First Fridays patrons brave the rain for art

It was a dark a stormy night. Yes, this is a cliché but that was exactly how the night of November's First Fridays was — dark and windy with a scarce amount of people walking along dark streets of Bixby Knolls.

This month, the shops and restaurants along Atlantic Avenue were celebrating First Fridays' fifth anniversary.

Audience attendance was low that night. Lights from stores glowed on the naked sidewalk that only had fallen leaves and shallow puddles covering them. However, the rain from earlier that afternoon did not stop the festivities.

One of the biggest attractions of the night was at the Expo Arts Center, which the majority of people flocked toward. Patrons could escape the harsh cold from outside and listen to music, look at art and grab a drink.

Photos and paintings from different war fronts were on display. Pictures of soldiers running in fear and children crying and screaming for help hit the audience with feelings of tragedy and heartbreak.

One set of the photos on display was by photojournalist Chris Hondros. One of the pictures he captured was of a little girl screaming in terror and covered in blood as United States soldiers gunned down her family for failing to stop their vehicle at a checkpoint. A mix of sadness and hatred filled the hearts of anyone who passed by this photo and read the caption.

Also on display were paintings celebrating Dia de los Muertos, also known as the Dead of the Dead. Paintings by Malcomb Pauls had presidents Abraham Lincoln and George Washington pictures painted over with skull makeup.

Another photo by Doulas Orr had a full skeleton ready to party with a tray full of tequila shots in one hand, a glass with a lime and tequila in the other, and a bottle of Jose Cuervo in his arm.

Even though the Expo had the majority of people in its building, there were still some scattered along Atlantic Avenue.

There were belly dancers and henna tattoo artists outside Bella Cosa Boutique. Dancers pulled the audience off their seats and asked them to join them. The audience wiggled their hips in attempts to match the same waving movement the dancers were performing.

Outside Bixby Exchange, a few people gathered around to hear California Jammin' play a variety of hits. As soon as they played the first few chords of a No Doubt song, the crowd immediately began to jump up and down. Two people led the dance off as they whipped their long blonde hair in the middle of the sidewalk. Their shirts sparkled as the light hit the sequined patterns making them like moving disco balls.

The night remained relatively quiet compared to past First Fridays. Kids were not running up and down the streets looking to have some fun at Averyboo Arts or Pixie Toys. Adults seemed to recognize the cold weather and stayed in one place to escape the early winter cold. Although this month's First Fridays did not seem to have the excitement as previous ones, it was a perfect one to dress up in your best warm clothes and have a date night out.

Visit firstfridayslongbeach.com for more information about upcoming First Fridays.

Comments powered by Disqus