A community-wide celebration

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 7 to 9 p.m. 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 across the city 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.

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Upcoming: August 1

Submit your event using the form towards the bottom of this page.

Art House 310
310 South Laura Street 

Title of Exhibition: Art House 310 First Friday – Kelly Rundell & Michael Davenport

Description:

Opening Reception | First Friday August 1, 2025 | 6-10pm

This event is free to attend and open to the public. Show hangs through August 24th, 2025.

Art House 310 is located at 310 S. Laura. Two blocks SE of Douglas & Washington in downtown Wichita.

KELLY RUNDELL

Sometimes artists present deep, moody work with a message that can change the world. But that’s not me. The only message I can relay now is that it’s okay, even necessary, to seek out lightness, happiness and fun, no matter how dark things seem to be.

So, welcome to my garden party! Because we have a shared understanding of what nature looks like, my art is immediately recognizable. My goal is not to be precise or realistic. Rather, I make joyful representations of flowers. Working with acrylic paint and ink, I fill paper with unique designs and color. I then cut the painted paper to create individual petals, leaves and other shapes. Like a jigsaw puzzle, I try different combinations and placements of the pieces. When it comes together, I have wildflowers–with the emphasis on wild. I find the process messy, but fun. And, importantly, the final art makes me smile.

MICHAEL DAVENPORT

Have you ever thought about the layers of yourself — the parts you show the world and the ones you keep tucked away? My work invites you to explore those layers, both in the art and within yourself. Through color, abstraction, and vulnerability, I aim to create space for emotional honesty, connection, and reflection.

At the heart of my work is the relationship between masculinity and vulnerability. I often depict physically strong men in tender, emotionally exposed situations to reflect the way I experience and process my own feelings. These figures disrupt traditional expectations of strength, revealing that real power can come from authenticity and emotional depth.

I work primarily in mixed media, using physical layers to echo the complexity of human emotion. Idioms like “falling in love,” “being held down,” or “protecting your heart” are explored both literally and metaphorically, offering viewers familiar entry points into nuanced emotional terrain. Each piece slowly unveils a part of myself that words alone can’t quite express.

Queer iconography plays a vital role in my practice. I incorporate symbols, gestures, and references drawn from queer history to honor those who came before me and to build a bridge between past and present. This is both a personal act of remembrance and a way of connecting with today’s LGBTQIA+ community — creating art that feels both rooted and relevant.

Recently, I’ve embraced abstraction more fully — letting bright colors, mark-making, and shape exploration bring joy and immediacy to the work. There’s something satisfying in this visceral, almost childlike play, which helps me express what’s difficult to say out loud. Blending realism with abstract elements lets me move between control and freedom, structure and release.

Subtle humor, double meanings, and whimsy are woven throughout my work. These elements encourage curiosity and connection, drawing viewers in while inviting deeper engagement. As a queer polyamorous man, I create from personal experience, but with the goal of amplifying underrepresented voices — especially in conservative spaces. By sharing stories through art, I hope to foster understanding, celebrate emotional truth, and honor the beautifully complex experience of being human.

Artists in Old Town Studios
412 East Douglas Avenue 
(316) 267-5915

Featured Artists: Studio Artists

Title of Exhibition: Studio Artists

Event Description: Studio artists will be open. Come see us at Artists In Old Town Studios in the back of Gallery 12, 412 East Douglas in Wichita Kansas for First Friday from 6 to 8 p.m. We hope to see you. 

Check out all of the artworks at Gallery XII too.

Exhibition Hours: 6 to 8 p.m.

Attitudes Dancewear Etc.
3210 East Douglas Avenue 
(316) 688-5600

Exhibit: "Does Life sustain Art or does Art sustain Life?"

Event: Friday, August 1, 5-7:30 p.m.

Featured Artists: Wichita School of Performing Arts & Bracelets by London

Details:

Wichita School of Performing Arts will display a gallery of movement snapshots in collaboration with Attitudes Dancewear, Etc. Witness a series of 2-3 min dance samplings in ballet, modern, jazz, and lyrical styles in addition to a recent performance piece hybridized with film. Come check out this expressive medium and share with us in our love of dance.

Along with a live performers, you can also support local dancer artisans and their offerings:  London Donahy with handmade bracelets and Olivia Letter with pointe shoe decor. 

Envision Arts Gallery
801 East Douglas Avenue 
(316) 440-1699

Title of exhibit: "New Perceptions"

Event: First Friday, August 1, 5-8 p.m.

The Envision Arts Gallery in partnership with Starkey, Inc. is proud to present the 3rd Annual Starkey Art Exhibition “New Perceptions” on August 1st. 

Founded in 1930, Starkey is a steadfast supporter of nurturing development and promoting independence for individuals with intellectual disabilities. Through a range of comprehensive programs encompassing employment, residential living, life enrichment, and case management, Starkey has empowered over 500 individuals to lead fulfilling lives.

New Perceptions showcases artworks created by individuals supported by Starkey, Inc. We invite you to immerse yourself in the diverse artistic expressions of these individuals. Each artwork reflects personal journeys, creative visions, and the courage to explore new possibilities. This annual art exhibition serves as an ongoing platform to honor and celebrate the creative achievement of the individuals supported by Starkey.
Join us for First Friday at the Envision Arts Gallery on August 1st from 5:00 - 8:00 PM to celebrate the opening of this exhibition.

Throughout the evening you can meet the artists, experience their artwork, and participate in art activities inspired by the exhibition.

First Friday, August 1st 
5:00 - 8:00 PM
801 E. Douglas Ave, Suite 106
Wichita, Kansas 67202
The Envision Arts Gallery is open Tuesday through Friday from 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM (closed for lunch 12:00-1:00 PM). 

Free and open to the public
On display August 1-29 in the Patricia A. Peer Window Gallery.

First Friday Pop Up Markets at Hopping Gnome Brewing Company
1719 East Victor Street 
(316) 771-2110

Title: First Friday Pop Up Markets at Hopping Gnome Brewing Company

Hopping Gnome Brews, a delish food truck favorite, local artisans & small businesses — you name it, its there!

Join us Friday, August 1 from 5 to 8 p.m. to shop and sip with our gnomies!

GALLERY XII
412 East Douglas Avenue 

Exhibit Title: "Haiku & Color"

Featured Artists: Bob Benson & Scott Garrets

Reception: August 1, 6 to 9 p.m.

Featured artists at Gallery 12 for August are photographer Bob Benson and glass artist Scott Garrets.

There opening reception is First Friday August 1st from 6-9 pm. The title of the exhibition is: "Haiku & Color." 

EXHIBIT DESCRIPTION:

Haikus are one poetic form that most concisely enhances mindfulness, first focusing attention and then expanding consciousness. The Haiku instructs:

Some to stay present,
to notice, to stick learning
that stays forever.

Not only do haikus compress experiences, but they often explore universal themes such as love, loss, and longing, inviting viewers to relate to their own emotions common to all humanity. 

In this exhibit I worked with haiku author Dr. Elaine Yarbrough (who wrote the above paragraphs) to create meaningful haikus together with my supportive and communicative photographic art.

This exhibition will be on display till August 30th. There will be a closing reception on Final Friday the 26th.

Gallery 12 is open from: 10 am to 4 pm Wednesday, Thursday & Saturday. Also on Friday from Noon to 6 pm

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

Featured Artist: Sarah Chavez

Event Time: Friday, August 1, at 3 p.m.

We're excited to welcome Sarah Chavez as our featured artist for August!

Check out her work on Instagram: @_sarah_chavez_

Grab a beer and support local art! 

Artist Statement:
I am a painter interested in memory, nostalgia, and exploring the fine line between reality and imagination. I have always correlated memories & feelings to objects and colors. I approach my pieces as though stepping into an alternate reality, as I analyze the way in which scenes and objects can interact with one another. Ultimately this interaction can tell a story about who we are as individuals of this time and age. In my recent work, I’ve been exploring these new worlds by taking either a preconceived idea, or one discovered in the process, and overlapping ideas to create open-ended narratives, often done in a whimsical way. The genre of magical realism heavily influences my work: the ordinary with the extraordinary, reality and unreality. I love using bright colors, different textures, and lush maximalism with traditional motifs like still life to tell a story that is intimate to me, yet also relatable to the viewer. Books are a reoccurring totem in my work, and act as a creative vessel for ideas to be poured into and then poured back out of; re-imagined, recycled.  Juxtaposing pop culture references with the conventional or “old-fashioned” is a contrast that I explore to further illustrate our unique similarities and differences with the past. I aim to preserve small moments, artifacts or scenes of every-day life in a fantastical & fun way, while enabling the viewer to connect their own experiences with the subject.  

Kansas Humane Society
3313 North Hillside Street 
(316) 524-9196

Event: Furst Friday Art Show

Hours: Friday, August 1, 6-8 p.m.

Details: FURst Friday is a captivating art show that celebrates the creative spirit of our four legged friends. This unique exhibition features an impressive collection of artwork exclusively created by talented dogs available to bid on. Heavy appetizers & cash bar will be available!

Free registration using the link below.

Maven Gallery
3238 East Douglas Avenue 

Exhibition Title: Final Weekend of Chromatica

Featured Artists: Esther Havens Mann & Austin Mann

Event Details: Friday, August 1 from 6 to 8 p.m.

Come by Maven Gallery for the final weekend of the exhibition Chromatica: Light, Life & Curious Connection! Do not miss seeing this colorful body of work by Austin Mann and Esther Havens Mann in the gallery’s inaugural show. 

Revolutsia
2721 E Central Ave 

Title of Exhibition: First Friday at Revolutsia

Free Event | 5 PM – 8 PM | August 1st 2025
Location: Revolutsia – 2721 E Central Ave, Wichita, KS

Mark your calendars! Come hang out with us for an evening of:

• Local art & handmade goods
• Live music & entertainment
• Delicious food & drinks
• Pop-up vendors and surprises each month

This is a FREE, family-friendly event that celebrates Wichita’s creative scene in one of the coolest outdoor spaces in the city. Bring your friends, shop small, sip something tasty, and enjoy the magic of First Fridays at Revolutsia!

Somewhere Works
235 N Emporia Avenue  

Event title: August First Friday: ICTus & Harvester Arts

Featured Artists: ICTus, Amy Huser & Taylor McQueary

Details: August 1, 6 to 9 p.m.

🎶🖼 Art in Motion. Music in Transformation.

This First Friday brings a lush collision of sound and sight, featuring ICTus, Wichita’s adventurous chamber ensemble, and visual works by Amy Huser and Taylor McQueary, presented in collaboration with Harvester Arts.

🎷 ICTus blurs genre boundaries with an ensemble that’s anything but typical: Hannah Kavanaugh (flute), Addison Wegerle (violin), Ethan Grohe (saxophone), Nathaniel Scott (bassoon), Daijana Wallace (cello)

From classical to avant-garde, this powerhouse collective of young players reimagines what chamber music can be. Their textures speak. Their rhythms breathe. Their sound transforms.

🎨 Amy Huser’s abstract paintings and installations are meditations in motion—woven, marked, and layered with rhythmic hands and a reverence for process. Her work is a visual journal of becoming: textured, still, and quietly alive.

🎨 Taylor McQueary brings bold color and geometric structure into harmony with the soft forms of nature. Inspired by Georgia O’Keeffe and guided by intuition, her pieces strike a delicate balance between emotional spontaneity and meticulous design.
This isn’t just an art show. It’s a multisensory unfolding.

📍Free and open to the public ✨ Come immerse yourself in a night where sound shapes space and color carries you through.

The Commerce Club
150 North Main 
(316) 600-4444

Title of Exhibit: "Commerce Collective"

Featured Artists: Tania Pemar, Steve Nicholson, Tommy Ta

Details: August 1, 6 to 9 p.m.

Join incredible local talent and community connection!  Local artists will showcase their artwork while enjoying live music by the talented Andrew Marc Pelham.  Bar service and light appetizers provided.  It's the perfect blend of creativity and community.  We are excited for you to be a part of it!

WSU Shiftspace Gallery (At the LUX)
120 E 1st St N, Ste 115 
(316) 978-3555

Event: Brick by Brick artists reception

Featured Artists: Ted Adler, Emma Glover, Jessica Lada, TK Olsen, Wyatt Pankratz, Matthew Ritter, Maddie Schrag and Aydan Wondra

Details: Friday, August 1 from 6 to 8 p.m.

Meet the artists at WSU ShiftSpace Gallery's newest exhibition, Brick by Brick, organized by Wichita State University's Ceramics Guild.

William J. Reals Gallery of Art
1010 N. Kansas 
(316) 293-2643

Title of Exhibition: "Photoworx 2025"

Event hours: August 1, 5 to 7 p.m.

Event Description: 

The new exhibit "Photoworx 2025" by Photoworx & Friends is a collective of 10 Kansas photographers – friends through photography sharing images of their world.

The First Friday opening reception is from 5-7 p.m. Friday, Aug. 1, in the West Atrium at KU School of Medicine-Wichita. Complimentary refreshments will be provided. The display, which will be in the William J. Reals Gallery of Art-East and West, will run through September.

The William J. Reals Gallery of Art at KU School of Medicine-Wichita is free and open to the public. 

Next Event: August 1

The next First Friday event will take place on Friday, August 1. A list of participating venues will be available on this webpage one week prior to the event. Mark your calendars for the following 2024-2025 First Friday dates to never miss an event:

  • September 5
  • October 3
  • November 7
  • December 5

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 First 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 info@downtownwichita.org.

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