By Nick Diamantides
Staff Writer
First Fridays–the event that brings works of art and live music to Bixby Knolls once a month–is celebrating its first anniversary Nov. 2. Its founders are very happy with the way it has grown in the last 12 months, and they’re hoping it becomes a monthly festival that attracts people from all over Southern California. It now brings about 1,000 people to a portion of Atlantic Avenue on the first Friday of every month.
The event originated in Oasis–a now defunct coffee house in California Heights. “It was on the corner of Orange Avenue and Wardlow Road,” said former Oasis owner Keith Lewis. “I used to feature a different artist in Oasis every month and we always had a reception for them so people from the community could meet the artist and see the artwork.”
Lewis’s good friend, sculptor Peter Dopulos, displayed his stone sculptures in Oasis. He also helped book the displays and organize the artists’ receptions. “Back then, the receptions didn’t necessarily take place on Fridays,” he said. “It was a different day every month, depending on when the artist was available to come to the coffee house.”
The artists’ receptions began happening at Oasis in 2005. During that time a store called Chroma Glass was next door. Lewis and Dopulos became good friends with that store’s owner, Krista Leaders. “The Oasis went out of business in 2006, but we still had artists booked for about a year in advance,” Dopulos said.
“We were still in touch with Krista and when she found out the Oasis was closing permanently, she suggested that we move the art displays and receptions to Chroma Glass’ new location in Bixby Knolls,” Lewis added. “Peter and I went to her new shop and knew it could accommodate the art shows so we were happy to be able to move them there.”
Leaders was also happy the displays were coming to her store. She saw that relocation as a way of helping local artists while attracting more customers to her stain glass and custom glass business.
But Leaders thought that more people would come if the artist reception was held on the same evening every month, and people didn’t have to wake up early the next day. So Lewis, Dopulos and Leaders decided to hold it on the first Friday of the month and name it accordingly.
“Early on, I knew that everyone–artists, store owners and the people who lived in the community–would benefit more if we had more stores displaying the art works and having the artists come to their stores,” Leaders said. She explained that to make that happen she contacted many of the business owners in Bixby Knolls and quite a few of them were very interested.
The initial First Fridays was held on November 3 last year. About 10 stores participated in the event drawing an estimated crowd of 200. Chroma Glass had nearly 50 visitors that night.
“Now from 800 to 1,000 people come to Bixby Knolls for First Fridays and Chroma Glass alone gets 150 to 200 visitors,” Leaders said.
“Krista really helped this event grow,” Dopulos said. “Another person that was very instrumental in expanding it is Carina Leoni, the general manager of Nino’s Italian Restaurant.” He explained that Leoni got involved soon after they agreed to move the event to Bixby Knolls.
“She has lived in the area all her life and knows most of the business people here,” Dopulos added. “She was able to get a lot of support for First Fridays from the business community.”
Lewis said he wants the event to keep growing. “I would love to see as many stores as possible participating and generating pedestrian activity on both sides of Atlantic Avenue,” he said. “Ideally, so many people will start coming to First Fridays that the city will have to close that portion of the street to motor vehicle traffic during the hours that the artists are there.”
If growth continues at the same pace as the event’s first year, that could very well happen.
A sign of that growth came recently when the Long Beach Craft Mafia (a subsidiary of the nationally known Austin Craft Mafia) signed on to be a regular participant of First Fridays starting November 2. About five different crafters from that organization will show their works there.
“We’re going to set up our displays in the alley between Red Wing Shoes and E.J. Malloys,” said Kelli Johnson, a member of the group. “We’re hoping the alley becomes a good venue and we can expand further into the alley and even onto the sidewalk.”
First Fridays includes displays of paintings, sculptures, photography and various crafts. It also features live music and occasional poetry readings.
“Our first anniversary will be a very impressive show,” Dopulos said. “It will feature some of our best artists.”
Lewis said he was looking forward to it too. “We now have artists coming from all over Southern California,” he said. “More and more people are finding out about it.”
Leaders agreed. “Art lovers from the South Bay cities and Orange County are starting to come to First Fridays,” she said. “It’s wonderful to see, and we appreciate all the support we are getting from the community.”
About 10 businesses will participate in the November 2 First Fridays anniversary celebration, starting with the Mirage Café on 539 Bixby Road and running through the 4200 block of Atlantic Avenue. For more information go to www.firstfridayslongbeach.com or phone Leaders at (562) 424-6052.
