What a weekend for island arts. Not only is this weekend the beginning of the Holiday Art Studio Tour, but islanders can begin their art perusing by taking to town Friday evening for the First Friday gallery cruise. Most galleries are open 6 to 9 p.m.

Most First Friday art spots are also stops on the studio tour. For more information, see page 16, and for a complete listing see www.VashonIslandArtStudioTour.com.

Art in the Alley Gallery, behind Spider’s Ski & Sports, will be filled with handmade tiles, glass bead jewelry, ornate lamps, mosaics, pottery and other items. Jami Jackson and friends will provide music. First Friday also marks the start of new hours for the gallery, 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday through Saturday.

Bergamot Studio will feature several Vashon artists working within the theme of contrast, specifically between vermillion red and turquoise blue. The shop and studio in Burton will feature the monotypes of Mary Margaret Briggs, paintings  by Gretchen Hancock and Donald Cole, tiles by Clare Dohna, acrylic on board by Brian Fisher and Jonathan Kuzma, mixed media collage by Edith Sehulster and Joan Wortis and digital photographic collage by Kassana Holden. Also available will  are pottery by Christine Beck, leatherwork by Bill Cleaver and jewelry by Sandrhyme.

Blooms & Things will show floral artistry by Carol Alfors.

Café Luna will have an exhibit by Kathy Larsdotter titled “ Images of Calm and Wonder.” The watercolor images are inspired by pictures Larsdotter has taken in her travels the last few years.

Duet will show watercolor paintings by Michael Spakowsky as well as mosaic art and jewelry by Lisa Betz.

Pam Ingalls’ oil painting exhibit, “Visions of Vashon, Paintings of Everyday Beauty” will be on display at The Hardware Store Restaurant. Ingalls’ cityscapes, figure paintings, still lifes and portraits depict life on the island. The show opens from 7 to 9 p.m., with Daryl Redeker playing guitar.

Marine life sculptures by Darsie Beck and painting and assemblage by Brian Fisher will be on display at the Heron’s Nest.

Raven’s Nest will present a collection of Northwest Coast Native art and gifts for the holiday season. Tlingit Artist Autumn Shotridge will offer sealskin, beaver and sea otter medicine pouches and other items trimmed with beadwork. Art demonstrations by Shotridge will be scheduled throughout the month of December. Sue Shotridge will present a variety of new jewelry options. Israel Shotridge will be available to personalize any of his current art prints exhibited at Raven’s Nest and will have a collection of his hand engraved jewelry on display.

Pottery by Abraham McBride will be on display at Starving Artist Works (SAW).

Two Wall Gallery in the will have a holiday show of shop artists where shops in the Wallflower Building will all contribute. Participating artists are from Blooms & Things, Heron’s Nest, Dova Silks and ReGenr8.

VALISE Gallery will show a member’s exhibition called “Paper.” VALISE members will exhibit a collection of works exploring paper. Drawn to the tactile, visual, historic qualities and simple familiarity of this material, the members have created affordable, accessible works of art on or about paper.

“Watercolor Fantasies” by Wendra Lynne, a member of the Art Directors Guild for Film and Television, will be shown at the Vashon Senior Center. The baked potato bar will be open.

Jessika Satori will have a collection of abstract paintings at Vashon Intuitive Arts. Satori, known for film directing and producing, has been painting for most of her life. Her show, titled “Abstracts,” will include several paintings and a special exhibit on Friday during the artist’s reception.

Pieces created by island artists will adorn the walls and floor of the Vashon Allied Arts Gallery for its annual “Masters in Miniature” show. Forty-seven artists will participate, the most the show has ever seen in its seven-year history. While style, medium and subject run the artistic gamut, the works all share common ground in one specific category: size. Miniature Show 2D and 3D pieces are all just inches wide.

The Vashon Tea Shop will exhibit photography by Richard Kasden. Kasden’s show, called “Holy Moly Moments,” includes landscape and travel photos from Vashon, the Pacific Northwest and Kasden’s worldwide travels.

Waterworks Studio will present a mandala of 19 island artists with art and handmade crafts on display. A studio tour preview Friday will kick off at 6 p.m. with music by Richard Person and Jim Hobson. For more on  Waterworks Studio, on Maury Island, see www.waterworksonvashon.com.