First Friday Art Walk

  Two lines in the Abba song, Dancing Queen are...

"Friday night and the lights are low,

Looking out for a place to go..."

  That was us...looking out for a place to go...heck, it was going to be a balmy evening, 22 degrees and no wind.

  Donning long undies (at least I did) and liner gloves and printing up a map of all the galleries, off we went into the Portland night to do the First Friday Art Walk.

  The first excitement of the night was driving around for about 20 minutes trying to find a 'free' parking space. (God forbid we should use the parking garage) We had big competition. The Portland Museum of Art is free on Friday nights (that's when WE go...) and there was a concert in the new Port City Music Hall on Congress Street.

  We found a place on Parris Street. Parris Street was about 306 blocks from where we wanted to go, but remember, it was balmy out. :-/

  The streets were packed, surprisingly, there were people everywhere and music in the streets. Cabin fever was in full swing.

  Galleries offered wine (one reason I go out in the arctic) and munchies and everyone was in a festive spirit.

  There were remnants of Christmas lights everywhere (typical of Maine.... in March, we play a game when we are driving around...counting brown Christmas wreaths still hanging on people's doors.)(We all know what the person in the car means when they say, "one...")(By the way, ours are still green and still hanging....they stay green month after month, year after year....must be a good species.). The lights added to the wonderful glow of the evening.

There was art in every nook and cranny... up stairs, down long hallways, tucked around corners and right there on the main street. I don't know how many artists made any sales, but everyone seemed to be having a good midwinter time.

(Where were you, Peter?.......)