May 2 First Fridays of the Valley: 24 Venues Offer Arts Experiences

HARRISONBURG, VA – Arts Council of the Valley (ACV) shares its May First Fridays of the Valley lineup, featuring arts programming at 24 venues throughout the City of Harrisonburg and Rockingham County! A list of venues, online map, and additional information about May 2 events are available at valleyarts.org/first-fridays-of-the-valley/. We appreciate Kathy Moran Wealth Group, Exclusive Sponsor for the 2025 First Fridays of the Valley program.

• Aristocat Cafe (111 N Liberty St) shares “Whimsy,” a mixed media art exhibition by Jessa Kinney. aristocat.cafe
• Arts Incarnate (75 N Mason St) invites you to enjoy mural works by Ver Ikeseh. Meet the artist and sample refreshments during the opening reception. artsincarnate.com/
• Asbury United Methodist Church (205 S Main St) welcomes you to explore Flower paintings, an exhibition featuring mixed media works by various artists. Refreshments will be available. asburydowntown.org
• Chestnut Ridge Coffee Roasters (76 W Gay St) hosts The Woolgatherer, performed by Eunoia Theatre. Performances run May 1-4 at 7:30 pm. Learn more and purchase tickets at eunoiatheatre.com/woolgatherer.
• City of Harrisonburg (409 S Main St) announces an opening reception at City Hall for Anything and Everything, an exhibition of paintings by Anastasia Montigney. Stop by to explore the display and meet the artist. harrisonburgva.gov/first-fridays
• Court Square Theater (41-F Court Square) features a performance by Rocktown Improv! Join this group of local actors and improv artists - who craft unscripted scenes through games and audience suggestions - for an evening of live, improvisational theatre at 7:30 pm (doors open at 7 pm). A $5 donation at the door is appreciated. courtsquaretheater.org/event/rocktown-improv

• Explore More Discovery Museum (150 S Main St) welcomes you to Fun with Foil, an art activity for children. iexploremore.com
• Frame Factory & Gallery (139 N Liberty St, Ste 101) opens two new exhibitions: Color Patchwork by Martha Putney and Passing Fancies by Joseph Harder. Visit during the opening reception to admire oil paintings and photography; meet the artists; and enjoy refreshments. facebook.com/events/689260606883060
• Friendly City Food Co-op (150 Wolfe St) invites you to explore Shifting Perspectives, an exhibition of digital photography by Jade Rozanski. Meet the artist and sample refreshments during the opening reception. friendlycity.coop/harrisonburg-events-classes

• Furious Flower Poetry Center (500 Cardinal Drive) features Of Contagions, Confusions, and Cleansing, curated by Dr. Adérónké Adésànyà, in the Broadside Gallery. Enjoy these poetry broadsides and meet the curator; refreshments will be available. jmu.edu/furiousflower/broadside-gallery/index.shtml

• Gaines Group Architects (141 W Bruce St, Suite 201) shares an opening reception for Intrinsic Flow by Delaney Westwood. Admire Delaney’s acrylic paintings, chat with the artist, and partake of light refreshments. facebook.com/share/1LpapR4x9T/
• Gift & Thrift (731 Mt Clinton Pike) hosts VOICE for an evening of a cappella music. giftandthrift.org/
• Hess Financial (380 E Market St) announces an opening reception for A Daring Adventure by Colleen Kivley. Explore the mixed-media exhibition, spend some time with the artist, and enjoy refreshments. facebook.com/events/1004314667978608/
• Hotel Madison & Shenandoah Valley Conference Center (710 S Main St) hosts a reception (5-7 pm in the mezzanine gallery) for continuing exhibition SVWS at HOTEL MADISON, featuring watercolor and acrylic paintings by Shenandoah Valley Watercolor Society Signature Members. Meet the artists in the mezzanine gallery, then enjoy live music by JMU a cappella groups Exit 245 and The BluesTones in the lobby from 6 to 8 pm. Food and beverages are available for purchase at Quills lobby bar and Monty’s Restaurant. hotelmadison.com
• JMU @ Harrisonburg Innovation Hub (25 N Liberty St) features a one-night-only multimedia, popup exhibition: TIME OUT // TIME IN: Collaborative Exploration in Time and Art. Stop in to see exciting works by students from the "IART401E/501E, Time and Art: Theory and Practice in Time for Interdisciplinary Collaboration" course at JMU; meet the artists. Refreshments will be available. facebook.com/share/1976k4mc95/
• Look West Gallery @ The Mark-It (125 W Water St) announces 110 Mesh, featuring hand-pulled screen prints by eirotropot. Stop by during the opening reception to meet the artist! themarkithva.com/
• Mashita (105 N Liberty St) displays Spring Inspired Images in May, highlighting oil, digital, and mixed media artwork by Mike Reisenberg. eatmashita.com/
• Northwestern Mutual (83 S Main St) welcomes you to Inspire and Aspire, an exhibition filled with artwork in a variety of media by various artists. northwesternmutual.com/office/va/harrisonburg/86244590

• North Wing Gallery at Sage Bird Ciderworks (325 N Liberty St) opens Rocks I Stole From Your Driveway, sculptures by Zeke Trainum with a reception 5-8 pm. Visit to discover stone, steel, and wood sculptures; chat with artist Zeke; and sample light refreshments. facebook.com/share/14CzE7ADaT/
• OASIS Fine Art & Craft (103 S Main St) presents paintings and prints by Susan Elliott in Embracing Mother Nature's Imprint. Celebrate the opening with refreshments, time with the artist, and live music by Jane Cox. facebook.com/events/720909570258701/
• Rootstock Wine Bar and Provisions (86 W Gay St) invites you to an opening reception for Sleight of Hand, a mixed media exhibition by Ashley Sauder Miller. facebook.com/events/1708651086413532/

• Smith House Galleries (311 S Main St) features an opening celebration for 5x5x25. Made possible by The Community Foundation of Harrisonburg and Rockingham County’s Earlynn J. Miller Fund for the arts - and the support of an anonymous donor - this exhibition highlights works of art in a variety of media by 25 local artists. Meet the artists, see their work, and sample light refreshments. valleyarts.org/smith-house-galleries-current-exhibition

• Rebecca’s Well Gift Shop (405 N Main St - Bridgewater) hosts artist Misty Drumheller from KayKay Rain Boutique with handmade jewelry and more during a reception from 5 to 8 pm. Refreshments will be available. kaykayrainboutique.com/
• Ten Thousand Villages (181 S Main St) celebrates First Friday with a one-night-only display of Mandala Paintings by Cindy Mathews. Get to know the artist and admire her dot mandala paintings! tenthousandvillages.com/harrisonburg

Other 2025 First Fridays of the Valley participating venues are: Bridgewater Retirement Community (Bridgewater), Creative Art Studio and Event Center (Bridgewater), Draime Fine Art Studio School, Duke Hall Gallery of Fine Art, Fairfield Mediation Center, Friendly City Clay & Art Center, Friendly City Real Estate Services, The Golden Pony, Harrisonburg Baptist Church, Horizon Gifts and Board Games, Pale Fire Brewing Co., Park Gables Gallery at VMRC, Stoney Run Artisans & Highland Designs (McGaheysville), The Wing Gallery at The Perch, and Three Notch’d Valley Collab House.

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 $510,200 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.