First Friday Fun

It's time again for First Friday. What's that you say? You don't like the looks of tonight's weather forecast? Silly readers! A little cold and wet never killed anyone (well, pneumonia and tuberculosis aside, at least). And besides, all those warm bodies packed into a little art gallery, accompanied by free wine? You'll be warm for sure, in no time flat! Here are a few places where we suggest keeping dry.

Before jumping on the El toward Old City, we might take a little walk up Broad Street to the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts' fourteenth annual student print sale on the sixth floor of the Academy’s Samuel M.V. Hamilton Building to stock up on holiday gifts for our friends and family. There will be a selection of cards, etchings, lithographs, stamp prints, and woodcuts by Academy students, all available for under $100. In addition, admission to the PAFA galleries will be free, and snacks will be available alongside the cash bar. The Samuel M. V. Hamilton Building at PAFA, where the print sale will be held from 5:30-8:30 tonight, is located at 128 North Broad Street, at Cherry Street. The remaining PAFA First Friday events will be held at PAFA's Historic Landmark Building, just down the street at 118 North Broad.

After we've finished holiday shopping, we'll head down to Old City where the real First Friday action always is and check out a gallery that we haven't yet visited, the Old City Jewish Arts Center, for "The Here in There," featuring Landscape Memoirs by Linda Dubin Garfield and Bridges by Rachel Shoham. Last time we were in Old City on a First Friday we were in a hurry and didn't get to hit very many galleries at all, but it seemed that OCJAC had out quite the spread in addition to some interesting-looking art, so we look forward to checking it out for real at tonight's reception, from 6-9PM. Old City Jewish Arts Center is located at 119 North Third Street, between Arch and Cherry.

Of course, if Old City is getting too crowded, we can always head down to Mew Gallery in the Italian Market for their Etsy Trunk show room 6:30-9PM. We're all about unique, handmade gifts and Mew will be full of them tonight. Plus, your purchases will go toward supporting local artists. How can you lose? Mew Gallery is located at 906 Christian Street, on the corner of 9th and Christian.

Photo via Linda Dubin Garfield's website