South First Fridays, the monthly Friday night art walk that transforms the SoFa district into an interactive art gallery with live music, visual arts and performers celebrates 10 years this Friday with new exhibits and returning favorites.
Each first Friday of the month, the streets are filled with art-lovers mingling over finger foods and wine as every day businesses become community art galleries, along with art destination such as Anno Domini, KALEID Gallery and M.A.C.L.A.
Highlights for the Friday (descriptions supplied by the organizers):
Opening reception: Taco de Ojo by Latino Toons Collective at Anno Domini
Latino Toons is a Latin American collective of comics, art and poetry with collaborators from the Rio Grande to Tierra del Fuego. Pieces are influenced by underground comics, street art and indigenous art, embracing a diversity of styles and backgrounds as a heterogeneous group of proponents of the line.
Taco de Ojo is slang for “eye candy,” and is synonymous with “getting an eyeful” in Spanish. The Latino Toons Collective aims to serve a meal for the mind and eyes with flavors from all over Latin America.
Artist’s reception: Cave-Kiln Man by Shawn Felts at Higher Fire Clayspace and Gallery
Home-brewing, cooking, wood-working, gardening and 5th century pottery – all modern-day obsessions of Shawn Felts, San Francisco potter. Shawn’s ceramic art works are fired for 30-90 hours in an Anagama (literally ‘cave kiln’). This February will feature Felts’ rustic, wood-fired works – born out of holiday firings at the Spring Valley Anagama and Noborigama kilns located in Milpitas.
Opening reception: Companions at Seeing Things Gallery
A 20 artist group show curated by Kayvon Siadat, showcases multiple pieces from each artist syncing together in narrative, theme or style representing a “companion piece.”
Participating artists include: Beau Roulette , Billy Barnes, Brendan, Colin Frangicetto, Derek Erdman, Deth P. Sun, Drew Roulette, Eric Victorino, Gavin Hayes, Giovanni Giusti, Jayde Fish, John Baunach, Kirstin Farr, Martin Machado, Michael Hsiung, Mr. Harada, Porous Walker, Sabrina May, Tony Papesh and Travis Lawrence.
Artist’s reception: Stone Paintings by C. Buck Reynolds at Studio Climbing Gym
Before the written word, there was art and in some ancient art we can still find meaning today—lions stalking prey, galloping horses, a group of antelope—but many other symbols have a variety of meanings. Reynolds presents the animals and symbology of importance to human ancestors today in fresh ways. Some paintings are new compositions based on cave and rock art, others attempt to make deteriorating images from actual rock walls look as they might have freshly painted.
He has been creating and showing art throughout the Bay Area for more than 35 years, and has been researching, and experimenting with cave art for the last 20 years. He uses the same earth-based pigments, and carving techniques and constantly explores ancient art imagery and symbols, trying to recreate ancient communication and images from nature on stone.
Downtown Yoga Shala
After Candlelight Yoga, Downtown Yoga Shala will transform and open its doors to Art Walk patrons and the downtown community presenting featured artist Melissa Kreisa a painter, mother, yoga practitioner and volunteer who helps new refugees adjust to life in the Bay Area. Proceeds from the exhibit will benefit local non-profit organization, Refugee Transitions.
Lure + Till Provides an Industrial Chic Dining Atmosphere 
San Jose Beerwalk Returns to Japantown 
