Released by Augustine Ideas media company in partnership with Sara Brooks, Gordon Huether and Arts Council Napa Valley.
Art on First to Launch this Friday
First Glimpse at One-of-a-Kind Art Installations Will Transform First Street
NAPA, Calif. – Friday, February 25, at 6:00 p.m., Downtown Napa will come alive as Art on First officially kicks off on First Street. Art on First will bring art to downtown and revive Friday nights, as the City of Napa welcomes all visitors and residents to this exciting event. What started as one artist’s vision to create a vibrant urban core is now poised to be a major revitalization movement downtown through the development of an impressive art scene.
That artist is Gordon Huether, owner of the Gordon Huether Gallery on First Street and Gordon Huether Studio on Monticello Road in Napa. He is also one of the founders of Art on First. He made the first move when he piloted his own eye-catching art installation in a downtown shop window to generate interest in the idea. The buzz built. Since then, nineteen more Bay Area artists have been selected to create one-of-a-kind art installations to fill the storefront windows along First Street. These installations will be revealed for the first time on Friday in a dramatic, “lights up” moment. A reception featuring wine and mingling with the artists will be held at Huether’s gallery at 1465 First Street in Napa.
“Art on First will bring art and excitement to First Street,” said Sara Brooks General Manager, Napa River Inn and Historic Napa Mill. “We, along with the rest of the city, are ready to embrace this concept and hope that many will come downtown to enjoy the art, the restaurants and everything else that Downtown Napa has to offer.”
The Art on First installations will be on display for the rest of the year. To make the event more fun and interactive, the posters in each window will contain a Quick Response (QR) code. Viewers can download a free QR reader on their smartphones, then snap a picture of the QR code, and they’ll be taken to a source of information to learn more about the artists and to vote for their favorites. They may be taken to the Art on First website, Facebook, a video or some other interactive media.
The event also kicks off First Fridays, an ongoing free event that will encourage residents and visitors to step out on the town and explore the growing local art scene. Each Friday will feature a different artist and a unique piece of art they created. Attendees will be encouraged to participate in the digital scavenger hunt, which will utilize social media tools to distribute clues for an art scavenger hunt to find the piece. Whoever finds it will get to keep it. After the hunt, a casual reception with the artist will be held with wine for all participants.
Art on First is just one of many upcoming efforts to promote tourism to downtown Napa. For more information, visit NapaArtonFirst.com or check out the Napa Downtown Association on Facebook, or ArtsCouncilNapaValley.org.
More About Art on First
ART ON F1RST is presented by the Tourism Improvement District and the Property Based Improvement District; a collection of private business owners helping to make Downtown Napa a better place. Also sponsored by Bruce Tucker Construction, Mack D.L. Electrical Co., Gordon Heuther Gallery, Arts Council Napa Valley, Sara Brooks, Cohan Sculley Show, Tariq Azruei, Napa River Inn at the Historic Napa Mill, Embassy Suites Napa Valley, The Meritage Resort and Spa & Inn on First. Special thanks to painters, Larry Otis and John Ruch, and Devine Paint Center.
The goal of the Tourism Improvement District and the Property Based Improvement District is to promote the City of Napa and its downtown core as a premier destination in the Napa Valley region. Through initiatives such as Art on First, their mission is to revitalize downtown and its surrounding areas with activities that will bring more visitors and residents into the city itself.
Media Contact:
Jessica Love
(916) 960-2904
jlove[at]augustineideas[dot]com
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