LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Arts District businesses are banding together to support artists left without a platform and place to sell their work amid the pause on First Friday.
The monthly event is on hold through at least the end of the year after a deadly shooting at First Friday in October. So, on a night that typically would have been November's First Friday festivities, businesses are hosting what they're calling an Art Crawl in hopes of keeping the creativity alive.
I spoke with organizers about the event and how they plan to keep safety at the forefront.
WATCH | ARTS DISTRICT ORGANIZERS TALK ABOUT ART CRAWL
Sara Godbout is one of the many artists impacted by the First Friday hiatus.
"I've been doing First Friday for over five years now, every single First Friday, and this is a huge culture shock to me, and it's definitely going to impact my month, but I'm trying to make the best of it," Godbout said.
Godbout is also a member of the Arts District Action Coalition and the 18b Arts District Board. She said the creative community in Las Vegas is tight-knit, and they felt like something needed to be done to help the artists who rely on First Friday. Thus, the Art Crawl was born.
"We all knew that we couldn't just sit around and do nothing, so we made the active choice to do something," Godbout said.
On Friday, Nov. 6, more than 20 businesses are opening their doors to artists who depend on First Friday. Godbout said those artists are being paired with Arts District businesses and are being given a $100 stipend to do live painting. She said depending on the business, the artist will also have the opportunity to sell their work. The community is invited to come to the Arts District and walk business-to-business, meet the makers, and support the creatives who make the Arts District what it is.
"It's all about unity. It's about this community. We have so many incredible creatives out here, and businesses, and I'm personally just very sad at how everything's going, and I'm really hoping that this can kind of shine a light on them and offer them some kind of help. I know it's not everything, it won't help everybody, but if it can help some people, that's what matters most," Godbout said.
Tony Chavez, a co-organizer of the Art Crawl and co-founder of the Arts District Action Coalition, said he wants to assure the public that safety is top of mind for them during the Art Crawl.
"We are already in contact with Metro [Police] when it comes to the event going on, as well as the Action Coalition is going to be having their own little neighborhood watch patrol through the entirety of the event to make sure that everything's moving smoothly, if we see it's anything out of the ordinary," Chavez said.
"We want people to know that the Arts District is a fun, awesome place to come down and we're welcoming of everybody, and that we are able to do these kind of things and keep things safe at the same time," Chavez added.
The Art Crawl route starts near the Arts Factory on Charleston Boulevard, heads south along Main Street to Barter Mall, then returns north along Commerce Street. You can start at any point, and there will also be a raffle with prizes along the way.
The Art Crawl is happening Friday, Nov. 6 from 6 to 9 p.m. Click here for a list of participating businesses. Organizers emphasize that many stops are 21+.
