First Friday ArtWalk - June 1st
There is a lot to do, and see, so please use the information below to guide you on your adventures.
Print your own map to guide you along your way.
Take a moment to like ARTSConnect on Facebook to get the latest news on Topeka arts!
Need a ride? Check out the Downtown/NOTO Express from 5-9p. The shuttle will make stops every 15 minutes at the NOTO Arts Center, 8th & Kansas and 6th & Jackson! This month, the Up To No Good Improv Troupe will be providing entertainment!
We are grateful to Security Benefit- the presenting sponsor for the ARTSConnect First Friday Artwalk! Without generous community partners, we would not be able to make the First Friday Artwalk a reality.
Kaw Valley Bank (1110 N Kansas) invites you all to join in the fun at the 4th Annual Kaw Valley Bank Community Block Party!!! This event is free and open to the public. KVB swag bags, snow cones, alcoholic beverages, and food will be available while supplies last. KVB's annual block party is our thank you to the community! Featuring: Live Music from Nucklehead Jones, The THS Drumline, Happy Basset Brewing Co, Farview Farms Meat Company, Ultimate Bounce with inflatables for the whole family, Aunt Nancy's Face Art, Santanamals (Balloon Artist), Draw Like Crazy (Caricaturist) and more! 5-9p.
Topeka Art Guild & Gallery (5331 SW 22nd Place - Fairlawn Plaza) opens an all new exhibit for your summer enjoyment. You will find paintings in all media, pottery, glass and sculpture. Matted originals ready for framing and cards for sending are in our gift shop corner. Featured artist of the month, Dorethy Hancock will show her paintings in all media, including oil, acrylic, watercolor and mosaic. The gallery is on the west end of Fairlawn Plaza Mall, regular hours are Wed-Sat, 11-5:00. Join us for food and wine First Friday from 5-8p.
Creations of Hope Gallery (909 N Kansas): Join us as we weave together traditional and contemporary techniques in The Fiber Arts Show highlighting textile based artists from our community on display through July. Fiber is defined as thin thread of natural or artificial material that are often woven, knotted, or molded to create aesthetic & or functional pieces of art. The exhibit will feature works by Keisha Overturf, Joyce Resnick, Temple Connery, Patricia Pickering, Susan Reynolds, Lindsey Williams, and Alexandria Henderson. Regular hours are Fri from Noon-5p and Sat from 11a-4p. Open until 8p on First Fridays!
SouthWind Art Gallery (3074 SW 29th): This June, SouthWind Art Gallery invites you to see the fine art quilts of Kansas artist Ruth Powers. Her work is inspired by nature, featuring the land and sky as well as birds and beasts. We hope you're blown away by these amazing fabric works! In the main gallery, artists Kim Casebeer and Cris Sundquist have captured the Flint Hills in oils for the second month of their duo show, "Two Painters in a Pod." Stop by during the Artwalk to see both of these amazing shows. Artwalk hours 5-7pm, food and drink provided. 5-7p. Instagram @southwindartgallery
Platform 785 (929 S Kansas): Platform 785 is having a Grand REOPENING! Closed for the last month due to health, we're back in full swing and having a celebration in coordination with Downtown First Friday Art Walk. On Friday June 1, we will be open 10-8 and on Saturday June 2, we will be open 10-4. We will have music by the Jake Livgren family on Friday evening, and sales and door prizes all weekend. Check our Facebook page for a special contest for a $100.00 gift certificate drawing! 10a-8p. Instagram @Platform785. Find more information on Facebook!
Stutzman Leather Shoppe (840 N Kansas): We have the lowest prices of the year on all of our leather jackets. There's no better time to get one! We also have lots of Father's Day gifts: wallets, briefcases, belts and more! Noon-9p. Instagram @stutzmanleathershoppe
Glaciers Edge Winery (1636 SE 85th - Wakarusa): We will have the tasting porch & patio ready for you to spend your June FFAW with our featured artist,musician Allington Jolly. Miguel A. Cadena, the Gypsy Chef, will be serving new menu items along with your favorites.Bondbons will be serving sweet treats.Enjoy wine & slushies by the pour or a bottle while enjoying live music! Feel free to bring lawn chairs to enjoy our outside vineyard view! (Only alcohol produced at Glaciers Edge Winery is allowed & able to be consumed on our property; guests consuming alcohol must be at least 21 years old.) 12-9p. Find more information on Facebook
Wolfe's Camera (635 S Kansas): Our beautiful gallery is displaying spring weather and Kansas storm scenes. Wolfe's Photo Design Center is showing many ways to display and share favorite photos. Phone photos, old family heirlooms and recent pictures can all find new meaning as you print and display them as art in your home. Bring a favorite and ask us to share some ideas. Your photo memories are made special at Wolfe's Camera from 9a-8p during the First Friday Artwalk.
STUDIO 831 (831 North Kansas): Trudy L. Waterman is the featured artist at STUDIO 831 as she presented her exhibit entitled "Found Subjects" which exhibits some of her most recent finds. She says, "With one year of pursuing my masters under my belt, I find myself far removed from a cohesive body of work for this show. My education is encouraging me to look in numerous directions in my practice and I am taking full advantage of the encouragement. I do find, however, that I can still rely on my 'found' subjects and this show does just that: exhibits some of my more recent finds." Be sure to stop in to see the new work of this award-winning artist! 4-8:30p.
The Linen Tree (2841 SW 29th - Brookwood Shopping Center): Brookwood Shopping Center is planning an exciting family-friendly First Friday! The Linen Tree will be participating by offering a special sale on a beautiful group of candles. 10a-8p.
Absolute Design by Brenda (629 S Kansas): Come by to enjoy cheesy goodness, chalk, artwork by Gil Rumsey, and 20% off throughout the store. 5-8p. Instagram @absolutedesignbybrenda
NOTO Arts Center (935 N Kansas) features an exhibition entitled "A Fine Art." Artists Jason Hanna, Brandy Harper, Danielle Head, Dave Leiker, Chris Neal, Greg Nelson, Brooke Province, Rod Seel, Marydorsey Wanless, Trudy L. Waterman, and Carol Yoho have been invited by curator, Barbara Waterman-Peters, to exhibit their photographs in the Morris Gallery of the NOTO Arts Center. Viewers will have the opportunity to experience photography as one of the fine arts. The exhibit will run from First Friday, June 1 through June 30. 11a-8p.
The Open Window (927 N Kansas) is excited to share that Robert Tapley Bustamante will be with us doing a live painting starting @ 6p. Bustamante is a muralist currently working on the ARTSConnect Brown v. Board Mural Project on the ARTSConnent historical Brown vs. Board of Education mural and several of his works are also on display at The Open Window. The painting completed First Friday will be FOR SALE. Join us for an evening of enjoying this amazing art and shopping. FFAW hours are 11a-9p. Instagram @townoto
Alice C. Sabatini Gallery (1515 SW 10th - Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library): See, touch and play music in the Alice C. Sabatini Gallery during "Sounds Like Art!" May 25 - Aug 19. Explore how the parts and pieces of an instrument work together to make music. Featured instruments include a ukulele, flute and trumpet. Play drums, keyboards, ukulele, a giant xylophone, horns, lap harp and synthesizer-bring your friends and you'll have a band! Every week we'll have a different learning activity in the gallery. FFAW hours are 9a-9p. Instagram @TopekaLibrary
NexLynx Gallery (123 SW 6th): Discover Art Downtown and view the captured beauty by photographer, Derek Voorhis. Photography is an area of art that Derek feels one will always learn and grow. He takes everyday objects and people and reimagines them in such a way to provide the viewer with wonder and amazement that would normally not exist. For a "gouda" time, "ricotta" try our delicious, cheesy themed food that will "brie" out of this world for the Cheesy Chalk Walk. Snacks, soda, beer and wine provided. 5-8p. Instagram @NexLynxGallery.
Matryoshka Tattoo (902 N Kansas): Matryoshka's featured artist for June is Douglas Fleming. A motor neuron disease left Douglas disabled, unable to use his right arm. Being right-handed, it took him five years to develop the motor skills in his left hand. Douglas creates watercolor, graphite pencil drawings, acrylic paintings and original greeting cards. He says art has given his life purpose and he's excited to get up and get to work on pieces. Regular hours are Tues-Sat from 10a-8p. FFAW hours are 10a-9p. Instagram @matryoshkatattoo
SOHO Interiors (3129 SW Huntoon) will feature artist Tim (T.R.) Bauer. New work including sculpture will be added to his Kansas landscapes exhibit. All paintings contain an element of the actual environment such as soil, Moon rock fragments, etc. that the artist blends with his paints to make it truly unique. Inspired by Kansas landscape artist Birger Sandzen and Van Gogh, the works of T.R. Bauer stand alone. "Autumn at Echo Cliff," an explosion of color, will remain on exhibit this First Friday. You must see his work! FFAW hours are 5-8p.
Amused (907 N Kansas): Featured artist Devin Morrison graduated this spring from Washburn University with a BA in Art. Her senior exhibition will showcase work from her entire collage career. Mediums in this show include drawings, photography, painting, ceramics, sculpture and literature. This showcase will run throughout the both of June during regular business hours. However, if you wish to speak with the artist the best time would be during the First Friday Artwalk. Regular hours are Weds-Fri from 11a-6p and Sat from 11a-6p. FFAW hours are 11a-9p. Instagram @amused_in_noto
Beauchamp's Gallery (3113 SW Huntoon - Westboro Mart): Beauchamp's Gallery will be introducing a new exhibit "Beautiful Prairie" which features 28 paintings by some of the region's best-known artists. Included will be artworks by Robert Sudlow, Joan Foth, Cally Krallman, Louis Copt, Colleen Gregoire, Stephanie Munoz O'Neil, Mike Henry, Steve Denny, Shirley Akers, Mike Savage, Bev Radefeld, Joe Loganbill, Rod Seel and Kristin Goering. FFAW hours are 5:30-8:30p. Instagram @Beauchamps Gallery
Prairie Glass Studio (110 SE 8th): Come see us Downtown at Prairie Glass Studio. We will be giving tours of the studio, glass cutting demonstrations & having an ornament contest. We'll create the top pick & the winner will receive the completed fused glass keepsake. We know Christmas is 6 months away, but we're in the creative stages. Join in the fun. We are proud to partner with United Way of Greater Topeka for a fundraiser to benefit community change. We will donate 50% of all sales June 1st to the United Way of Greater Topeka! 10a-8p.
Prairie Fire Winery at the Local Depot (907 N Kansas): During the June First Friday Art Walk and throughout the month of June, our featured equine artist will be Duni the painting horse. Duni's original horse splash painting will be for sale throughout the month of June. 100% of the proceeds from the sale of Duni's art goes to support Shooting Star Equine Rescue in Wakarusa. Please join us for this fun and unique fundraiser! 11a-9p.
