FIRST THURSDAY (JUNE)

It has been raining all week, and cloudy when not actually leaking upon us, even to the point of some flash flood warnings, though I don't think much of that actually materialized. I feared First Thursday would have to be canceled, but lo and behold, the heavens cleared and it was a beautiful night, cool and clear. Perfect for walking around catching bands and seeing art. There was a Puerto Rican salsa band kicking it, as well as this upbeat folk group that was interesting. I visited the brand new Tapps studio of Paul Haynes as he displayed some of his paintings. I liked his new still-life work, mot all the way completed though, of fish. He also displayed some handcrafted oyster shucking knives that are absolutely gorgeous. He is the husband of one of my long-time coworkers, Kourtney. Check him, and the other artists at Tapps, if you get a chance to be downtown. I walked around a bit, people watched. Overall the art didn't bowl me over this time, but it is always good to look nonetheless. A few of the buskers were fun. I then returned to Tapps for a special presentation they were having in the performance area, way too small for all the people who crowded in. Ensemble groups of musicians and artists presented unique combinations of chamber music, dance, theaters, projected images into a whole. I unfortunately was unable to stand for all the shows, but the first one was very interesting and captivating. Although she wasn't displaying any of her art, I managed to run into Evelyn Wong, whose botany drawings are excellent. So, overall, it was a nice night of art and entertainment.