It is almost my favorite time of the month… First Fridays! For those of you that have not experienced an Oakland First Friday, you are in for a treat. It is an evening when Oakland comes alive, there are people in the street, the coffee is flowing, as is the wine and good spirits. All of this over gallery openings on the first Friday of every month. Now I am not an artist, oh how I wish I was, but sadly I am not. I am however in love with the lifestyle and talents of those around me, and to see these skills on display and being enjoyed by so many is priceless. Oh and it is truly priceless, as in free. Yes, you heard me, free!

http://www.oaklandartmurmur.com/pages/Jmap/murmur_web.pdf 

There are 5 galleries on Telegraph alone that are open from 6-9pm. The style and medium are different for most. The crowds, which can range from 60 yr old art connoisseurs to 20 year old struggling newcomers somehow meld into the perfect group to spend your time with. Some showrooms are true to the original definition of a gallery. Art. Large walls, filled with different perspectives of the world. Others are disguised as coffee shops or import boutiques. Whichever venue you find yourself in, you will find them all worth it. I like to be surprised but, you can visit the individual websites for more information on what works are being shown.

I suggest an early dinner, The restaurants in the Temescal neighborhood are plenty, if you choose some of the Grand ave. galleries your choices are just as numerous. Most gallery’s are within a 10-15 block radius of one another and there seem to be plenty of food vendors along the way, whether this is planned or not, I still have yet to figure out. So to be on the safe side, plan a dinner, then a nice cup of coffee to go and stroll the streets of Oakland in the often forgotten neighborhoods. The enthusiasm is infectious, the mood contagious and you will find the desire to come back for more the next month. I like the idea of supporting a local neighborhood. These First Friday’s have only been going on for 3 years and, as a product of their success, are expanding. Let’s take advantage of, and pride in this local event before it turns into Burning Man and gets moved to a desert!