Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

First Friday

First Friday: The Art of Life

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First Friday in the Las Vegas Arts District brings together a wide variety of art, music and people. With so many types of art on display at First Friday, we wondered how people would define something so broad. So we decided to ask a few people to tell us their own definition of art.

There'll be no fencing off of Fremont East for July's First Friday, sources say
Joe Downtown: Fenced in Fremont East won't be part of First Friday in July
Wednesday, June 26, 2013
Police will be on horseback and will more strictly enforce open-container laws, but there will be no fence around Fremont East when the overflow crowds from First Friday descend upon the area July 5.
This March 2013 file photo shows the Fremont Street Experience near The D casino.
Joe Downtown: Two injured in early Saturday shooting under Fremont Street Experience, police report
Monday, June 10, 2013
As expected on a First Friday night, the hordes descended upon eastern Fremont Street. With an added police presence though, little trouble beyond a few skirmishes occurred in the burgeoning Fremont East Entertainment District, sources said.
Casino Center Boulevard is closed to car traffic during First Friday in Las Vegas on Friday, October 5, 2012.
Joe Downtown: First Friday crowds likely to see more police this month
Wednesday, June 5, 2013
After tavern owners last month expressed fears that the growing popularity of eastern Fremont Street on First Friday was creating a potential powder keg — one called the street scene “ugly” — expect a much larger police presence this week.
The East Fremont Street district is seen at sunset Wednesday, April 3, 2013.
Joe Downtown: Unannounced First Friday street-closing creates chaos, bar owner says
Tuesday, May 7, 2013
“It was ugly” is how one business owner described Friday night in the Fremont East Entertainment District. “It felt dangerous,” said another. And "it" might have been encouraged by the city closing a portion of Fremont Street during and after First Friday activities. The First Friday art show/street fair is one of downtown’s biggest successes, driving 25,000 to 30,000 people to an area near Charleston Boulevard and Main Street on the first Friday night of each month.
Vendors are set up in the Arts Factory parking lot during First Friday in Las Vegas on Friday, October 5, 2012. First Friday celebrated it's tenth anniversary this year.
Joe Downtown: First Friday, by the numbers
Friday, May 3, 2013
I remember bits and pieces of the first First Friday in downtown. The October 2002 night was chilly. Someone had set up a small table with wine, crackers and cheese inside the Arts Factory. Maybe 200 people, more or less, were there. Unlike today, no food carts or vendors were on the street.
An image from Justyna Badach’s Bachelor Portraits exhibit at the Contemporary Arts Center.
Three exhibits to see at April's First Friday
Wednesday, April 3, 2013
Intimate photographs of men, a 'sleeping performance' and more.
Grow created his spaceman sculpture from meteorite that fell to Earth around 6,000 years ago.
Scott Grow's meteorite sculpture lands at RTZvegas
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
The piece is complemented by casts made in bronze as well as space-inspired paintings.
Matt Callister of Callister and Associates dispenses free legal advice at his firm's First Friday booth Friday, Feb. 1, 2013.
Joe Downtown: Former politician now engaged in 'Art of Free Law'
community:
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
The oddity of a free legal clinic in Las Vegas isn’t defined by the fact it sits under a tent in the middle of First Friday, a downtown monthly fest for art, entertainment and food. Some advice-seekers might appear odd, such as the bearded lady from a cancelled television show, but that’s not it, either. What puts The Art of Law Free Legal Clinic in a different realm is attorney Matt Callister, the man who started it. Talk to 10 people and you’ll likely get 10 different descriptions for the guy.
Art Square developer Brett Wesley Sperry, at left, shows Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman the newely finished art center during it's grand opening, Monday Oct. 22, 2012.
Art Square opens downtown, heralded as 'next wave' of Las Vegas
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Downtown Las Vegas welcomed its latest enclave for the city’s burgeoning art community with Monday night’s grand opening of Art Square. Art Square, in the heart of the Arts District, aims to bring together the creative and business communities to further the city’s redevelopment efforts downtown. Empty warehouses and a forgotten machine shop were transformed into 25,000 square feet of brightly lit art galleries, commercial spaces and a lush outdoor garden. The idea behind Art Square was born about a year ago.
Forging a festival: Sydney Waithe’s “chicken” incident is part of First Friday’s legacy.
From art walk to street festival: A look back at ten years of First Friday
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
Weekly arts writer Kristen Peterson highlights moments from the fest's first ten years. In March 2006 a wood carver named Sydney Waithe was grilling chicken ...
Photos: From kilts to crop tops, how locals beat the heat at First Friday
Photos: From kilts to crop tops, how locals beat the heat at First Friday
Monday, August 6, 2012
Stylish residents at this month's beach-themed First Friday downtown weigh in on how they're handling the midsummer heat. As usual, Las Vegans young and old dressed for the occasion.
Office space: Catch Noctilucent at the CAC for First Friday.
'Noctilucent' provokes thoughts of transformation at the Contemporary Arts Center
Friday, May 4, 2012
And it does so with 5,000 pieces of white office paper.
Strip pastry chefs, local artists to show wedding cake creations at First Friday
Friday, April 6, 2012
Three pastry chefs from the Strip will unveil wedding cakes they created with local artists as part of tonight’s First Friday event.
A look at First Friday, a celebration of the arts held in the Las Vegas downtown Arts District on Friday, Aug. 5, 2011.
Parking tips and tricks: Where to leave your ride at First Friday
Friday, April 6, 2012
One of the great luxuries of living in Las Vegas is its abundance of free parking. But anyone who has checked out downtown events like First Friday knows this is a privilege, not a right.
Workers and performers prepare for the burn of "Lucky Lady Lucy" in downtown Las Vegas on Friday, March 2, 2012.
The rise and fall of Lucky Lady Lucy
It took a lot more than a match to bring down the star of 'Burn Vegas Burn'
Monday, March 5, 2012
Once the team behind Lucky Lady Lucy finally got her standing, a lot more stood in her way. Primarily, the wind. The burning of the wooden ...