First Friday July has finally arrived...

The quirky, fun, exciting, fabulous and of course monthly arts festival has come back with a vengeance on this nice and warm July. Just the other day someone was asking me how many First Friday's I have attended over the last 10 years and I simply said, "I believe I have only missed 3 or 4 that I could remember." Now if you do the calculation I have attended over 110 First Fridays since they started in October of 2002. Pretty amazing feat in a community not widely known to have arts and culture!

But being a "busybody" of the arts as I tell everyone is not an easy task. Keeping up with all the happenings about-town and even the state takes constant vigilance and a keen eye for the better things in life. Going to events like First Friday is one of the first steps in getting to know your communities arts scene. Even going to the Smith Center, a museum, a parade helps establish roots in the community you call home. So my advice is to get away from the TV, come Downtown and experience another side of Vegas that many just do not know exists. Here is list I put together of places that will be happening in Downtown.

So come down and get enculturated!

First Friday July
6 to 11 pm
For more information about first Friday please visit the official event site - http://www.firstfridaylasvegas.com/

For more information about the 18b Arts District - http://www.18b.org/

Here are some important links to familiarize yourself with galleries and shops in the Downtown area -

In the Arts District - 
The Arts Factory - http://www.theartsfactory.com/
Cricket Studio - http://www.cricketstudio.com/
Trifecta Gallery - http://www.trifectagallery.com/
Contemporary Arts Center - http://lasvegascac.org/
Brett Wesley Gallery - http://www.brettwesleygallery.com/
Sin City Gallery - http://www.sincitygallery.com
Statement Art Gallery - http://www.statementartgallery.com/
Happy Panda Toys - http://www.happypandatoys.com/
Hiptazmic Studio - http://www.facebook.com/Hiptazmic
Jenny Valdez Gallery - http://jennyvaldez.weebly.com
Clay Arts Vegas - http://www.clayartsvegas.com/
Theater 7 - http://www.theatre7lv.com/
Joseph Watson Gallery - http://www.josephwatsoncollection.com/
La Chica Gallery - http://www.lachicaartnmusic.com/
Black Bird Studios - http://blackbirdstudioslv.com/
Retro Vegas - http://www.retro-vegas.com/
Skin City Body Painting - http://www.skincitybodypainting.com/
City of the World Gallery - http://cityoftheworld.org/
The Funk House Antiques - http://www.thefunkhouselasvegas.com/
Better Than New Boutique - http://betterthannewlv.com/
Electric Lemonade Boutique - http://www.facebook.com/electriclemonadeshop
Patina Decor - http://www.patinadecorlv.com/

In the Entertainment District -
Emergency Arts - http://www.emergencyartslv.com/
Tasty Space Gallery - http://tastyspacelv.com
Lit'l Art Bodega - http://www.lilartbodega.com/
Kleven Contemporary - http://klevencontemporary.tumblr.com/

Downtown Las Vegas Visitors Guide - http://www.lvrda.org/engine/file_writing/file_uploads/03rlBGdU8OmPw0NW.pdf

Sculptor Bryan Lago teams up with Repurpose America
to create an amazing work of art. This work-in-progress will
be on exhibition at Studio 222 on Imperial and 3rd Street

Nevada Public Radio

For more information on the Cultural Arts in Las Vegas please visit Nevada Public Radio. NPR has detailed listings of many cultural and civic events hosted by area non-profits click on this linkhttp://www.knpr.org/common/psa/listNEW.cfm and if you are planning an event in the next few months, be sure to get your free listing in Nevada Public Radio's Desert Companion magazine by submitting the information here at http://www.knpr.org/culture/eventaddnew.cfm

Have You donated to KNPR? Pledge Now at http://www.knpr.org/index.cfm

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