Tradition connects Augustans with the visual arts for almost ten years

By: Elise Maloney

Posted: 10/27/09

Saxophones, guitars and drums boom through downtown Augusta every first Friday of the month.

No matter the weather, downtown Augusta welcomes First Friday guests with open arms and lots of entertainment. Melissa Sherwood, community program director for the Greater Augusta Arts Council, sai First Friday originally started as an easy stroll down Broad Street.

"It originally started to be more of a gallery stroll," Sherwood said. "Galleries would have new work displayed those nights."

According to Danny Kotz, a local musician, First Friday started around 1999. Kotz became involved in First Friday through the local music scene.

"I got involved because of the Playground bar when they started having open mike nights," Kotz said.

According to Kotz, First Friday used to go on until it would just stop. The crowds during the evenings were mostly middle age. However, when the clock struck 11, people would come out to party.

"That's when it stepped up a little," Kotz said. "It became a little more like a party, and less like a festival."

According to Kotz, there was one instance in the past were someone left a bar and started a little brawl. However, Kotz said that the main problem started with the business owners. Everything shut down at 10 p.m. without the public's knowledge. Therefore, Kotz said, downtown was full of people, some intoxicated, with nowhere to go.

"You're always going to have something you can point at during any event," Kotz said. "Gosh, compare it to any part of the country or the world and this is about as mild and tame a situation that ever comes along."

According to Sherwood, the Augusta Chronicle labeled the event "The First Friday Riot," and there was even talk about canceling the event.

"You get thousands of people downtown, and the fact that more doesn't happen surprises me," Sherwood said.

According to Sherwood, First Friday festivals take place all over the country. The vast majority of these festivals focus on the visual arts. However, for one gallery on Broad Street, First Friday has done little to impact its business.

J. Roy and Wanta Davenport own Artistic Perceptions, the "oldest continuously owned art gallery on Broad Street." When the Davenports opened their studio about 19 years ago, downtown was just beginning to be revitalized. However, with the introduction of First Friday, business did not change.

"The only way it improves our business is because of any effort that we make," J. Roy said. "If we didn't make an effort to promote something on our own it would not affect us at all."

According to Wanta, people do not get down to the 500 block unless they have promoted themselves.

"There is no lighting; there are no businesses there that are open to the public," J. Roy said. "They get to a certain point and they look and don't see anything else for two blocks and don't see anything of interest so they don't come down."

Even with the efforts made by the Greater Augusta Art Council to promote First Friday and the local artists, the Davenports continue to claim that their gallery "has to be a destination." Despite everything, Wanta said "Artist's Row is because of us." First Friday has allowed Artist's Row to shift from a small art stroll to something with an economic drive for downtown.

"The community really now has become more involved in the event," Sherwood said.

Today more and more families come downtown on First Friday, along with a greater age group and ethic culture range.

"It went from being artistic-painting, drawings, maybe some sculpture, maybe some pottery-to the performing arts," Kotz said.

According to Sherwood, people from Colombia County, Aiken and even further counties contact her office wanting to know about the event.

"I have had many business owners tell me that they make their month on First Friday," Sherwood said. "This was our once-monthly event where we really could showcase all kinds of talent in Augusta. You name it; we really have tried to give people a platform to perform at a community event."

"This is a very talented area," Kotz said.

With many mores street musicians and performers applying with Sherwood to perform at First Friday, she said that no matter what, she will always try and "keep it inclusive."