FFAT x 100, SCFF x 11

Strap on your walking shoes! Believe it or not, this Friday, April 6, is the 100th installment of the First Friday Art Tour. Yes, it's been 100 months since the first intrepid band of art lovers began the tradition of hot-footing it around town to view local art in a variety of unorthodox art spaces, ingest wine and nibblies, and discover even more excuses to get out and party on Friday nights.

A plethora of special events are lined up to celebrate this landmark occasion.  One of the coolest (and most apropos) is a $100 gift certificate toward the purchase of the local art of your choice to be awarded to some lucky art lover. To register, visit the FFAT Facebook page  and post a brief story or memory, or simply explain what you love about FFAT. The winner will be randomly chosen from registrants on April 6.

Feeling exotic? check out Mary Altier's photography exhibit, "The Body As Canvas: Tattooed, Scarred, Pierced, and Painted," showing (appropriately enough) at the Chimera Tattoo Studio & Gallery, on the Westside (1010 Fair Avenue), through May 30. (That's her photo up top. Here's a peek at more of her amazing work.) Mary has spent 25 years photographing tribal people around the world, and this retrospective exhibit documents the ornamentation of people from Ethiopia, Papua New Guinea, Thailand, and India, among others. The FFAT reception will feature West Africa drumming by Ibrahima Ibou Ngom, from Senegal, and live Henna body painting by Rica de Luz.

A more bohemian take on ornamentation is happening over at the Wallflower Boutique (103 Locust St.), where Arielle Rose will be showing her line of eclectic, one-of-a-kind dresses, hand-made from recycled, upcycled, and totally reinvented fabric, lace, and other materials. Wine and cheese accompany the fashion show.


 If you're in the mood for something a little more hands-on, fall by the free, drop-in drawing workshop 6-9 pm at the Scribbles Institute in the Sash Mill complex. Drawing coach Rob Court welcomes all ages and levels of ability; pencils, charcoal, paper, and various inspirational objets will be provided.

Then get ready to mix your media over at the Tannery, at the launch party for the upcoming Santa Cruz Film Festival. To celebrate its eleventh season, SCFF is staging an event they call "The Big Reveal" at the newly opened Tannery Digital Media and Creative Arts Center. Alongside the unveiling of this year's SCFF film lineup, festivities include a live DJ spinning platters, dance performances, art exhibitions, and a no-host bar. Revels continue from 8 pm to midnight.

(Btw, this cool take on the SCFF logo was created in the sand at Its Beach by phenomenal landscape artist Jim Denevan, whose canvas is earth, sand and ice.)

Meanwhile, across the way at the new Tannery dance studio, all regular Friday evening World Dance classes (Polynesian, Haitian, and Argentine Tango) will be free and open to the public between 4:45 and 10 pm. Live dance performances begin at 10:15 and continue til midnight. Click here for the full program.

Of course, there's way more going on than will fit into one little blog, so be sure to scope out the FFAT website and design your personal DIY art tour.