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Downtown Bakersfield's First Friday
Topics: First Friday, Lisa Small, Don Martin, art, artist, event, music, sax, Pottery, downtown, Gallery, Metro, dog, Bakersfield, Bakotopia, SW Voice
Posted by pinkpixielove Tue Oct 9, 2007 10:19:59 PDT
Viewed 1530 times
0 responses 0 comments Location: 1604 19th Street, Bakersfield, Ca 93301

Downtown Bakersfield's First Friday
Bakersfield's art community grows with Fall festival!


(Yvonne Cavanaugh)

By Lisa Small, Bakotopia.com contributor

The richness and color of Bakersfield grows with the vivacity of its finest artists!

Don Martin, President and Creative Director of the Metro Gallery has put together a continued  event called "First Friday", as it will take place every first friday of the month from 5-9pm.  October fifth was the opening of its first event, which had an excellent turnout! Men in suits, older women with long colorful skirts, college students, and locals from the goth and punk scene joined together in the festivities of the night. The atmosphere of 19th street between H and Eye was the picturesque of social perfection as everyone devulged in the creative juices presented before them.

The street was alive with several local artists, including myself, Lisa Small, displaying and selling artwork of all styles.  Entertainment at every corner, Yvonne Cavanagh could be seen throwing pottery on her wheel with Isaiah Morfin playing jazzy music on his sax in the background. Warm lights bouncing off beautiful and appealing paintings and sculptures, a wine and food reception, and a friendliness of the crowd inside the Metro, left a  feeling of exhilaration and pleasure, blushing the skin of all admirers. The smell of italian flavor filled the air with the pasta bar and wine and beer garden provided by the Spotlight Theater.  People gathered around and watched the Kern Film Festival as it was projected from the Hayden Building onto the side wall of the 1612 City Lofts.

For a moment everyone paused as they were captivated by the serenity of a beautiful sunset of magenta and gold cast just above the buildings of downtown Bakersfield.

Biscuit Doggy Boutique and Day Spa had a doggy costume contest. The shops along 20th st.  had 20% off all sales and donated it to Link For Life.

Charisma sold limited edition Link for Life pink ribbion charms in honor of breast cancer awareness month.

Fiorini on 19th st. had a beautiful selection of home decor and gifts, gorgeous furniture and some great candles.

La Coquette, Mary Wiswall's new lingerie boutique, had put together a wonderful new space.

Downtown Bakersfield bussinesses recognizes the growing interest in new cutting edge artists. Come keep the art alive and join us in next month's First Friday!

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