First Friday beckons with freewheeling fun for all

Published 1:30 am Wednesday, August 30, 2023

One of the best, biggest, and most celebratory First Fridays of the year will unfurl starting at 5 p.m. Friday, Sept. 1, when Vashon Highway will close in the middle of town one last time as part of the Vashon Chamber’s “Summer Nights” series.

Further down the road, Vashon Center for the Arts (VCA), will offer a preview of its 46th annual gala art auction, to take place on Saturday, Sept. 30. The auction — VCA’s most important fundraiser of the year — supports all its programs to present visual art, live music, dance and theater, and arts education for islanders of all ages.

Of course, something else also happens that night — Stupid Bike Night, an outlandish pop-up parade of pedal-powered tomfoolery will happen just after dusk, in the middle of town.

This year’s parade — the 10th annual edition of the event — will feature dozens of riders once again tooling through town on outlandish forms of tricked-out, lit-up, pedal-powered means of transportation.

It’s a not-to-be-missed night for Vashon to shine, as the summer season turns to fall.

Here’s more about what’s happening on September 1.

Outstanding in its Field

The beauty and mystery of birds are explored in “Of a Feather,” opening on Friday from 5-8 p.m. at the Outstanding In Its Field Gallery, 10524 SW 188th St, just west of Sawbones.

The exhibit includes oil paintings from Hartmut Reimnitz; ceramics by Tara Brenno; art glass by Gail Hapeman; ceramic sculptures by Chuck Bonsteel; monoprints by Ilse Reimnitz; photography by Peter Hapeman; and garden art, bas relief bronze sculpture and etched glass from White Hart Art.

A portion of the proceeds will benefit the Vashon Audubon Society. Regular gallery hours are 12-5 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays, and weekdays by appointment, by calling 206-419.0199.

At the opening reception, enjoy fresh-baked treats and a performance by Daryl Redeker in the gallery’s party pasture. Attendees are welcome to bring blankets or camp chairs.

Puget Sound Cooperative Credit Union

The credit union will feature the work of photographer April Richardson, showing a collection of 8-inch by 8-inch images, and woodworker Phillip Owens, who will display his eclectic birdhouses. Musical guests will include the duo Lift, made up of Karen Dale and Lawson Cannon, performing traditional Celtic and American old-time music, including original tunes and enhanced ballads, on fiddle and guitar.

Swiftwater Gallery

In honor of Stupid Bike Night, Swiftwater Gallery will present an activity and photo op on First Friday called “Ride the Great Art Wave.”

A decorated stationary exercise bike will be placed in front of a large backdrop of a replica of the famed woodblock print, “The Great Wave Off Kanagawa,” created in 1831 by Japanese artist Hokusai.

Throughout the evening, community members will be invited to help decorate the bike and then hop on for a photo. The bike is currently in the gallery now — along with a large donation box for gallery members to drop off decor and supplies to make the bike shine in true “Stupid Bike Night” style. Old art supplies, lights, ribbons, strings, feathers, tape, glue, cardboard, and any other items to give it flair are welcome.

VALISE

Pascale Judet, a longtime and beloved artist on Vashon, will have her first solo show in years at VALISE Gallery in September.

The exhibit, “Up in the Air,” will have an opening reception during the First Friday Gallery Cruise, but will also be on view starting at 1 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 1.

The show, according to Judet, is the result of two years of daily drawing sessions, with paintings composed of two to four drawings on wood panels, to which she has applied cut-out collages — mostly birds and boats from earlier paintings.

“I love the calm of my studio and the feeling of diving into deep water when I focus on my work,” Judet said. “The resulting images are always deeply personal and the process itself is very healing.”

The show runs through September 30. Regular gallery hours are 1-6 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. For more information, visit valisegallery.com.

Vashon Center for the Arts

At VCA, works by more than 100 local artists will be on display — with all of them offered up for sale as part of VCA’s upcoming gala “Masquerade” auction on Saturday, Sept. 30.

A silent auction, beginning on First Friday, will include many of the works of art, as well as distinctive experiences and destination trips that have been donated by supporters of the organization.

The auction’s “Golden Ticket” raffle also begins on Sept. 1, with 100 tickets only being sold, at $100 each. The prize? Two round trip tickets on Alaska Airlines, valued at $2500, to fly to any Alaska Airlines destination, with no blackout dates.

Tickets to the gala on Sept. 30 are $75 per person and can be purchased at VCA’s box office or online, at vca.maxgiving.bid.

Silent auction treasures can also be viewed in-person in the VCA Gallery during public hours, from 12 to 5 p.m. Wednesday-Sunday, or online at vca.maxgiving.bid where guests can register, bid, and purchase tickets ($75 each) for the Sept. 30 gala.