First Friday Downtown Middletown

 Every First Friday of the month from 5-9 enjoy shopping and viewing the art in the heart of Middletown's Art Central District. There is always something different to see or featured at Middletown First Friday Art Hop stops.  Included are BeauVerre Riordan Stained Glass Studios and the specialty stores and artist inside, Digital Visuals, Middletown Art Center, Middletown Public Library, Pendleton Art Center, Upper Arlington Antiques, and @ the Square Restaurant.  In the building at 1054 Central Avenue that houses multiple studios and specialty stores is BeauVerre Riordan Stained Glass Studios. View the art of stained glass from the oldest continually operating studio in the US. The Walden Gallery is home to the largest collection of award winning Chris Walden original paintings. On the second floor visit the elegant gift shop Bella “a unique boutique" and purchase gifts for all your friends. While you’re at it why not pamper yourself. Bella also has an amazing selection of jewelry for sell. Hollywood Dance Attire sells dance wear for all ages. Legacy Fineart creates graphic art for clients around the tri-state. Legacy specialize in photography and Gieclee' prints. The newest addition is Art Avenue Custom Framing with the most current technology for all your framing needs. Alpha Dawg Records presents “BeauVerre on the Square Concert Series” every First Friday with genres of musical acts each month for your pleasure. Digital Visuals, off the beaten path has a group of different artist featured each month. Linda Fisler the artist in residence will be unveiling 3 new paintings this month. Middletown Art Center host series of shows in their gallery to view all year long. Stop by and see who’s hanging around. Don't forget the Middletown Public Library and view their collection of local artist displayed through out the library. The Pendleton Art Center (PAC) has over 100 artist and craftsmen represented in the building. Come and see the artist that will be present that evening as they open their studios to the public for the Art Hop. All About You has a snack bar inside if you get hungry while you shop.  It’s been said it’s the only place in town you can pick up a freshly homemade Vegan Burger. Hop on over to Upper Arlington Antiques or dine @ the Square Restaurant to round out your evening on Central Ave in the Art Central District.

Nice writeup about the early stages in the attempt to bring the arts to Middletown. It is worded just the way one would read a real estate ad about location and convienence to shopping etc.

An observation concerning this little blurb....

(I will stereotype here as to the descriptions used below)

I find it ironic that we have an arts segment just starting up here with the city leaders blessing, and, at the same time, we have those same city leaders who are bound and determined to bring in a group of people who are about as far away from this segment of society as one can get. In the mix, we have a group of folks who enjoy abstracts, classical music, opera, sipping wine, eating veggy burgers, are "culturally correct", mind their manners and enjoy the "finer things in life" and in the other corner, we have a growing percentage of the community who enjoy beer, eating real meat, watching NASCAR, adopting country music or rap as their musical theme, like to "party", sometimes get loud and obnoxious and wouldn't walk across the street to see any form of art, much less buy any of it.

It is a strange mixture of diversity they are creating here. A town theme of being the "Section 8 capital of SW Ohio", a low income community and in the early stages of a ghetto and, at the same time, attempting to draw people from all directions to this little "cultured arts world" of theirs. IMO, the majority of this town, based on the working blue collar theme, will never embrace the arts. Most are not suited to fit into that segment. The support for the arts, if it is to succeed, will have to come from outside the city. I would imagine the arts would only appeal to less than 2-3% of the city residents. This whole program is desired and provided by the city for a few to benefit a few. I see no eye-opening impact that will change the fortunes of this town as to prosperity with this concept. It is a minor player as to importance.

Vet,