First Friday festival to embrace Art Nouveau

The monthly First Friday arts festival returns from 6 to 11 p.m. Friday to the 18b Las Vegas Arts District downtown. This month's event is taking on an art nouveau theme with a contest for the best art nouveau-themed booth. The Chuck Jones Experience is slated to present activities in the kids zone, and warming stations are planned throughout the event. For more information, visit firstfridaylasvegas.com. Many area galleries plan First Friday shows, and several are also open for preview Thursday. Participating activities and galleries include:

---The design work of Lindzay Gree, Gina Grillo, Renee Smith, Alice O'Keefe, Kim Daoust and Briana Tiberti - "2012 Women In Design" - is scheduled to continue its run through January at COLAB gallery inside Art Square, 1025 S. First St. Visit colablv.org.

---Trifecta Gallery inside The Arts Factory, 107 E. Charleston Blvd., is set to host Cirque du Soleil's annual employee exhibit, featuring a variety of artwork from cast and crew, Thursday through Jan. 25. Visit trifectagallery.com.

---Open Air Printers, 1039 S. Main St., plans an open house, printing demonstrations and a holiday sale on prints Thursday and Friday. Visit goldwellmuseum.org.

---Iranian artists Ali Fathollahi and Nanda Sharifpour are scheduled to promote their art show at Blackbird Studios, 1551 S. Commerce St., from 5 to 9 p.m. Thursday and 6 to 11 p.m. Friday. The exhibit is set to run through February. Visit blackbirdstudioslv.com.

---A. Stein Arts, a pop-up gallery inside The Arts Factory, 107 E. Charleston Blvd., is slated to exhibit "Art of the 21st Century" from 5 to 8 p.m. Thursday and 6 to 10 p.m. Friday. Gallery owner Anne Stein plans an art talk at 7 p.m. Thursday. Visit asteinarts.com.

---James Henninger's oil portraits and paintings of dancers are scheduled to be on display through Jan. 27 at 303 North Studio inside The Arts Factory, 107 E. Charleston Blvd. Receptions are scheduled from 6 to 9 p.m. Thursday, 6 to 11:59 p.m. Friday and 1 to 4 p.m. Jan. 27. Visit facebook.com/303northstudio.

---"In Flux," a show by Yobana Graciano, is scheduled to be on display in Jana's Red Room inside The Arts Factory, 107 E. Charleston Blvd. Receptions are slated from 6 to 10 p.m. Thursday and 6 to 10 p.m. Friday. The Red Room plans a move to a new space across from Sin City Gallery. Construction is expected to begin Jan. 8. Visit janasredroom.com.

---"The Wilderness Project," a show of Las Vegas Academy graduate Britannie Bond's photographs, is slated to be on display through Jan. 28 in the Other Voices Art Gallery inside Emergency Arts, 520 Fremont St. Visit britanniebond.sqsp.com.

---Brett Wesley Gallery, 1112 S. Casino Center Blvd., is slated to continue its Year In Review and Something New exhibit through Jan. 19 featuring works from artists Danny Roberts, Luke Chueh, Sam Morris and Luis Varela-Rico. Visit brettwesleygallery.com.

---Joseph Woolfolk's "Poster Power," a series of advertisement-like illustrations portraying modern life's hypocrisies, is scheduled to be on display Thursday through Jan. 26 in the Contemporary Arts Center's Member's Gallery inside The Arts Factory, 107 E. Charleston Blvd. An opening reception is scheduled from 6 to 9 p.m. Thursday. Visit lasvegascac.org.