‘Power of Intention’ theme of April’s First Friday

The First Friday arts festival is scheduled from 5 to 11 p.m. April 1 at venues throughout the 18b Arts District in downtown Las Vegas, near the intersection of Charleston Boulevard and Main Street. Live entertainment, artists’ booths, food vendors and more are planned. Admission is free. On-street and paid parking is available close to the event, but spaces fill up early. Visitors are cautioned to avoid parking in unauthorized parking areas, such as vacant lots, as you may be subject to towing.

The event is set to remain at the same footprint it has been in recent months, with much of the outdoor booths set up in the parking lot adjacent to Art Square. The theme this month is “The Power of Intention.”

“It’s about the intention of goals and dreams and wishes and aspirations and celebrating that idea,” said Joey Vanas, executive director of the nonprofit First Friday Foundation. “There will be a lot of Life Cube activities going on.”

The Life Cube is a community art installation at The Llama Lot at 10th and Fremont streets that was created to provide an engaging and interactive place for the shared expression of ambitions, dreams, goals and wishes. People are encouraged to write these on paper, and the papers will be put into the cube and burned after dark on April 2. During First Friday, a number of small cubes will be scattered around for people to drop their notes to be delivered later to the larger Life Cube.

The closed streets will be limited to the area north of Charleston, organized by the foundation. Other locations and sidewalks may be activated by galleries outside of the footprint. Visit ffflv.org.

The event is set to include artists, the artisan bazaar, food trucks, a farmers market, music and a live painting exhibition. A children’s discovery and exploration area, formerly called the Kid Zone and now called The Sandbox, also are planned. Several artists are slated to paint on Guerilla Kages, free-standing structures constructed and curated by artist Ruzo Logic.

Although the main events are scheduled at the 18b, organizers note that First Friday exists all over downtown, and the sense of wonder and creative energy has expanded to the Fremont East area before and after each First Friday event with arts, crafts, bands and food and drink specials at Fremont East locations at First Friday — Fremont.

Preview Thursday is planned from 6 to 9 p.m. March 31 and offers an opportunity to see many of the galleries and shows before the crowds on Friday.

Galleries planning to participate in April’s First Friday include:

The Arts Factory, 107 E. Charleston Blvd.

— 17 Moons Art Studio: “Saints and Swallows,” assemblages by Michael Delacruz. The gallery will also have terrariums and aquariums by Delacruz. Visit 17moons.com.com or call 702-245-7725.

— Jana’s RedRoom: “Third Annual Elite Artists Exhibition,” featuring a single canvas each by 20 handpicked local artists, including Carrie Bourdeau, Jim Lamdell, Mandy Joy and Roman Alexi. Featured artists are Christian Kolle, Das Frank and Yvette LaForce. Premium wall artists are Niki Sands, Theresa Lucero and Diane Bush. Small works by local artists are in the Salon Gallery. Visit janasredroom.com or call 702-454-3709.

— Wonderland Gallery: Works by Lynne Adamson Adria, Kat Tatz, Mannie Rubio, Lincoln Maynard, Jacie Urquidi-Maynard and Karen Waiksnis DiSorbo, and small works by an assortment of artists on the Group Wall.

— Sin City Gallery: “The Beautiful Life in the Work of Raymond Elstad” by photographer Raymond Elstad, Best In Show for “12 Inches of Sin IV.” Visit sincitygallery.com or call 702-608-2461.

— SaVx Gallery: Works by Steve Anthony, Victor Xiu and Angelica Salazaar. Visit facebook.com/savxgallery or call 702-540-9331.

— Peace N art Studio: “Radiant Collection,” new works on canvas and wood by Alexander Huerta. Visit tinyurl.com/pnas16 or call 702-465-8247.

— Eden Art Studio and Gallery: “Remix” with works by Justin Lepper, Snipt, Megan Dresback, Jules Jameson and Eden Pastor. The works are variations of the artists’ usual style, with a twist or looked at from a different perspective or with a different media. Visit edenartstudioandgallery.com or call 702-982-9999.

— Dray Studio & Gallery: New and classic works by artist Dray. Visit instagram.com/draydizzle1 or call 415-748-0713.

— The Corner Gallery: “Literally,” featuring four different text/literary organizations, including Helen, a literary magazine; Petit Hound, an online literary magazine; the Fabulous Las Vegas Scribes, a calligraphy and paper arts group; the Writers of Southern Nevada; and individual artists. Visit tinyurl.com/cgsr810 or call 702-501-9219.

Art Square, 1025 S. First St.

— Brett Wesley Gallery: The exhibit “Which hotel do you live in?” featuring architectural design drawings and models by Eric Strain. Visit brettwesleygallery.com or call 702-483-8844.

— The Nevada Humanities Program Gallery: The exhibit “Doom Towns: The People & Landscapes of Atomic Testing” features the artwork used to create a graphic history of atomic testing forthcoming from Oxford University Press in 2016. Historian Andy Kirk and UK artist Kristian Purcell collaborated on this project, exploring the themes of art, history and the creative process. An opening reception is scheduled from 6 to 9 p.m. with a gallery talk at 7 p.m. on April 7. Visit nevadahumanities.org or call 702-800-4670.

City of the World, 1229 S. Casino Center Blvd.

— Expressionist paintings by Helen Thomas. Visit cityoftheworld.org or call 702-523-5306.

Clay Arts Vegas, 1511 S. Main St.

— Ceramic work by Wesley Smith. Visit clayartsvegas.com or call 702-375-4147.

Downtown Spaces, 1800 Industrial Road

Downtown Spaces plans to celebrate First Friday from 6 to 10 p.m. Visit dtspaces.com for details. Confirmed activities include:

— Bubblegum Gallery: Grand opening with work by Durty Hippy Hands, Starfish Strategies and Roux & Bones.

— Spectral Gallery: “Superstition,” a Philip K. Dick tribute show featuring work by 25 artists.

— Skin City Gallery: Art by Niclucan Phillip. Three live body painting demonstrations.

— Other galleries and retail spaces open during First Friday include ISI Studio, Toyboxx Las Vegas, Nest Studio, Soul Stroke, The Truth Spot and Wasteland Gallery.

To reach East Valley View reporter F. Andrew Taylor, email ataylor@viewnews.com or call 702-380-4532.