Performers and artists at Petersburg's Friday for the Arts! share their talents and their love for what they do

Friday for the Arts! in Petersburg has been going strong since August of 2003.

However, it officially received its name in October of 2003 by historian Dulaney Ward of Petersburg.

Ward shared, “The first small coordinated events took place in August and September of 2003. I gave the event its name in October of 2003, and began...with others...to expand it and have been involved with it ever since.

Old Towne has grown to be known as an arts district. I for one was tickled pink in 2003 when it first originated.

I remember when attendees were offered complimentary shuttle service from one venue to the next.

The first time I ventured to it was with my friends Mark and Linda Fausz of Chester. Mark and I served on a couple of boards together. One of them was then called the Chesterfield Center for the Arts at Chester Foundation which has been renamed as the Chesterfield Cultural Arts Foundation.

The Baxter Perkinson Cultural Arts Center featuring the Jimmy Dean Theater finally broke ground on June 24 this year and completion is anticipated for fall 2020.

Our fellow board member Pam Bishop had an exhibit on display at the Petersburg Area Art League [PAAL], so we thought it was the perfect time to check out the new art scene in historic Old Towne.

Back then, most artists offered hor d'oeuvres and selections of wine to the art lovers to enjoy while they viewed his or her artistic achievements.

I honestly haven’t attended Friday for the Arts! as often as I would like to due to my hectic schedule and also because of my curiosity for experiencing new adventures.

Recently, on ‘Friday the 13th’, I braved Old Towne by myself. I had a great time...nothing unlucky what-so-ever happened to me.

My sister Dana and other friends ask me on occasion...don’t you feel weird attending things by yourself?

I respond, “Not at all. I like being able to take as much time exploring whatever I’m interested in and not be rushed to the next exhibit or performance.”

Guess what? I happen to like my own company.

September Friday for the Arts! featured great new displays of art and ten music venues. Yes, you read that correctly...TEN MUSIC VENUES.

My journey started out at Old Towne Studio 7 where artist in residence Lisa Mistri applied a beautiful henna peacock design on my left hand.

According to Lisa, the Indian term for henna is mehandi.

Lisa shared, “I’ve been doing this for a few years now...mostly on my kids. We used to have a dance group. And, as part of the final capping off of spending months of learning the folk dance Bhangra for the Punjabi Festival at the Cultural Center of India, the girls would always get mehandi done before their performance.”

I used a blow dryer to dry my peacock’s feathers so I wouldn’t smudge Lisa’s masterpiece.

After I safely secured my new wearable artwork, I proceeded to the PAAL to attend a couple of opening receptions for new exhibits.

The Ann Andrews Main Gallery featured work by the Cockade City Camera Club [CCCC] entitled “Lasting Impressions”. Immediate CCCC past president and present interim president John Rooney won first place for his photo of a flutist.

John stated, “The late Herb Watson worked in Colonial Williamsburg and came all the way to Battersea to play the flute at the annual Revolutionary War Reenactment about eight years ago.

“We had three members from the Camera Club of Richmond judged 47 photographs of all subjects,” explained John. “Entrants were required to be members of the CCCC.”

Upstairs in the Members Gallery, artist Martin González González demonstrated pre-Columbian popotillo straw art technique which is an ancient art in Mexico.

González applied a special form of beeswax known as Cera de Campeche on a piece of paper. Then, using colored millet straw builds a mosaic by pressing down individual pieces of the straw.

“It’s absolutely awesome! It appears to be relaxing but at the same time tedious.” shared Joyce Spencer of Petersburg.

González shared, “I learned the technique when I was a teenager from an official from the community in Mexico City.

“The community does a really good job of sticking together. We are a tight knit family...using the same effort I brought back from my community.” González stated passionately. “It’s important to be in this place. We’re getting more and more into these galleries so people learn more.”

My favorite of one of González' amazing pieces was a butterfly.

González shared, "Aztec tradition holds that the souls of the departed will return as hummingbirds and butterflies. The local people have long believed the butterflies are the returning spirits of their deceased relatives, mysteriously arriving at the same time each year, coinciding with the Day of the Dead."

After taking in some visual candy, I decided to treat myself to some listening pleasure.

I made my way to the steps of the Petersburg Exchange Building to listen to The Petersburg Symphony Orchestra's Woodwind Quintet perform a concert, however they had to stop early due to poor lighting.

Petersburg born and raised Janis Mann who serves on the Board of Directors of the Petersburg Symphony Orchestra and plays the clarinet in the Woodwind section shared video footage and photos she had captured.

I also strolled to Wabi Sabi where I listened to From Another Mother, then to Andrade’s International Restaurant’s patio to take in the sounds of the Triple B Blues Band.

My last music treat was at Maria’s Old Towne 21 Ristorante Italiano where Sinatra-style crooner Joe LaLuna was performing.

LaLuna serenaded Margie Dixon of Hopewell on stage in celebration of her 79th birthday singing Sinatra’s “I’ve Got the World on a String.”

Margie’s daughter Natalie Odom of Chesterfield shared, “I treated my mama to dinner for her birthday. Mama’s drinking wine and I’m her D.D.”

On the corner of North Sycamore Street and East Old Street on my way back to my car, D.C. Alan, the "Red Tenor Saxophone" was performing. As I was listening to him play the Beatles’ hit “She Loves You”, Margie and Natalie walked by and dropped money in Alan’s saxophone case.

I whispered to Red Tenor Saxophone...it’s her birthday.

Alan immediately started playing “Happy Birthday”. Margie was overwhelmed with joy!

If you haven’t experienced the artistic outing during the past sixteen years, don’t you think it’s about time?

Mark your calendar for Friday, October 11. Visit www.fridayforthearts.net to view a schedule of events. See you there!

Kristi K. Higgins, aka the Social Butterfly, is a staff writer and author of this column for The Progress-Index. Reach her at 804-722-5162 or khiggins@progress-index.com.