Portland’s First Friday Art Walk Makes a Triumphant Return July 2

Here's another wonderful sign that Maine is coming out of the pandemic. First Friday is back! The First Friday Art Walk, put on by the great folks at Creative Portland, is Maine's largest free monthly cultural event.

We missed 15 First Fridays because of the pandemic, so we all have some catching up to do! Over 3,000 people come downtown on the first Friday of each month to visit galleries and museums, see live performances, buy work from street artists, and greet friends as they stroll along city streets.

There will be over 2 dozen venue and arts organization participants. Plus, all the great bars, restaurants, shops, incredible street artists and street vendors that surround First Friday. Free to participants from 5:00 - 8:00 PM, the Art Walk celebrates the creative culture that makes Portland one of the best small cities in the country!

GET THE FIRST FRIDAY ART WALK OFFICIAL MAP HERE

If you're new to the First Friday Art Walk, here's a great overview from our friends at Creative Portland:

The walk will span the Portland Peninsula from the West End through the Arts District along Congress Street, all the way to Monument Square and the Press Hotel. The Creative Portland gallery will be open for the ongoing exhibition of All the Great Trees, a juried art exhibition of local artists at 84 Free Street. Participants must follow city street vendor regulations and Maine State CDC guidelines. 

Since this is a "soft opening" of First Friday, Creative Portland asks people to bring a mask if possible. First Friday is truly one of the

Here are a few featured events for this month's Art Walk:

LOQUAT Pop Up Shop, a fashion label founded by MECA alumni, opens a pop-up in MECA's Porteous storefront in collaboration with Artists at Work. The space features their store and studio, as well as a curated selection of fine arts & crafts from LGBTQ+ and BIPOC makers in the Greater Portland area

The Black Box Joins First Friday!

Join the Black Box for their first-ever participation in Portland's First Friday Art Walk! We are so excited to extend this event beyond the Art District and into the heart of Washington Ave. located between Munjoy Hill and East Bayside. Come by the Black Box between 4-8 pm on Friday, July 2nd, and include a live painting experience from Jacob Powers, a meet-and-greet with artist Bryan Graf in front of his semi-permanent light installation "Reflected Projections Projecting Reflections," and an art sale with work from illustrator and author, Kimothy Joy, and ceramics artist, Luster Hustler. In addition, guests will be able to enjoy Yakitori-style skewers from Ishi Ishi, CBD-infused mocktails from Betoken and Onggi, Cider from Anoche, light snacks, and much more! Come on out and celebrate the small businesses and local artists of the Munjoy/Bayside community!

The First Friday Arts Walk is put on by Creative Portland, the official non-profit arts agency for the City of Portland and the city's hub for its creative economy. Congratulations to Creative Portland for bringing First Friday back!