Bend has GREAT First Fridays!!!

First Friday Art Walk in Bend, Oregon is a big party. But in addition to the social happenings, there is some really good art to see! Here is what I would do.....

4pm- TUMALO ART CO.
Start in Bend's Old Mill District. The Tumalo Art Company starts Art Walk at 4pm. Parking is easy! In July, Annie Ferder's incredible watercolors are in a display called "East Meets West." See tumaloartco.com.  Also featured at this gallery are High Desert Art League members, Helen Brown and David Kinker and many other unique and talented artists. See highdesertartleague.com.

LUBBESMEYER STUDIO
Then I would go upstairs to Lisa and Lori's fabric art studio to see and talk to these two amazing identical twins and see what they are up to. It's always something interesting!

ATELIER 6000
Before heading downtown, I have to make a stop at A6. There you can see original prints by OSU faculty member Yuji Hiratsuka, and a juried exhibit of bike-inspired prints by local artists.

6pm- FRANKLIN CROSSING
This is where the Watercolor Society of Oregon's travelling show is on display. Billye Turner presents the show downtown at the Franklin Crossing building on Franklin and Bond streets. The WSO has two shows per year with 80 of the best watercolor paintings in the state. Twenty of those are chosen to travel to different Oregon galleries for six months. We are lucky to have this in Bend this month. Don't miss it. Featured in this show is local artist Chris Keylock-Williams with an award of distinction.

RED CHAIR GALLERY 

Then walk over to this co-op gallery on Oregon and Bond to see the encaustic paintings of HDAL member Janice Rhodes! She'll have new works this month as the featured artist. Also showing their work there are HDAL members Jacqueline Newbold, Joren Traveller, Shelly Wierzba, 

Now I'd be hungry for dinner, so I'd have to decide which wonderful restaurant to go to in Bend. This is not a restaurant guide, so I'll skip to after dinner.....

SOTHEBY'S is a real estate office on Wall Street in downtown Bend. There, Vivian Olsen and Barbara Slater are showing their new work, mostly animals, both domestic and wild.

So much to do and see! There are more galleries and exhibits in Bend than I have mentioned. And the exhibits are generally up all month, so if you miss this Friday, you can catch the art later. I hope to see you all at one or another of these wonderful exhibits!