Preview Thursday draws crowd looking for more artist interaction

First Friday, the monthly arts and culture event at the 18b Arts District, may get all the press and glory, but for many art fans, Preview Thursday is the time to go.

"It's more intimate," said Jana Lynch, owner of Jana's RedRoom in The Arts Factory, 107 E. Charleston Blvd. "It's all about the art and meeting the artists. You can park more easily without the street fair and the noise of First Friday."

Preview Thursday takes place the day before First Friday, before streets are blocked off, food vendors arrive and tents are set up selling arts and crafts on the street. The focus is the brick-and-mortar galleries and businesses in the Arts District and the art.

"It's really more of an artists' night and a professionals' night," said Justin Lepper, who manages Eden Art Gallery at The Arts Factory. "We see more academic and more collectors and aficionados on Preview Thursday."

What Lepper says they don't see much of is sales, although he did mention that for some galleries, Preview Thursday is their biggest sales day, unlike most of the galleries where it's First Friday.

"It's a night where you can meet the artists and have an un-rushed conversation; you can have a more personal interaction," Lepper said. "On First Friday, with the crowds, you can almost get caught up in that train of movement and get rushed through the galleries. On Preview Thursday, everything happens at a more leisurely pace."

Preview Thursday has been happening nearly as long as First Friday, but without all of the fanfare and hoopla. To some extent, the event looks very similar to the earliest First Fridays, when art enthusiasts walked the mostly dark streets from gallery to gallery, sipping wine, eating cheese and meeting the talent behind the artwork.

"It's really a delightful time to be down there," said Brian "Paco" Alvarez, a downtown resident and local art enthusiast."The energy of First Friday is amazing, but it can be very overwhelming for many people. Preview Thursday is laid-back and fosters the culture of the art scene as opposed to the spectacle of it."

Most of the galleries in the Arts District open for Preview Thursday, as do many of the galleries and businesses at Downtown Spaces, 1800 S. Industrial Road. Many of them are open regular hours each week, but the chance to meet the artists is greatly increased on Preview Thursday.

In addition, several galleries have classes, lectures and other events planned throughout the month, including frequent artist talks at Jana's RedRoom and a regular artist talk series at Sin City Gallery in The Arts Factory.

"It isn't just about First Friday anymore," said Paloma Solamente, manager of Sin City Gallery. "There's a vibrant community and a lot happening here the rest of the month. I think a lot of people would be surprised to see what a great place this is when it isn't all crazy every month. That part is important, but that's not the part I like the most by far."

Visit 18b.org/preview-thursday.

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