Bixby Knolls will kick off the Visions-Voices Festival of Arts & Literature presented by the Arts Council for Long Beach, so a number of businesses participating in First Fridays have planned spoken word and art pieces befitting the festival theme.
First Fridays also welcomes Family Night, as three neighborhood schools have teamed up with local businesses to display student-created artwork.
Some venues open at 6:30pm. Big Red Bus arrives at 7pm. Venues can be found on Atlantic Avenue between Bixby Road and San Antonio Drive.
For complete information regarding the different venues, check the First Fridays website at www.firstfridayslongbeach.com.
· Historical Society of Long Beach, 4260 Atlantic, celebrates “Women of Long Beach: Breaking Through, Lighting the Way,” featuring a stellar list of Long Beach women: a panel discussion with four prominent African-American women who made a difference in Long Beach speaking about their experiences. Included: Doris Topsy-Elvord, first African-American city council woman, Long Beach vice mayor, and Harbor Commissioner of Long Beach; Wilma Powell, first female and African-American chief wharfinger in the United States; Carrie Bryant, first African-American owner and operator of a private school in Long Beach; Bobbie Smith, first African-American elected to Long Beach Unified School District Board. Also featured: Jean Bixby Smith and Barbara Blackwell on the Bixby Women; Eunice Sato, Long Beach’s first and only Japanese-American mayor; and a living history performance with Karen Harper as Jane Harnett, first Long Beach historian, who died in the 1918 flu epidemic.
· Nino’s Italian Restaurant, 3853 Atlantic, hosts the kick-off event for the Festival with 8:30pm performances by Los Angeles poets. Neon Hunter will be providing the vibes with wine and fine Italian nosh available.
· Long Beach Arts, 4332 Atlantic, will be featuring the new exhibit “Urban Ambiance,” juried by Michael Daniels, professor of Painting & Drawing at Long Beach City College.
· FreeSpirit Yoga, 3910 Atlantic. “Peace” will be the theme and Members of Military Families Speak Out, Iraq Veterans Against the War, Veterans for Peace and special guests will present art, spoken word, music, and narrative about the effect of war on society and the road to peace
· Jammin’ Music, 3972 Atlantic, presents “Visions-Voices: An Evening of Art & Music from Long Beach’s Next Generation.” Live performances by the Jammin’ Music String Quartet (ages 11-14), cello instructor Diana Parmeter, and a drum circle. Guitar wall art from local Long Beach high school students and drawings from Jammin Music’s latest art class graduates.
· The Richard Goad Theatre, 4250 Atlantic, home of The Long Beach Shakespeare Company, will have actors in front of the theatre, in costume for The Far-Gone-doliers, which is adapted from Gilbert & Sullivan’s The Gondoliers. They will perform music and dances from the show.
· Elise’s Tea Room, 3924 Atlantic, will be featuring the artwork of classically trained Italian artist Laura Laciniati, a special-effects makeup artist, designer, and production designer who specializes in “Trompe l’oeil” techniques (3D) as well as murals (outdoor and indoor), frescoes and special home decoration projects
· It’s A Grind, 4245 Atlantic, will feature live music from Babylon Blues.
· Melinda McCoy’s Flowers, 611 E. Carson Street, will showcase its special “glass art.” The entire display is made from windshields. Two artists will show their glass and bronze sculptures.
· Salon Medusa, 4232 Atlantic, will host music and refreshments inside the salon.
· Baba Ghanouj, 4276 Atlantic., will host Longfellow Elementary School.
· Il Poggio Restaurant, 3819 Atlantic., will support Hughes Middle School by donating 20 percent of all food sales between the hours of 6pm and 10pm.
· Vangie Ogg Photography and Pixie Toys, 3930 Atlantic, will feature artwork from Longfellow Elementary students
· Averyboo Arts, 3908 Atlantic, will celebrate its grand opening. Check out the new creativity studio for kids free from 6pm-9pm. Painting, crafts, building blocks, chalk walk, and dress-up will all be available. Artwork from Hughes Middle School will also be displayed.
· Eat. Play. Grow., 3926 Atlantic, presents “Reflections Artwork” from students of Los Cerritos Elementary School. Eat. Play. Grow. is also celebrating its first time with First Fridays and will provide Argentine snacks.
