First Fridays, March 7th

First Fridays continues to evolve and grow in Bixby Knolls. Businesses are gearing up for the next First Fridays Long Beach on Friday, March 7, 2008.

New for March 7:

· Councilwoman Rae Gabelich’s 8th District Field Office featuring the photography of local resident and former police officer, David Cooper.

· The Bixby Knolls Business Improvement Association will be featuring artwork from Kari Barba, Shawn Humiston, Shorty, Will Thompson and the stylings of beat poet Mike Sonksen.

· Mod-L-Mania will launch its “Best jazz records of all time series” featuring Miles Davis’ “Kind of Blue,” and The Dave Brubeck Quartet’s “Time Out”

· The Historical Society of Long Beach will be kicking off their Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition exhibit: The Way We Worked in the main and south galleries.

· It’s A Grind will provide music.

· You Can Sing Karaoke will be open for the public to come and sing songs.

· Tuttle Cameras will feature photo exhibits from Bohdan "Rob" Pywowarczuk.

Nino’s Italian Restaurant, is proud to present the re-incarnation of the Oasis Gallery, which will feature two Long Beach artists. Craig Anderson believes that composition as well as the bold use of color in unexpected juxtaposition offers myriad opportunities for experimentation. Peter Dopulos is a Long Beach resident who works exclusively in stone using only hand tools. Despite the ancient form of art he explores, his pieces are amazingly contemporary and fresh. “Stone is interesting because you’re creating with the very bones of the earth.” Nino’s will also kick-off their new Happy Hour menu, so come out and support your local artists and businesses. Happy Hour 4-6pm Artist Reception 6-9pm

Four Olives Café is proud to exhibit the works of Lisa Tuggle. This body of work is comprised of a figure series, a psychological study, and a sociopolitical statement. Lisa is moving towards abstraction and paints intuitively. Her work comes to fruition and inevitably evokes the surprising use of color that culminates in a vibrant dynamic. Also, live music for the event will be provided from 7pm to 10pm by The Scarlett and Dr. Bob Finney Jazz Combo

FreeSpirit Yoga will feature Carmen Rickter, Portrait Artist “To me, art is a reflection of the soul and when I draw my purpose is to convey my deepest feelings through my subject. Having a natural talent for drawing and possessing highly sensitive emotions are strong characteristics of a good artist. It also requires love for the act and dedication. The process of creating [art] is extremely intimate and healing for the soul. My hope is that the viewer will see my love for art and personally benefit from the end result” Other featured artist: Roz Wiley. These current works stem from the desire to create art meant to elicit a sense of inner beauty and strength in the observer. Working in many mediums, the pieces in this exhibit are mainly acrylic and tempera on canvas or wood. She hopes you will enjoy her work as much as she has enjoyed creating it for you. She lives in Los Angeles with her muses.

THOR Antiques will be featuring art and light appetizers and wine.

The Richard Goad Theater presents Midsummer Night’s Dream by the Long Beach Shakespeare Company.

Mirage Café hosts its open mic night every Friday: Poets & Musicians!

Events start around 6pm. Venues can be found on Atlantic Avenue between Bixby Road and San Antonio Drive.



The mission of First Fridays is to promote and support local artists and musicians by providing them with an outlet to showcase their work. Every first Friday night of the month, participating Bixby Knolls businesses will unite to promote local artists and musicians through extended operating hours. In doing so we hope to encourage a dialogue between businesses, artists and the community.

Support your Local Business, Support Your Local Artist

For complete information regarding the different venues, check the First Fridays website www.firstfridayslongbeach.com

• Posted: 04/03/08 11:24AM
• Category: Art

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