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A Visitor’s Guide to First Friday

Published: February 2, 2012 by Kenan Farrell Categories: Arts & Entertainment, Culture & Diversity Comments: 0 A Visitor’s Guide to First Friday

The visual art phenomenon known locally as the IDADA First Friday Art Tour welcomes First Friday first-timers and out-of-towners this Friday, February 3, from 6:00-9:00pm.  The IDADA First Friday Art Tour is a free, self-guided tour of galleries and other types of visual art venues throughout downtown Indianapolis. Start your tour at any one of the 30+ venues or begin your night at the TURF: IDADA Art Pavilion, a temporary, experiential gallery with 23 exhibits appealing to the senses of sight, smell, sound, and touch.

To help you get around town, there is a FREE shuttle service that will run along Mass Ave to the Indianapolis City Market, through Downtown, to Fountain Square and back to Mass Ave.   Shuttle stops can be found on Mass Ave: 300 block across from MacNivens; 500 block at the Athenaeum & 800 block at the Art Bank. Additional stops are Indianapolis City Market, Indiana Government Center, Fletcher Place, Easley Winery and Fountain Square.  The shuttles can accommodate 25 passengers and will have on-board concierges at all times.

Here are some galleries you don't want to miss:

  • Hard Targets at Indianapolis Museum of Contemporary Art (iMOCA) - Hard Targets is an exhibit created with the Super Bowl in mind. Curated by Christopher Bedford, chief curator of the Wexner Center for the Arts, the exhibit takes on sports and masculinity as its central themes. (The Murphy Art Center in Fountain Square, 1043 Virginia Ave, Indianapolis, IN 46203)

  • Super Ball at Harrison Center for the Arts - Plenty to see here…In the Harrison Gallery:  A Fast Thing Slow - Phillip Lynam; In the City Gallery: From a Car Window: 21 years painting the city - Marc Jacobson; In Gallery No. 2: Every Moment is an Epitaph - Bobby Gilbreath; On the Gym Ceiling: Super Ball - an installation by Shannon Hinkle. (1505 North Delaware, Indianapolis, IN 46202)

  • Orchestral Collage at Gallery 924 at the Arts Council - New work by Nhat Tran, whose medium is laboriously created Urushi lacquer paintings and sculptures. (924 N Pennsylvania St, Indianapolis, IN  46204)

  • The daVinci Pursuit at wUG LAKU'S STUDIO & gARAGE - Designer Scott Cover will demonstrate how science, math and art can be combined to create amazing fantasy landscapes and buildings through the use of a technique known as Hirst Arts casting. (1125 Brookside Avenue, C7, Indianapolis, IN 46202)

  • Various Artists at Art Bank - The Art Bank is an official Super Bowl visitors center and a stop on the shuttle route. Located in an old bank (circa 1920's), you'll enjoy viewing art among tellers cages, vault and safe that are still period perfect. Now the old bank is host to over 30 artists. (811 Massachusetts Ave, Indianapolis, IN 46202)

Check out the IDADA website for more events. After the First Friday Art Tour, stop by the official First Friday After-party at the TURF: IDADA Art Pavilion from 9 to Midnight. Admission is $5.00 with cash bar and food provided by Skyline Club Cafe.

And, of course, while out and about, keep your eyes peeled for some of the amazing 46 for XLVI murals on the walls of Indy. See a giant Kurt Vonnegut on Mass Ave before heading over to the Kurt Vonnegut Memorial Library to meet the artist.

A First Friday map and brochure are available for download here.  46 for XLVI Mural map here. Most venues are open from 6:00-9:00pm, but some are open later.  Most venues are located within close proximity to restaurants, shops, and other attractions.  For information on the Super Celebration Sites and shuttles, please click here.

See you at the galleries. Kenan

IDADA is the Indianapolis Downtown Artists and Dealers Association is a non-profit membership based organization of studio artists, art galleries and arts-related businesses within the 20 block square of the center of Indianapolis.

Kenan L. Farrell advises businesses, non-profits, entrepreneurs and artists on business and intellectual property (copyright, trademark, patent) issues. He is on the Board of Directors of the Kurt Vonnegut Memorial Library and is the current Vice-President of IDADA. He teaches Art & Museum Law at his alma mater, Indiana University School of Law – Indianapolis. Follow on Twitter @KLFLegal

 

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