First Friday Art Show Survival Guide

July 28, 9:07 PMDenver Events ExaminerAndrew Novick

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First Friday art openings have been steadily growing throughout the country.  Even Honolulu has a first Fridat art walk.  Denver's first Friday scene is no exception and has even received national attention.  I can't say that it's all great, or that it is even a great experience, but I have a few tips if you're going to go to "Denver's Art District on Santa Fe", which takes place on and near Santa Fe Drive, between 4th and 12th Avenues.  Even if you don't like art/art shows, it's also an electic cross section of people to check out.

1) Go early - There is potentially a lot to see, and it gets crowded.  It seems to get rolling about 5:30 p.m.

2) Park far away - Don't even try to drive up Santa Fe - there are scads of pedestrians not paying attention, and it is difficult to turn either way off of Santa Fe.  Hopefully they'll start closing it off.  There is street parking nearby, but it gets full, and many of the streets are narrow.  There's a lot at 10th and Galapago (West High School)  It's a short walk, and there's a shuttle that will take you the two block over to Santa Fe.  There's a small fee, but it goes to the West High Student Council.

3) Don't Lollygag - There's some good art buried in a multitude of mediocre to bad art.  If you don't like what you see, keep moving.  Although some galleries have several studios to check out, so try to take a quick lap through.

4) Buy Food - There are a few good restuarants in the neighborhood, most notably El Taco De Mexico. on 7th and Santa Fe.  They've been serving "Mission Style" burritos since before Chipolte/Qdoba/Illegal Pete's ever existed....and the Horchata rules!  There's a yellow building Just North of 8th on Santa Fe that has some great churros!  There is good pizza and Ethiopian food nearby, too.

5) Check out Denver Open Media - It is Denver's cable access studios and they have an open house on first Fridays.  It's at 7th and Kalamath, 1 block West of the madness on Santa Fe.  They usually have food and live performances...and it's on TV (Comcast cable channels 56 ans 57)!  They teach classes on TV/video production and work with area teens.  They are a great community builder.

6) After Dark - When it gets dark, gather 'round the metal fire sculptures on 8th near Inca.

After a few visits, you may be able to hone-in on your favorite galleries a lot quicker.

Also, there are other openings around town as well, so if you don't like crowds, perhaps look for some other options.  For example, Andenken Gallery is at 30th and Larimer - with plenty of street parking available, and it tends to go on a little later than some of the other openings.