kennel. Learn about the artist’s work and enjoy refreshments.
• Gift & Thrift (731 Mount Clinton Pike) shares an author spotlight and children’s storytelling: from 11am to 5pm, meet author Wendy Reardon and hear her read from her new book, The Blessing Trail. Storytime sessions begin at 11:30am and 3pm.
• Harrisonburg City Hall (409 S Main St) welcomes you to an opening reception for City Works: A Portrait of Public Service. This exhibition includes photographs created by City Employees of City Employees in honor of Harrisonburg City’s Employee Appreciation Week in October.
• Hess Financial (380 E Market St) celebrates Five Friends, an exhibition featuring the works of artists Paul Cook, Donna Detrich, Charlie Kasch, Doris Martin, and Martha Merz. Meet the artists and sample refreshments.
• Horizon Gifts (60 W Market St) highlights the works of JMU Student Entrepreneurs throughout October! Enjoy an exhibition of jewelry, stickers, stationery, crocheted pieces, upcycled clothing, and paintings, and meet the artists who made them at the opening reception. Refreshments are provided.
• Hotel Madison & Shenandoah Valley Conference Center(710 S Main St) holds a reception for Botanical Brilliance by Lynda Chandler. Enjoy Lynda’s watercolor paintings in the mezzanine 5-7 pm, then jam out to live jazz, blues, classic rock, and folk music from Trio Jazz in the lobby 6-8 pm. Food and beverages are available for purchase at Quills lobby bar and Monty’s Restaurant.
• Mashita (105 N Liberty St) announces October’s featured artist, Ron Wood, with MONSTRO-PRESENTISM: Viewing the past filtered through a lens distorted by exposure to the monstrous and macabre. Check out Ron’s mixed media creations during restaurant open hours.
• OASIS Fine Art & Craft (103 S Main St) exhibits the works of Emerging Artists: Ken Carson, CeCe Dodd, Camille Gerrick, Jonathan Gideon, Julia Koehler, Brooke Pangle, Afton Rhodes-Lehman, Keylee Ritchie, Carrie Ross, and Wendell Shenk. The exhibition, featuring a variety of media, opens with a reception including refreshments and live music by Countryside Garage Band.
• Pale Fire Brewing Co. (217 S Liberty St Ste 105) welcomes you to an opening reception for One Big Dose presents Loring Gibson's street art studies!, an exhibition of paintings on reclaimed plywood by artist One Big Dose. Following the reception, enjoy live blues, funk, and jazz by Savvy at 7 pm.
• Parentheses Books (76 W Gay St) features Quilts on Clay by artist Kassy Newman! See wheel-thrown and hand-built ceramics with detailed surface design featuring various underglazes, glazes, and image transfers. You can meet the artist and sample light refreshments during the opening reception 5-6 pm.
• Park Gables Gallery at VMRC (1491 Virginia Ave) presents the Shenandoah Valley Watercolor Society’s Member Show with a reception; meet the artists, peruse their watercolor creations, and sample light refreshments.
• The Perch Workspace (85 W Gay St) offers an opening reception for Randy and Janet Shank’s new exhibition of textiles, Shenandoah Threads. Meet the artists and enjoy a weaving demonstration in the Wing Gallery!
• Pulp Cafe (135 S Main St) introduces Animal Farm by Katie Cousins, a new exhibition of acrylic and spray paint on both canvas and skateboards! Enjoy some refreshments and meet the artist.
• Rebecca’s Well Gift Shop (405 N Main St - Bridgewater) invites you to Night on the Town with LC Creations during a one-night-only shop event; peruse exhibited textiles including quilted and crocheted works, embroidery, and more from 5 to 8 pm.
• Sage Bird Ciderworks (325 N Liberty St) celebrates artists Kendra and Isabel Matter, who bring an exhibition of works featuring oil paint, acrylics, and pencil to the North Wing Gallery; view A Quintet of Quartets during an opening reception 5-8 pm. Enjoy complimentary charcuterie and live improvisational piano by musician Andy Wildermuth.
• Saint Stephen’s United Church of Christ (358 S Main St) headlines musician Justin Hensley with a live musical performance from 6 to 7 pm. Refreshments available.
• Smith House Galleries (311 S Main St) welcomes you to an opening reception for two brand new exhibitions sponsored by MODdisplays: Artistry & Eclecticism, by Mae Stoll, features acrylic and pastel paintings, and Floral Worlds, by Laura Thompson, includes mixed media collage. Enjoy refreshments and meet both exhibiting artists!
• Stoney Run Artisans & Highland Designs (9945 McGaheysville Rd) presents Steve Lambert-Paintings of Local Landscapes and Wildlife with a reception 3-7 pm. Have a look around this exhibition of acrylic paintings, meet the artist, and have some snacks!

Other 2024 First Fridays of the Valley participating venues are: Arts Incarnate, ArtWorks Gallery, Capitol Waffle Shop, Court Square Theater, Firefly Emporium, The Frame Factory & Gallery, Friendly City Clay & Art Center, Furious Flower Poetry Center, The Golden Pony, Green Hummingbird, Harrisonburg Baptist Church, Look West Gallery at The Mark-It, Ott Street Eats, Rootstock Wine Bar and Provisions, Ten Thousand Villages, and Virginia Quilt Museum.
Arts Council of the Valley is located at 311 South Main Street in Downtown Harrisonburg, Virginia.

Programs are supported, in part, by 2024 Cultivating the Arts Platinum Sponsors: Eugene Stoltzfus Architects, James McHone Jewelry, Kathy Moran Wealth Group, Matchbox Realty, and Riner Rentals.

Arts Council of the Valley is a 501(c)3 nonprofit 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 $498,300 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 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.