The phenomenon of First Fridays is one that’s swept through many cities in the past ten years or so. In some places, like Phoenix, it’s been wildly successful, drawing a crowd of thousands every month, and waking up the city to the artist presence there. In other cities, like San Diego, problems with weather and logistics made it slow going, and eventually saw it go away altogether.
However, in Philadelphia, the story is different. They’ve been doing it since 1991, giving it one of the longest histories of First Friday events in the country. It’s an event that draws out the local art scene by droves, and also does a great job of attracting curious locals who have heard good things, people from the suburbs, and even out of town guests come from their luxury Philadelphia hotels to see what’s happening.
It happens the first Friday of every month, and from about 5pm til 9pm, lots of galleries hold a city-wide open house. Usually there are 40 or more Philly gallery spaces participating, with some concentrations downtown, but it does happen all over the city. People have the chance to see all the latest exhibitions and installations, and take part in viewing the art as a city. It’s not only a great way to find out what’s going on in the hipper art pockets, but it’s also a way to find out who the people here really are.
The Philadelphia Citypaper and the Philadelphia Weekly often give their takes on what to see, in case viewers aren’t sure where to begin. But some of the most exciting stuff happens without any planning, where last-minute performances might be added, or spring up. It all depends on the whims of the crowds. But it’s crowds that have been doing this for a long time, so there’s a certain savviness to it that makes for a splendid experience for everyone.
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