How can we improve First Fridays?
There’s been a lot of back and forth about the problems facing First Fridays. Now it’s time to talk about how to make things better.
There’s been a lot of back and forth about the problems facing First Fridays. Now it’s time to talk about how to make things better. Curated Culture is having a closed meeting on Friday with gallery owners, businesses, Downtown Neighborhood Association members, and Curated Culture members. The Downtown Neighborhood Association is looking for YOUR FEEDBACK to take to this meeting.
Below is forum that I’ve set up (using Google Moderator*) to collect your thoughts and ideas. I want to encourage you to be VERY CREATIVE. The issues at hand are deep and complicated. Richmond needs crazy, powerful, creative, off-the-wall ideas–who knows what the solution will be. Me, I’m banking on free ice cream for all First Friday attendees; that’ll cool people down.
But seriously, take some time, suggest some things, and pass the link around. This is Important.
SUBMIT YOUR IDEAS HERE »
* Unfortunately you’ll have to have a Google Account to submit an idea. If that makes you feel uncomfortable you can submit your wonderful idea here.
photo by Mr Michael Phams
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Notice: Comments that are not conducive to an interesting and thoughtful conversation may be removed at the editor’s discretion.
How about wine and cheese bar with cover charge?
I’ve seen it suggested in multiple places: coordinate and limit outside music / megaphones / etc. Have a band or DJ or whatever, but not random music competing with each other, and not people yelling at you to accept Jesus or whatever they are yelling about this time.
Sorry, I missed the part about going to a forum. Womp.
How about allowing teens/kids but only with a parent or guardian?
Micheal Bolton. Everywhere.
Now that there is no parking, why not officially expand the sidewalk. Put warning cones on the edge of the first lane to protect the people and designate the edge of the walking / driving area. Without cones people are reluctant to walk in the street. Try moving the venders off the sidewalk and into the parking lane. If you make more space then the crowds will not seem as big.
I think it would be a good start if the streets were shut down and roadway traffic blocked. That way there could be only one, or two entrances, and law enforcement monitoring who is coming/ going. I think that by having the whole thing a little more contained/ monitored, the crowd could be a little more controlled and the people more purposefully there to see art, have fun and hear music.
First of all I totally agree with Buck Stone above. To add to that idea, why not encourage more non-car transportation? Bike parking and maybe involve the Bottom and Back bus. Hopefully that will counter any people who won’t come because parking is harder.
What if they close the street and make it more of a street festival, once a month, to get the entire community involved? I just don’t see how you could exclude anyone from this event since it involves walking up and down Broad Street…..
Since they stopped people from parking on broad, they should have marked the extra space off with cones to make more room for people on the sidewalks listening to music and congregating. When people feel all couped up and crowded altercations happen.
The event is gaining in popularity thats not a reason to shut it down. The most recent event was cutting edge, hip, real culture.
I suppose I am not as optimistic as most. I see a long, slow but steady stream of criticisms regarding aspect of First Friday by the city. At the beginning was the problem of “code” violations that would shut down various galleries for various reasons. That eventually quieted down. Then there was vehicular traffic. And now there is the fact that outdoor music attracts neighborhood kids who are not particularly interested in the “arts scene,” but who, attracted by outdoors music and a broad boulevard to demonstrate their oats, come to Broad in droves. While we are looking for a way to save First Fridays, the most obvious way to discourage the gangs of youths is to take the music off the streets, or at least off Broad, where the gallery hoppers once looked forward to their once-monthly Friday entertainment in peace and, if not quiet, at least peace. If the kids want music there are plenty of open spaces in the Ward and off for the city to make available. At least that would localize police presence now spread up and down Broad.
But if, whether to redirect the art-motivated public from our neighborhood further downtown to the Center, or uptown to Boulevard, it is the city’s intent to shut down Broad, which is my suspicion, then we as the gallery community ought not be looking to attract our audience with ice cream or beer, but might be considering a more administration-hospitable location to collectively house us, such as, for example, Staples Mill and Broad in Henrico, or the growing art district in northern Chesterfield.
Not that I want to move any more than any of you. But if, and I believe it is, the writing is growing ever more clearly on the wall, well… I’m for letting the mayor know that either we are important or we are not. And we are prepared to act on his reaction.
And I, for one, don’t mind posting my email or real name: David Turner, dturnercollagist@gmail.com.
My suggestion,
Don’t hold an official art walk September. It’s not worth the bad bad press; and additionally, it is absolutely NOT the responsibility of the organizers of First Fridays to provide an outlet for the “youth”. From what I heard on CBS 6 news it appears the “youth” only go there to hang-out/loiter, not take in any art. Nobody would have a problem with the “youth” if they were actually participating in First Friday events and behaving courteously.
This poor behavior from the “youth” would not at all be tolerated in Henrico or Chesterfield so why should the Richmond put up with it?
Only more month of bad press, and the gallerias might have to move their exhibitions to vacant space in West Broad Village.
Artistically speaking, the beauty of the kinetic energy and youthful vigor of these so-called “troublemakers” trumps any of the collages I see on your site, Mr. Turner. Let’s “Turner” First Fridays over to a new generation!
Reroute traffic around Broad Street for those few hours. There are plenty of other streets that can handle the traffic flow, and it would help with the overcrowded sidewalks.
And keeping in mind, large groups of teenagers with nothing to do rarely make good decisions, require that kids 16 and under be accompanied by an adult. It might mean having to put up an entrance/exit area at the east and west end of Broad, but they have those for many of the festivals in the city, and it seems to work.
Also, I like Nandalal Rasiah’s idea.
I agree with several suggestions here – getting the To The Bottom and Back Bus would be a great idea – the Bus provides a terrific service and bringing them into the mix would be beneficial for the Bus and FF.
I also like the idea of creating a block party, as Claire suggested, as it would create an inclusive environment involving the community. Perhaps with street closures, there could be some way of implementing a policy of no teens without a parent or guardian.
My personal experience with FF has always been positive and I’d hate to see a great event lost because of isolated incidences. I know several other cities – some larger, some smaller than Rva do a FF event, they must have faced similar issues, maybe we can see what these cities have implemented to keep their events thriving.
Why does First Fridays need outdoor bands, DJ’s, closed streets and an outdoor fair/festival atmosphere? What happened to actually going to see the art? If you want music, have a band or combo play inside the gallery. Closing off the street, making people park away from the event and the cruddy, cheap fair-like atmosphere did nothing to enhance the event. I’ve attended several First Fridays in other cities over the years – in both both large and small towns. The most successful and enjoyable are the ones that keep the focus squarely on the art inside the galleries.
I’m not sure how anyone got the idea that age restrictions were legal in a public and residential area. That would, at the very least, require new legislation from the City and/or state. Seems a bit extreme to hold a public event and then say some members of the public aren’t welcome.