Emphasis on ART and WALK. Ukiah is a very walkable town.

Join artists and their hosts for an evening of art, music and refreshments as you stroll from one venue to the next; each showcasing local art and artistry. Held in Historic Downtown Ukiah on the first Friday of each month, the First Friday Art Walk is the perfect way to relax your body, mind and soul.

This enjoyable evening begins at 5pm.

Participating Galleries:

Corner Gallery / Art Center Ukiah

Grace Hudson Museum

Medium Art Gallery – Deep Valley Arts Collective

…and more.

Bona Marketplace, 116 W Standley Street, Ukiah
Bona Marketplace will be featuring works by Charles Gilchrist presented by his friend Joe Hart. Over his lifetime Charles created many beautiful and colorful geometric pieces with spiritual meaning and shared them with his longtime friend Joe Hart to share with future generations. The show  is titled “Sacred Geometry”. In addition to the art ahow we will also be offering a makers class with Simone Ndoye to create and leave with your very own silver cuff bracelet. The cost of the  class is $45.00 plus materials and you can register by contacting Bona Marketplace.

Art Center Ukiah, 201 S. State Street, Ukiah
“Dreams of Peace; Hopes for Our Future” is the theme chosen by Ukiah Highs School art students for their Art Center Ukiah exhibit. Each class came up with their own unique response to this theme. Students in the MESA program (taught by Sezgin Ramirez), created an installation of origami doves. Doves to convey both the ideas of pain and peace.  Math skills are used to create origami.
Jay Montesonti’s metal shop students fashioned  a bouquet of roses out of welded metal.
Students in Lech Slocinski’s Art 140 class worked together for several months to create and audition photos that express their individual responses to the theme… to hang on the walls to complement the installations.
Three classes- advanced art (taught by Rose Easterbrook), advanced ceramics (taught by Jim Persky) and advanced fashion design (taught by Katryna Dorsteler) collaborated on an enormous dinner party installation inspired by the famous work of Judy Chicago.
The centerpiece of the “Dreams of Peace, Hopes for Our Future” is the installation on a large round table in the center of the room. Students self-selected into pairs, to create ten place settings reflecting their own personal perspective on the general theme. The display includes written statements to explain their thoughts on the topic they chose.  Advanced ceramics created two bisque plates, advanced art students painted plates with ceramic glazes, advanced Fashion Design created placemats and napkins to go with specific plate settings.
This entire project originated in Lech Slocinski’s dual enrollment class for advanced high school art students the class on creating art students individual art portfolios as well as helping put on art shows.  This group could have come up with a simple concept that wouldn’t have required any serious thought or soul searching, but they overwhelmingly voted to take this deep dive into a seriously provocative topic.
“Dreams of Peace; Hopes for Our Future” is generously sponsored by Ukiah High School Retired Educators: Bob Bender & Beverly Spence, Jerry Garcia, Phil Gary, Glenn Gawel, Jim & Mary Hatfield, Holly Rodgers and Ron & Francine Selim.

Corner Gallery Ukiah, 201 S. State Street, Ukiah
The front windows at the Corner Gallery will be graced by Pat Elliott’s elegant, colorful and evocative “Tree Views” for the month of April. Growing up in the Canadian province of northern Ontario with an oil painter for a mother, Pat was surrounded by untamed nature and artistic inspiration.
After retiring from fifty years in her nursing career, Pat began studying art locally at Mendocino College. “I was really inspired,” she says. “I always wanted to be an artist, but I couldn’t find the time I started taking pictures and doing art based on those memories from my childhood. What I love in Ontario is the birch and pine trees as they change colors with the seasons, the rivers, and all the lakes. My show is full of images from the Ontario wilderness, with the inclusion of some paintings of our beautiful Mendocino Coast.”
Pat has experimented with a variety of media in her various art classes, and currently enjoys acrylics and ink. She uses bold colors and simplified forms and glazes to achieve the colorful and semi-abstracted effect that she desires in her work.
Alexis Spakoski is the featured artist for the Mendocino County Arts Association’s pony wall. Alexis is inspired all kinds of images of everyday life that she finds whimsical. Acrylic paint is Alexis’ preferred medium. This display of spontaneous and unexpected images is certain to delight visitors.
Young Artist Wall: – Jia Ying a student teacher at the Buddhist school displays works in acrylic and colored pencil on canvas.
The First Friday opening on April 5 from 5-8pm at the Corner Gallery. Live music will be provided throughout the evening by “Midas Well,” aka Char Jacob’s and Chris Gibson.

Grace Hudson Museum, 431 S Main Street, Ukiah
Join us on this First Friday from 5:00 to 8:00 PM as we host a reception to celebrate the recent opening of our newest exhibition, Deep Roots, Spreading Branches: Fine Woodworking of the Krenov School. The show focuses on the over 40-year history of this world-renowned school in Ft. Bragg, and features craft furniture and woodwork by James Krenov (who founded the program), current and former instructors, and a considerable number of students who trained there. In addition to seeing astounding craftsmanship and having a chance to meet many of the artists, visitors will be treated to musical entertainment by our good friend Clay Hawkins. Refreshments will be available too, including beer from North Coast Brewing Company. All the galleries will be open, so you can also spend some time getting to know or get reacquainted with Grace Hudson’s paintings, fine Pomo basketry, Hudson-Carpenter family history, and our Wild Gardens that is starting to bloom with spring colors. Many thanks to our exhibition sponsors: The Krenov Foundation, The Krenov School, Mendocino College, the Sun House Guild, Museum Members, and North Coast Brewing Company. The reception is free and open to the public. First Fridays are always free to everyone all day and evening.

The Lot, Corner of Main Street and Standley Street, Ukiah
The Lot on Main is making a come back with local artists and musicians. Formerly known as a “parking lot” every First Friday The Lot is transformed in to an incubator for local artisans and musicians. A can’t miss location for every Art Walk attendee.

Ukiah Library, 105 N Main Street, Ukiah
The Ukiah Branch Library staff invites the community to join us for Art Walk Ukiah on Friday, March 1, 2024, from 5 to 7 p.m. Come and enjoy the colorful, joyous, and sometimes silly world of artist Marco Donner.
The Branch will host sweet tunes by Lhasa Summers. There will be an in-person hands-on creative arts program. Enjoy a book sale by the Ukiah Valley Friends of the Library as you browse the art walk.
This exhibit is free to the public, open to all ages, and sponsored by the Ukiah Valley Friends of the Library and Mendocino County Library.

NEW LOCATION ALERT:
Ukiah Natural Foods Co-op, 721 South State Street. April 5th, from 5:30-7:30PM
Ukiah Natural Foods Co-op will be featuring local award-winning professional photographer Yvonne Boyd. Yvonne’s current series, titled “Moving Water”, will be an immersive experience with photography, music and video featuring Benny Bullock and Katharine Cole on guitar as well as Yvonne herself on percussion.

REOPENING! MEDIUM Art Gallery, 518 E Perkins Street, Ukiah
The Deep Valley Arts Collective invites you to attend our third annual group exhibition of artists who are 18 years old or younger. The exhibition will take place at the MEDIUM Art Gallery in Ukiah and will be on display from April 5th to April 27th. Come and support the talented young artists of our community in this group exhibition, which will showcase artwork in various mediums from these young talented artists. An opening reception will be held on First Friday, April 5th, from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Please feel free to attend and invite your friends and family.  Show openings are a fun community event. We will have light food and drink and an art project to participate in.

The Art Walk is a rain or shine event so grab an umbrella and take a stroll! Additional businesses are open and offering specials, explore Downtown Ukiah.

Additional businesses are open and offering specials, take a stroll and explore Downtown Ukiah.

Maureen Mulheren
Ukiah Valley Networking Agency

For more information contact, Mo Mulheren at Ukiah Valley Networking at ukiahvalleynetworking@gmail.com or text her at 707-391-3664