First Fridays in Raleigh

(As you read the paragraphs below, click on the underlined words to find links for further information. For my student readers, some of the underlined words will lead to word definitions.)

A few great things about living close to NC's capitol city, are all of the museums and events Raleigh has to offer.

One of these events is First Friday, which is held during the first Friday of every month. First Friday is a day when museums, art galleries and art studios stay open later to show off new art exhibitions. The event usually last from 6pm to 9pm, but some places may stay open later.

At each venue, there is a map that will lead you on your self-guided tour around downtown Raleigh to the participating locations. You may visit as many or as few as you would like. This is a great opportunity for parents and kids to spend time together exploring our state capitol and viewing art of all media, and subjects.

Since art is one of the oldest forms of self-expression, it naturally lends itself to promoting discussion among the viewers. This is a great time for parents and children to have conversations about the subject matter of the art, what it is made of or why they think the artist made the choices they did.

Often, people feel intimidated when talking about art, fearing that what they have to say will not be "right". One interesting and wonderful thing about art is that each viewer sees the artwork through their own experiences and understanding. This means that each viewer can understand a piece of art differently, and each can be "right". Even when we do not understand the subject of the artwork, the artist can often evoke a feeling through their use of line, color, technique, etc.

When talking about art in the classroom, we first talk about what we think about the art before even learning the name of the artwork. We talk about what we think is going on, what we think the artist is trying to say, and how it makes us feel. Then we learn the name of the artwork. Sometimes learning the name may make us feel or interpret the artwork differently. Sometimes the artist will provide us with an Artist's Statement. This is usually a few sentences or more that help us to know a little more about the artist or artwork. Having this information may also change how we view or understand the work.

This upcoming Friday, September 2 will be the next First Friday. I hope you will consider coming out to check out the new artwork that will be displayed for this next month. I will be out there looking around and would love to run into you.

If you are concerned about where to start, I suggest Artspace as a good starting point. It is near Moore Square. Artspace has a wide selection of artists' studios and offers classes for children during different times of the year. Here, you can pick up a map and follow the First Friday flags through the city.

Hope to see you there!!!