 "First Friday" Art Walk
 Join Us for First Friday “Art Walk”
Historic Downtown Fairbury
May 4th, 5-8 p.m.
Meet the Artists
Celebrate the Arts
“First Friday” Art Walk Planned For Friday, May 4th,
April Prize Winner Announced
Downtown Fairbury’s art galleries and specialty shops will once again be open for "First Friday" coming up the first Friday evening of May, the 4th. They will be opening their doors to visitors from 5 p.m. – 8 p.m. as part of the “First Friday Art Walk” in historic downtown Fairbury. Some cities hold "art walks", in which a number of the town's art galleries or artists' studios will open their doors into Friday evening. The idea is that galleries will attract people to the downtown and enrich the art community by pooling their openings together into one monthly evening.
The May Art Walk will include 6 stops and participants in the walk will be given punch cards which can be picked up at any of the participating Art Walk locations. Punch cards can also be downloaded, Click Here. With punch cards in hand, visitors are encouraged to visit each stop on the Art Walk to have their card stamped. Completed cards can then be turned in at New Earth Clay Pottery to receive a special gift. All completed cards will then be placed in a drawing for a grand prize. Grand Prize for the May Art Walk will be a one-of-kind, handcrafted coffee mug courtesy of New Earth Clay Pottery, made by Bill Robbins.
The winner of the April Art Walk Grand Prize, a 16 oz candle courtesy of The Sitting Tree Boutique, was Nancy Hagler of Beatrice, NE.
 This month’s featured artists – Colleen Anderson of Alexandria, NE and her father Lloyd “Rich” Richardson of Fairbury, NE.
The May Art Walk at New Earth Clay Pottery will feature the works of artist, Colleen Anderson. Anderson currently lives in Alexandria, Nebraska and is a graduate of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln with a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Textile Design who “loves all aspects of mixed media textile art to wear”, according to her blog (http://alexemmarose-wearable-art.blogspot.com/). Anderson started out knitting and sewing, which she learned from her mother. She started quilting in 1979 and recently began making art quilts for her own collection. About 4 years ago, Anderson was introduced to handmade beaded jewelry at an art fair. A self-proclaimed collector of “stuff” she set out to learn how to make necklaces and earrings using a mixture of vintage pieces and new parts. “I love to recycle unexpected items into wearable art,” according to Anderson. “I continue to make jewelry...mostly custom pieces now using vintage heirloom pieces which I take apart for people and repurpose them with additional items from my stash into a little more up-to-date look...a way to take grandma's old brooch or earring and turn it into something you can give to your daughter or granddaughter to wear and cherish.”
  Lloyd “Rich” Richardson of Fairbury has been creating works of art since the age of thirteen, when he began carving wood. Since then he has also tried bronze casting, sculpture with alabaster, silver smithing and glass bead making. Richardson will be joining his daughter at New Earth Clay Pottery for the May Art Walk where he will be demonstrating the art of glass bead making, from which Anderson creates many of her jewelry pieces. Visitors to the gallery will be able to see how glass beads are created using various colored glass rods, heated and formed into shapes & cooled.
 Richardson is also an amateur blacksmith, creating life-sized birds from welded steel such as owls, whooping cranes and great blue herons. He currently has a pair of whooping cranes doing a courtship dance in the backyard of his residence at 11th & K Streets (Hwy 15) in Fairbury.
 Located at 515 4th Street, New Earth Clay Pottery features locally made stoneware pottery by Bill Robbins of Fairbury. The gallery regularly features (for viewing and for sale) functional stoneware pottery, ceramic art, handmade tiles, jewelry, porcelain, paintings, hand-made paper, photography, sculpture and art glass pieces produced by local & regional artists.
 Country Cottage and Cakes Unlimited will be participating in the May First Friday Art Walk. Located at 520 5th Street, in the former Smitty’s Bakery, Country Cottage features coffee and bakery items daily, along with specialty cakes for any occasion. Country Cottage also features a variety of handcrafts and collectibles. Visitors are invited to stop in to see their newly relocated business and enjoy treats while they shop.
 The Jefferson County Art Guild will be displaying their works inside their new location at 511 5th Street, across the street from the Campbell Bros Circus Mural. On display for show and sale will be works created by members of the Guild, which meets each Monday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. for “paint-ins”. According to member Art Guild member Audrey Dawes, “We encourage anyone who is interested in art to stop in and see what we are all about. We would love to recruit new members.” The Art Guild will feature a variety of handmade greeting cards for sale during the May Art Walk.
 Located at 508 E Street, Stagecoach Mall Antiques and Tasting Room will also be open for the May First Friday Art Walk. Here Visitors can view the “century-old” brick wall and massive limestone fireplace made of sculpted concrete, created by Thom Hunt of BB Studios of Fairbury along with fellow artists as part of the “Decorative Concrete Meets Historic Preservation” class held in Fairbury in 2011. Eighteen artists from the U.S., Canada, Puerto Rico and Brazil came to Fairbury to be trained by Hunt in the techniques of decorative concrete. Visitors will enjoy refreshments and specials throughout the store.
 Great West Outdoors on the north side of the downtown square will once again be open for the May Art Walk. Located at 413 5th Street, Nebraska native Vince Brown and his business partner Justin Ridgway create antler lighting and furniture from deer, elk and moose antlers, sold primarily online. A selection of chandeliers, floor lamps, table lamps and wall sconces will be on display for show and sale Friday evening along with various types of tanned furs and skins. Brown also buys and sells rare and vintage books, jewelry and semi-precious stones.
 It’s grilling season at The Sitting Tree Boutique, located at 315 5th Street, in the Parklane Plaza, just west of the post office. Gourmet food items from Stonewall Kitchens will be will be the feature for the May Art Walk. The Sitting Tree Boutique features a variety of consigned merchandise, some of which is handmade. Items such as scarves, wine racks, wall decor, candle holders, and furniture pieces are all handcrafted by artisans. Candles made by the handicapped in New Jersey, wax bears, and jewelry are also available for sale. In addition, The Sitting Tree consigns clothing and home décor items for sale in the store and online.
Art Walk participants are also encouraged to stop in at E Street Thrift and The Toggery, where everything but furniture will be half price from 5 – 8 p.m. that evening. Be sure to check out the copper penny entrance created by owner David Lange at the corner of 4th & E Streets.
If you are a downtown retailer and would like to participate in future Art Walks, please contact Fairbury.com by calling 402.613.2063 or by email: Julie@Fairbury.com.
Each month, new artists, new locations and new events are featured for the Fairbury First Friday Art Walk. Organizers are hoping to grow this event and feature more art, artists and events in the coming months as a tool to promote downtown Fairbury. Everyone is encouraged to come downtown this Friday beginning at 5 p.m. Enjoy the art, meet the artists and help support the arts in Fairbury!
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