First Friday Gallery Crawl

The First Friday gallery crawl is a unique opportunity for thousands of students, families and art lovers to engage with local art each month at unique locations in Downtown and throughout the city. This grassroots event continues to thrive because of the collective vision and collaboration of galleries and artists.

As the name implies, First Friday happens the first Friday of each month. Hours vary between galleries, but most are open during the core hours of 7pm to 9pm. Most galleries use First Friday to unveil and debut new shows or as a closing reception. All venues are free and open to the public and several galleries incorporate artist demonstrations and/or live music. Not only does this event give guests the opportunity to view creative art space, it also is an excellent time to purchase one-of-a-kind artwork directly from artists.

Transportation Options
Explore the core and gallery hop using the free Q-LINE Trolley shuttle service that runs up and down Douglas Avenue. Electric scooter and bicycle rentals are also available. Discover additional transportation options.

First Friday Events

This month's First Friday will occur on September 6, 2019. Participating venues will be listed on this website no less than a week before the event.

CityArts
334 North Mead Street 
(316) 350-3245

Event: First Friday at CityArts

Date: Oct. 2 | 5-8 p.m.

Featured artists: Various Artists, RETSOF & Marc Bosworth

Exhibitions: “Broken, But Beautiful” by Various Artists; “Mixed Bag” by RETSOF; “Paper Trails” by Marc Bosworth

Event description: CityArts will host First Friday featuring exhibitions across its Main Gallery, Balcony Gallery and Boardroom Gallery. “Broken, But Beautiful” features work by various artists, while “Mixed Bag” by RETSOF and “Paper Trails” by Marc Bosworth offer additional perspectives and creative approaches. Together, the exhibitions showcase a range of artistic styles and invite visitors to explore the diverse work on display throughout CityArts.

Flatlanders Brewing
623 West Douglas Avenue 
(316) 295-3818

Event: Flatlanders Opening Art

Date: Oct. 2 | 6-10 p.m.

Featured artists: Eric Schmidt & Jamie Tabor

Event description: Flatlanders Brewing will host Flatlanders Opening Art featuring Fisch Haus artists Eric Schmidt and Jamie Tabor. Visitors can stop by to view their artwork on display throughout the space while enjoying the atmosphere at Flatlanders.

Gallery 12
412 East Douglas Avenue 

Event: First Friday Opening Reception

Date: Oct. 2 | 6-9 p.m.

Featured artist: Doug Billings

Exhibitions: “Series” by Doug Billings

Event description: Gallery 12 will host First Friday Opening Receptions featuring “Series,” the latest exhibition by local printmaker and painter Doug Billings, who is Gallery 12’s featured artist for October. Billings will give a gallery talk at 7 p.m. about his approach to creating art by working from one “series” to another. Local ceramist David Long will also be exhibiting, with music provided by local musician and artist Victor Rose during the reception.

Harvester Arts
120 East 1st Street North 
(316) 530-2203

Event: October First Friday Opening Receptions

Date: Oct. 2 | 5-8 p.m.

Featured artists: Yulla Vega, Charity Mika Woodard, Bronna Leach, Taylor McQueary, Zelda McAfee & Hannah O'Connor

Exhibitions: “There’s No Place Like Home” by Yulla Vega; “fruity” by Charity Mika Woodard; “A Safe Place in the Midst of Chaos” by Bronna Leach; “Form and Color” by Taylor McQueary; “Ideas of Connection” by Zelda McAfee; “Animal Series” by Hannah O’Connor

Event description: Harvester Arts will host October First Friday Opening Receptions celebrating the openings of six exhibitions by Yulla Vega, Charity Mika Woodard, Bronna Leach, Taylor McQueary, Zelda McAfee and Hannah O’Connor. The exhibitions explore a range of themes and artistic approaches, from home and connection to color, chaos and the natural world, offering visitors an opportunity to experience the artists’ work throughout Harvester Arts.

Hopping Gnome Brewing Company
1719 E. Victor Street 
(316) 771-2110

Event: Wichita By Night

Date: Oct. 2 | 3-11 p.m.

Featured artist: Timothy Larsen

Event description: Hopping Gnome Brewing will host Wichita By Night featuring local photographer Timothy Larsen as the featured artist for October. Inspired by nostalgia, music and community, Larsen’s work captures scenes from the past in contemporary ways, creating feelings of discovery, belonging and curiosity. The event will also feature the last First Friday Artisan Market of the season with Haute Handmade, while Slingin Birds will be serving dinner from 5-8 p.m.

Vertigo 232 Art Gallery
232 North Market Street 
(316) 264-2450

Event: ID...ology - STRONGER THAN DIRT

Date: Oct. 2 | 5-9 p.m.

Featured artists: Greg Turner, Ed Langston, Greg Johnson, Mark S. Walker, Ted Krone, Chris Frank, Tara Hufford Walker & David Christiansen

Exhibitions: “ID...ology - STRONGER THAN DIRT”

Event description: Vertigo 232 Art Gallery will host “ID...ology - STRONGER THAN DIRT,” the 17th group exhibition by artist group Id...ology. The exhibition features a mix of older works from past exhibitions alongside new pieces by the group’s participating artists. Visitors are invited to attend the First Friday opening reception and explore the latest collection from Id...ology.

Future Dates

The majority of the galleries that currently participate in Final Friday have announced plans to shift their monthly event to First Friday, beginning in September. Since there is no "governing body" that oversees Final Friday, Downtown Wichita generally takes direction from what the majority of the local galleries wish to do. As of now, Downtown Wichita plans to transition the Final Friday calendar to First Friday beginning in September as well. In order to make this transition as seamless as possible, the usual listing and interactive map for both the August Final Friday (August 30) and September First Friday (September 6) will be created.

Mark your calendars for the following 2019 First Friday dates to never miss an event:

  • September 6
  • October 4
  • November 1
  • December 6

Submit Your Event

Are you an artist or gallery owner interested in being included on the First Friday list? Contact us for more information. Since there is no designated organizing body for First Friday, all participating venues are required to do their own marketing and advertising. Downtown Wichita does provide a listing on our website of all venues that are participating for the general public and visitors to use.

Submit your Final Friday exhibit info no less than one week prior to the event in the following format to be listed on the Downtown Wichita website. Fill-out the form below or email your submission to megan@downtownwichita.org.