First Friday was of the hook...

March First Friday, the monthly arts festival in Downtown, was absolutely amazing and by far one of the best we have had yet. I can make such a statement because I have been to almost ever single First Friday in the past 8 years and this one definitely rocked. The creativity that descended Downtown this past weekend demonstrates to me that Las Vegas Culture is stronger than ever.

March First Friday 2011

The positive vibration of energy was so evident, that everyone I spoke to, from the lowbrow to the highbrow and even to the nobrow made the statement this First Friday just seemed different. Was it that there was more optimism in the air, that the worst of the recession is behind us or that we are excited that the tide of winter is finally beginning to recede? For whatever reason First Friday was magical.

Walking through the throngs of people could not have been more rewarding for my creative sensibilities. Everywhere we went there was something new, whether it was an angel on stilts covered in electroluminescent wire, a young woman playing Lady Gaga's Pokerface with a violin, drum circles, dozens of muralists painting buildings all over the 18b neighborhood, galleries filled with amazing art, hipsters, mobsters, ravers, rappers and the like, this First Friday was definitely one for the records books.

Looking back at this past weekend I wonder to myself, if anything is going to pull us out of the malaise of this economy it is the creativity that exists in this community. Goodness knows it was out in full force the other night, which only means there is plenty of light at the end of the tunnel.

Here is a selection of images that I took with my trusty little phone. The quality is not perfect but its helps get the message across. Enjoy...

Young adults enjoying First Friday...

Theatre 7 - A new independent theater house in 18b

COMING SOON new lounge - Artifice Delicious in 18b

Matthew Becker from Reno contemplating a photograph
taken by Diane Bush & exhibited at Brett Wesley Gallery in 18b

Downtown artist James Henninger
w/ his work @ the Arts Factory 

Photographer Marz Pacheco @ Studio 810

Three Bad Sheep - Eddie, Alex & Sky
PeaceNart Studio @ The Arts Factory - 18b

Artist KD Matheson
@ Sin City Gallery - Arts Factory

Skull @ Blackbird Studios

Matthew Sorvillo @ Skull - the exhibition
Blackbird Studios in 18b

Michael & Hillary Proprietors
Hillary - Art.Music.Beauty.Fashion in 18b

The Utopian by PJ Perez
@ The Contemporary Arts Center - Arts Factory in 18b

Sam Davis @ Trifecta Gallery
Arts Factory in 18b

New murals in 18b
Las Vegas Arts District

New murals in 18b
Las Vegas Arts District

New murals in 18b
Las Vegas Arts District

New murals in 18b
Las Vegas Arts District

New murals in 18b
Las Vegas Arts District

New murals in 18b
Las Vegas Arts District

New murals in 18b
Las Vegas Arts District

New murals in 18b
Las Vegas Arts District

New murals in 18b
Las Vegas Arts District

New murals in 18b
Las Vegas Arts District

New murals in 18b
Las Vegas Arts District

New murals in 18b
Las Vegas Arts District

(Photos taken by Brian Paco Alvarez w/ my awesome little I-Phone)

Brian Paco Alvarez enculturating Las Vegas into the millennium...