Artists are turning their eye to the heavens and to themes such as “Belonging” during the First Friday gallery openings for December.
Some of Central Alberta’s most prominent artists are displaying the best of their creativity in the juried 25th-annual Celebration of the Arts event at the Kiwanis Gallery at the Red Deer Public Library.
This group show, featuring assorted artworks in various mediums, will give Christmas shoppers plenty of choices. The opening reception is from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Red Deer City councillor, business owner and artist Paul Harris is exhibiting his contemplative paintings that capture the constantly changing Alberta skies at the Harris-Warke Gallery in Sunworks on Ross Street.
Although Firmamentum will be open to 8 p.m. on Friday, there will be no official opening reception that day. Instead, there will be a closing reception on Dec. 23 from 6 to 8 p.m.
Belonging is the theme of a group show from Art from the Streets that will be held at The Hub at 4936 Ross St.
The opening reception will be held on Friday from 5 to 7 p.m. This will be followed by a fundraising 7 p.m. concert at The Hub, featuring a toe-tapping Alberta bands, including Pear and Back Porch Swing.
Concert tickets are $10 plus one non-perishable food item for the Red Deer Food Bank for this third-annual acoustic Christmas benefit for Art from the Streets, which gives homeless people a studio and creative outlet. CKUA host Tom Coxworth will host an evening of performances by 10 artists, including Darren Johnson, Claude Godin, Carolyn Harley, Justine Vandergrift and Prairie’s Edge.
Gallery IS will hold its final First Friday event with a group show featuring an array of artworks in assorted mediums.
The gallery that’s ceasing commercial operations on Dec. 24 will have an opening reception from noon to 9 p.m.
Cafe Pichilingue will show works by Carol Nault, while the Velvet Olive lounge will display creations by Sandy Proseillo.
And the Red Deer Museum and Art Gallery will be opened late Friday with several exhibits.
The opening reception for Central Alberta Rocks! will be held from 7 to 10 p.m.
Come groove to tunes by current and former members of rock ’n’ roll bands that originated in Red Deer, going back to the late 1960s.
The Farm Show: Harvest, For You the War is Over: Second World War POW Experiences, Prisoner of War: Stories from Red Deer and District are also showing.
lmichelin@www.reddeeradvocate.com