First Fridays Ypsilanti is a self-guided monthly art and culture walk hosted throughout downtown Ypsilanti at multiple venues.

Each month on the First Fridays Ypsilanti participating venues offer free art activities involving local artists, musicians, and/or tastings. The goal of the First Fridays Ypsilanti is to invite community members into the downtown area to support local talent and businesses while having a fun time!

First Fridays Ypsilanti is a community platform organized by volunteers who are committed to hosting a free self-guided, monthly art + culture walk!

All First Fridays Ypsilanti events are free and family friendly (excluding a couple participating bars that are 21+)!!

First Fridays Ypsilanti Events For April 1st 2016

22 North Gallery // 7:00PM – 10:00 PM

Bluegrass Printmakers’ Cooperative

http:// www.bgprintmakers.org/

Stop in for an exhibition of The Bluegrass Printmakers’ Cooperative from Lexington, KY. BPC is a collection of artists focused on printmaking and educating the public on the process of printmaking.

www.bgprintmakers.org

a2vintage // 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM

Painting with Holley

Holley Kelley will be showing off her mad skillz by doing a painting demonstration in the shop! Holley is a super creative artist with a passion for painting!

www.facebook.com/a2vintage

Apple Annies Vintage // 4:00 PM – 8:00 PM

Fabric Arts Sale

Discussion of history of quilts.

Please join us for a discussion of antique and vintage quilts.

www.facebook.com/Apple-Annies-Vintage-121354861236603

Artifact and Whimsy // 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM

Jazz on a Whim

Dakota Williams and Joshua Thorington

Jazz duo: acoustic guitar, vocals and flute

The Shop will be open from 12:30 pm to 8:00 pm.

www.facebook.com/ artifactandwhimsy

Betty Green Organic Beauty // 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM

Yearning for Yarning with Nicole Putala

Nicole will be displaying her collection of beautiful crochet pieces. Her designs are inspired by antique patterns. There will be an artist reception from 5-7pm.

www.bettygreensalon.com

Black Stone Book Store and Cultural Center // 6:00PM – 8PM

Discussion and Book Signing with A. M. Griffin

Author, A.M Griffin will be reading from her book, The Guicai Talisman as well as a book signing for those who are interested. We have an additional treat for our theme Spring Awakening.. Everyone who comes will leave with a goodie bag filled with seasonal seeds so folks can plant spring flowers!

Authors website:

www.amgriffinbooks.com

FB Event Page: www.facebook.com/events/ 1557419884581798

Bona Sera // 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM

HOME: A Group Exhibition presented by the Watertower Collective –www.watertowercollective.com

Stormy Chromer wsg Vision Explored

https://www.facebook.com/ StormyChromerlive

Join the Watertower Collective at the opening reception for our group show, HOME, with guest juror Helen Vachon. This Exhibition will take place on the first floor and at the Underground level. Over ten unique Ypsilanti-based artists will be featured, with original works for sale. Come mix & mingle with pure Ypsi talent! After the reception there will be musical stylings of Stormy Chromer, with special guest Vision Explored. Join us all for an exciting evening in this new exhibition space!

www.facebook.com/events/ 453137281542131

www.facebook.com/events/ 1697906180492464

Cultivate Coffee & Taphouse // 6:00 PM – 10:00 PM

Go Ice Cream will be making beer floats & serving their locally made small batch ice cream for all ages from their cart. So much fun! Local photography on display featuring Ypsilanti landmarks & your chance to help decide what will be displayed on Cultivate’s walls this spring.

www.facebook.com/ cultivateypsi

Lampshade // 5:00 PM – 11:00 PM

Reclaiming Collective Consciousness – We are all Vibration

What happens when we strip away fear, ego, lack, division, & categorization and swap it for abundance, community, love, celebration, & curiosity? This is a night of exploration. Come celebrate yourself and others as light, vibration, & collectively conscious humanity ! Various ongoings all night. We will have a talk at 7pm on the direction, vision, and needs of where lampshade is headed as a paradigm, movement, and collective.

MIX Ypsilanti // 6:00PM – 9:00 PM

Mix Gallery Group Show

https://www.facebook.com/ events/1130860613615294/

MIX Gallery is excited to kick off the First Friday Ypsilanti season with our first Group Show! This exhibit will hightlight a diverse group of artists, working in a variety of media. All local/regional artists, each with one or two pieces showing their most recent work. This area has its own unique blend of artistic talent, and this show aims to feature that mix. The show will run for the month of April. Nibbles & Bubbly will be served

Nelson Amos Studio // 12:00 PM – 6:00 PM

www.nelsonamosstudio.com

Artwork and prints by Nelson Amos will be on display at the Nelson Amos Studio as a part of the First Friday Ypsi venue. However, Nelson and Korin will not perform at this event but will be participating in May as usual with their performances of solo piano and classical guitar music.

Riverside Arts Center // 5:00PM – 7:00 PM

12th Annual Docent Exhibit

http://riversidearts.org/in-the-gallery

Open reception for the exhibit. Refreshments available. Meet the artists. There will also be a First Friday exhibit in our Off Center by the We Art Ypsi youth. April is National Volunteer Month and our doors are kept open by our docent volunteers. Most of them are artists, so we celebrate this month with an exhibit.

We Are Ypsilanti at the Off Center Studio, Riverside Arts Center // 5:00 PM 8:00 PM

WAY at the RAC: Puppetry

Art students of Ypsilanti: EMU students and Bright Futures after-school art students. DIY puppet-making with FLY Children’s Art Center! Drum Circle led by EMU’s Music Therapy Student Association, impromptu puppet shows Join WAY for a free night of Family fun at the Riverside Art Center’s Off Center gallery! The theme of the evening is Puppetry: enjoy local students’ creations, and make your own puppet with FLY Children’s Art Center! Kids can perform an impromptu puppet show in our mini puppet theater. Enjoy music by EMU Percussion, and a drumming circle led by EMU’s Music Therapy Student Association. Light refreshments will be served.

Salt City Antiques // 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM

Vintage Market & a Taste of Tea

Come in and enjoy a cup of tea for free or sample a pastry while you shop for vintage clothing, jewelry, furniture, and more. Regular store hours 10am-5pm, event hours from 5pm-8pm. Great place to shop!

Sidetrack Bar and Grill // 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM

Luge and themed Ice carving on site

U of M ice sculpting team – http://umich.edu/~mict/

We will be having the U of M ice sculpting team on site on our back patio between five and eight to carve an Ypsilanti /Sidetrack themed ice sculpture and luge. We will also be serving three dollar shots of Jamison down the luge.

Tap Room // 9:00 PM – 2:00 AM

Free concert at The Tap Room with: Mike Gentry, John Latini, & Spencer Michaud – DayJams & Community Records Ypsilanti Reunion Show – John Latini, Mike Gentry, Spencer Michaud

Please join us for this excellent free show featuring some great local music makers as part of the First Fridays Ypsi season of 2016 kickoff! DayJams Rock Music Camp-meets-Community Records Reunion Super Show! Featuring: Hosts – Mike Gentry, Kyle Kipp, Jesse Morgan

Music: John Latini, Spencer Michaud, Current members of Community Records, Rick Coughlin (with his band Abe Maybe), Roz Hingelberg, Tony Fink and many more

The Rocket // 11 AM -8:00 PM

The official spot to grab your FFY tee shirts or stickers!

www.therocketypsi.com

The Ugly Mug // 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM

Taylor Stewart, Leah Costa, Lina Birk, Russell Davis

Local favorite Russell Davis will be welcoming us into spring with his acoustic workings. Featured artists Taylor Stewart, Leah Costa, and Lina Birk explore ideas of revival with their digital graphic designs. Music will begin between 6:00 and 6:30, and the art will be up throughout the month of April. We are also featuring a Honey Rose latte in celebration of the flowers beginning to bloom!

www.facebook.com/events/ 1562821617367684

Unity Vibrations // 7:00 PM – 10:00 PM

First Friday at Unity Vibrations

The Music & Arts Guild Presents: A First Friday Showcase and Membership Meet and Greet in the Triple Goddess Tasting Room. Present your Guild membership card and receive one free pour of kombucha in the Tasting Room. Light snacks provided. Live painting by rian Morceaux, Visuals provided by Jacob Moore. Music by: MINISTRY OF BOREDOM, DOOGATRON, IO MEGAJI

Unity Vibrations Triple Goddess Tasting Room is located in the back parking lot next to the collision repair shop, on the east side of Ecorse Road. Across the street from the Idle Hour Bar. Look for the lit up sandwich board sign on the sidewalk, pointing the way! The tasting room is not visible from the street, so use the sign and the landmarks. www.facebook.com/io-Megaji

www.facebook.com/ doogatronofficial

www.facebook.com/ miniboredom

www.unityvibrationkombucha.com

www.facebook.com/ musicandartsguild

www.facebook.com/events/ 593793010773546

Wagon Trail Home Decor // 12:00 PM – 8 PM

Wagon Trail’s Inaugural First Fridays Event!

Elizabeth Hall-Knight & Kristen Knight, co-owners of The Urbran UpCyclers. Wagon Trail Home Decor is celebrating it’s very first First Friday’s event with a sampling of the hand crafted, reclaimed wood wall art created by the Livonia based team behind The Urban Upcylcers. Elizabeth Hall-Knight and Kristen Knight specialize in re-purposing and re-beautifying pallet wood into unique decorative items.

www.wagontrailhomedecor.co m

www.facebook.com/ theurbanupcyclers

World of Rocks // 5:00PM – 7:30 PM

Sacred Geometry Art Demonstraton with Luke Doyle

Local artist will be making intricate artwork using sacred geometry lines and shapes. Luke Doyle, artist for World of Rocks and featured at Lampshade Gallery will be showcasing his complex artwork and demonstrating his method of making Sacred Geometry pieces.

Ypsi Alehouse // 7:00 PM – 10:00 PM

Art by Luke Montrose

The Ypsi Alehouse is excited to join the First Friday Ypsilanti activities! On April 1st, we will be having and showcasing local artist, Luke Montrose. Luke has recently moved to Ypsilanti from Montana and has fallen in love with the community. From 7:00 to 10:00 PM we will have Luke with us doing a live painting and showcasing his other work. So come on in and check out our awesome menu, beer, and come meet Ypsilanti’s newest artist!

www.reclamationbypaint.com

Ypsi Alloy Studios // 4:00 – 7:00 PM

Ypsi Alloy Studios Open House

Ypsi Alloy Studios will be opening our doors for April’s First Fridays Ypsilanti. Come check out the space and meet our artists. Ypsi Alloy Studios is Riva Jewell-Vitale, Lorraine Kolasa, Jessica Tenbusch, Kenzie Lynn, Meagan Shein, Ilana Houten, Elize Jekobsen, Kellie Nadler, Barb Brown, Rob Todd, and Cathy Jacobs.

www.Ypsialloy.com

Ypsilanti Running Company // 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM

Being in the RE with Kathleen Hodges

Kathleen’s exhibit is called Being in the RE. After a career in health care and education, Kathleen is now retired and open to life’s possibilities, including what lies ahead in the next adventure! She is in a process of REimagination, REconstruction, REbuilding.

Kathleen’s belief is that we are all artists: we create our lives and manifest our dreams. Her creative interests include journaling, collage, mixed media, photography, and painting. Kathleen is a Certified Zentangle Teacher (CZT). She also works with clients through Heart Connected, LLC, a business that specializes in art retreats, classes and workshops.”

www.artprize.org/ kathleen-hodges

YpsiPlanti // 4:00 PM – 7:00pm

The Art of Cold Crop Gardening

Plant Art by Growing Hope

Find us at the Ypsilanti Farmers Market Place at 16 S Washington and the new home of YpsiPlanti, Growing Hopes plant and garden supply store. This evening we will have a display of artistically planted cold weather crops in some unique containers. We’ll have our staff on hand to answer questions about cold weather crops and container gardening for all spaces.

growinghope.net

www.facebook.com/First Fridays Ypsilanti



First Friday Ypsilanti Map

For more information about First Friday Ypsilanti visit www.firstfridaysypsi.com

First Fridays Ypsilanti Source: www.firstfridaysypsi.com