It has been a crazy week so my usual monthly First Thursday preview is a bit behind this month. However, there is a ton of great shows to see tonight and I want to make sure to highlight some of them so you can make sure to add them to your itinerary. First of all, the Artamo Gallery, CASA Magazine, The Health Gallery and Sullivan Goss – An American Gallery are accepting food donations for Art Helps, a benefit for the Unity Shoppe. This month’s request is for jars of peanut butter. If you bring in a jar of peanut butter you will get a sweet Art Helps button and will receive 10% off a purchase from that gallery. Make sure to pack a jar of peanut butter with you when you head out tonight. Even if you don’t purchase anything, it will help support less fortunate Santa Barbara families.

Click on the image above to see the full-size flyer

The two art shows that I want to highlight start with tonight both begin at 7pm so they would be great places to check out after you’ve made your regular rounds. First off, blog regular Jimmy Bell has a show opening up at Cali Green on West Ortega, just off of State Street. Bell uses a variety of techniques like splatter, scribble and folds to incorporate randomness and chance into his creative process, letting each piece unfold from the outcome of the initial result. Just within the last year you may have seen some of his work  at Red’s, Elsie’s, Blackbird, Fishnet or the Street Murals projec on Mason and Helena Streets. He must be one of the hardest working young artists in town, so make sure to show him your support by stopping by.

The second “Must See” of the night will happen at the Contemporary Arts Forum, also at 7 o’clock. As part of their Forum Lounge series Daniel Barrow will present “Every Time I See Your Picture I Cry”. Barrow comes to us from Winnipeg and was featured in the 2009 Time Based Art Festival in Portland, OR.  He uses obsolete technology like old-school overhead projectors to weave a tale through “manual” animation. It is sure to be an interesting lo-fi event.

Regardless of where you end up tonight, if you see anything that you absolutely loved, make sure to come back to the blog and post your comment to tell us all about it.

It’s First Thursday again tonight. This means that downtown art galleries will be staying open late and people will be flooding State Street on their monthly pilgrimage to check out new exhibits and shows.

Two highlights this evening will be a performance by Marnie Weber at the Santa Barbara Contemporary Arts Forum. And the opening of the new SOON Collective show at Elsie’s Tavern.

For a full list of shows and special events check out the official First Thursday page.

In  addition, don’t forget that First Thursday is also the venue for the Art Helps fundraiser. This month Artamo, Casa Magazine and Sullivan Goss – An American Gallery are accepting canned meat (tuna, chicken, SPAM), which will be given to the Unity Shoppe to help local families in need. With each donation people will receive a button which can be used for 10% off of any purchase from the gallery. But that is not all! Ten percent of the proceeds from this purchase will also go to the Unity Shoppe.

It is a win-win situation. So help out the Unity Shoppe packing some canned meat with you on your gallery crawl tonight.

I’ll see you on the street, then join me for a pint at Elsie’s to check out the SOON Collective when the gallery’s close.

Let me begin this post by relating a very sad rumor that came to me through the grapevine this week. Apparently, while a few galleries are benefiting well from the monthly First Thursday program on State Street, many more galleries are not seeing the benefit of the program and are thinking about pulling out altogether. I hope that the downturn in First Thursday attendance corresponds to the seasonal weather and darkness that accompanies winter. I am, therefore, hopeful that as the days get longer and warmer we will see attendance serge. Regardless of whether First Thursday produces much in the way of commercial gains for the galleries that partake in the event, it unarguably brings much needed attention and excitement to the local arts culture. I hope that if you are reading this you will help to support First Thursday by hitting State Street tonight to see some beautiful art. 

In addition to supporting First Thursday tonight, a group of galleries have gotten together to create a program that unites art patronage with charitable giving. The Peregrine Galleries, Artamo, and Sullivan Goss have come together to help support the Unity Shoppe by making collections for local needy families. So, tonight if you show up at one of these three galleries with a jar of peanut butter you will receive a ART HELPS button and a sizable discount on any art that you purchase this evening. Furthermore, the galleries have promised that a portion of the proceeds of this purchase will also be given to the Unity Shoppe. 

This is very clearly a win-win situation. If you are not familiar with the invaluable services that the Unity Shoppe provides for the less fortunate of our community, please follow the link above to their website. 

You have three tasks for this evening (listed in order of importance): First, go see some beautiful art, which will help support First Thursday. Second, visit one or all of the three galleries above to let them know you appreciate what they are doing to support the local community. Last, if you are able get out your checkbook and take home something to hang on your wall.

Even in touch economic times the benefit of surrounding yourself with beautiful art is as large as ever.