Friday Art Invastion

Do you like free & cheap wine in disposable plastic cups? Do you enjoy feeling erudite and saying seemingly profound things with other strangers? If you answered yes, Friday night in Durham might be the perfect night for you.

Keen observers will notice no less than six art-related events happening in Durham this Friday night, many as part of Third Friday Durham. These range from small shows to full-fledged openings of new galleries. Here is an overview:

LabourLove Gallery Opening
807 E. Main Street ~ 6 - 9pm

LabourLove is a new gallery opening in the Golden Belt. Golden Belt is a newly rennovated textile mill in downtown that "draws a dense arts energy to downtown Durham with artist studios, live/work loft apartments, offices, restaurants, retail, live music and more." LabourLove will be having their grand opening on Friday and will be featuring the work of 3 new artists:

On May 15, LLG will open the doors of its sleek 1,800 square foot space to the public. The grand opening, in conjunction with additional Third Friday festivities, promises to be a lively celebration of the arts. The first fifty guests will receive a free, limited-edition Giclée art print and for $30, patrons can create eco‐friendly, custom t-shirts featuring works by the opening artists. The renowned Only Burger and Sabor taco trucks and the lauded Daisy Cakes desserts will delight the hungry and home brew master Jason Salemme will treat the crowds to a sampling of his award‐winning Scottish Ale and Stout beers. To complete the evening, the “hot pickin’, sweet singin’, good lookin’ bluegrass band”—the Cadillac Stepbacks—will fill the Golden Belt courtyard with tight vocal harmonies, fast instrumentals, and their own blend of energy.
--Press Release (PDF)

Art Hanging at Kung Fu Tattoo
1003 W. Chapel Hill St. ~ 7 - 10pm

Kung Fu Tattoo will be displaying the art of two talented illustrators, Jason Strutz and Franco. You can check out some samples of some of their work at the Kung Fu Tattoo blog. Rumor has it that there will be free beer, free food, and free drinks. Durham Socialite writer DBL will be attending this event.

Other Art Events
See calendar for more details

• Watercolor paintings by Freeman Beard @ Bull City Art & Frame Company (905 W. Main St.)
• Porcalian and stoneware by Kelly O'Briant and L.T. Hoisington @ Claymakers (705 Foster Street)
• Paintings by Jeff Mahorney @ Bull City Arts Collaborative (401-B1 Foster Street)
• Short documentary films @ Durham Arts Council PSI Theater (120 Morris St)