First Fridays continues May 4 at Side Street Studio Arts
Side Street Studio Arts is collaborating with Explore Elgin Area, the Downtown Neighborhood Association and a variety of downtown Elgin businesses and area artists to grow "First Friday" events in 2018.
It continues Friday, May 4 at the studio, 15 Ziegler Court, Elgin Public House, Soulful Sparrow, and all over downtown Elgin with DNA's Elgin Cinco De Mayo celebration.
The First Friday events are supported by an organizational grant from the Elgin Cultural Arts Commission.
First Fridays and similar events have been community highlights across the country since the 1980s. These monthly gatherings often highlight an artistic community, as well as local food and wares. The consistent and energetic nature of these events allows a city's residents to plan on them for monthly affordable and accessible entertainment and a way to discover or rediscover what their community has to offer.
Side Street Studio Arts is hosting and producing collaborative programming including the "Intellectual Mercenary Show," a comedy, music, and poetry variety show, led by Luis Arevalo at the Theater at SSSA; art-making projects for the whole family at Soulful Sparrow; a spoken-word performance by Solace Coalition at Pub 217 at Elgin Public House; live music and art making by Elgin artists Michael Spiekerman and friends with Joel Amore; and more.
Downtown businesses are encouraged to offer First Friday specials for roving audiences.
The evening will also feature Side Street's monthly Drop-In Small Wonders for young artists age 4-12. The monthly event runs from 4:15 to 6:15 p.m. For a $5 suggested donation, young artists are able to participate in visual and performing art classes, led by professional teaching artists.
In addition, the opening reception for the visual art of the 2018 Going Dutch Festival, a celebration of the female voice in dance, music, theater, and the visual arts, will be on display in the gallery, and Going Dutch Festival artist Bethany Nicoli will be leading a live special FX makeup demonstration in the Lab.
"Our monthly First Friday activities combined with the festive environment of DNA's Cinco De Mayo celebration will make for a great night in downtown Elgin," said Tanner Melvin, Side Street's founder and executive director.
Side Street Studio Arts aims to create an easy-to-follow structure for those interested in participating that can be maintained for the foreseeable future, following the culmination of an Elgin Cultural Arts Commission funded year.
For more information on First Fridays or any of its programming, visit www.facebook.com/sidestreetstudioartselgin, www.sidestreetstudioarts.org, or call (847) 429-2276.