FIRST FRIDAY Art Walk
September 1st, 2023
New! Tap and Handle
307 S College Ave
Fort Collins, Colorado 80524
6 pm to 9 pm
blanchard Family Wines
234 N College Avenue, Unit A3
Fort Collins, CO 80524
6 pm to 9 pm
The Merchant Room
The Stone Room at WALNUT CREEK
222 WALNUT ST
FORT COLLINS, COLORADO 80524
LOCATIONS
GILDED GOAT DOWNTOWN TAPROOM
132 W. MOUNTAIN ST
FORT COLLINS, COLORADO 80524
6 PM TO 9 PM
GOLDEN POPPY HERBAL APOTHECARY
CLASSES & EVENT SPACE
223 N COLLEGE AVE
FORT COLLINS, CO 80524
6 PM TO 9 PM
FIRST FRIDAY
First Friday Art Walk is a monthly celebration of creativity, culture, AND community.
Embrace the extraordinary First Friday phenomenon with Petrichor Collective, where inspiration cascades like a refreshing rain. Every First Friday, we reveal a vibrant spectrum of local Artists, serenading your senses with mesmerizing tunes and immersing you in a whirlwind of irresistible make-and-take Art experiences. Indulge in exquisite food and beverages, as we unite to revel in the richness of Art, culture, and camaraderie.
Wander, discover, and explore the Art in your own back yard with us!
WHO WE ARE
Petrichor Collective is a comfortable, open-minded space for our team of creatives to collaborate on projects and accomplish our Collective goals. We support our community through Art by cultivating our different skill sets, and inspiring imagination.
What better way to create community than to host the most amazing, Artist friendly First Friday Art Walk events in Northern Colorado!
“From the Artists, for the Collective.”
WHAT WE DO
Like the first rain of the season, Petrichor Collective is a catalyst for rejuvenation, sparking fresh perspectives and boundless possibilities. We are an eclectic ensemble of designers, photographers, writers, marketers, and Artists, eager to captivate your imagination and inspire your creative spirit through Art.
Don't let the drought of inspiration hold you back – dive into our Collective and explore the extraordinary talents of our members. Whether you're seeking collaboration or considering contributing your own skills, we invite you to immerse yourself in the Petrichor Collective experience. Or, if you think you have the skills, reach out on how to join the Collective.
Empower Art, Enrich Community! 🎨🤝
The funds raised through Patreon are directly channeled into creating exhilarating events like First Friday Art Walk, engaging workshops, and a storm of opportunities for our community. Your support empowers Petrichor Collective to continuously enrich the Artistic landscape and foster an environment of growth and inspiration. Together, we're making a lasting impact on the local Art world!
SAY HELLO TO THIS MONTH’S
Guest ARTISTS
Presley Paints // Hi! My name is Bethany Presley. I am a 24 year old preschool teacher whose dream has always been to be a self employed working artist. I just recently started purposefully pursuing that goal. I have a Bachelors in Art and Design with an emphasis in drawing and a certificate of Arts Entrepreneurship. I live with my partner and two big doggies. My art has always been fantastical, with a mixture of portraits and landscapes, although I have dabbled in all kinds of mediums and concepts (murals, live wedding paintings, rehab recovery columns.) Only recently have I branched off into more scientific illustrations because I love to learn. Bugs and plants are so fascinating to me.
Cosmic Macchiato // I'm George, the artist behind Cosmic Macchiato, and my passion is story telling through design. My work is varied, it can cute or unsettling, thought provoking or eye candy, and sometimes it can fall in the in between. Every detail is places meticulously and with a purpose, no matter how simple or small. My goal is to make my audience feel something, and tell them a story through my art.
Karen Varty // I retired from teaching after 31 yrs. I started drawing, filled with memories of my childhood, my children's, and all the students that I had the privilege to teach.
Riverbottom Crafts // Hello! My name is Austin! Co-creator of River Bottom Crafts. I grew up fishing with my grandfather in Thomasville, GA. After getting stationed in Cheyenne, WY I began to explore fly fishing and fell in love with it. I joined Platte Rivers Veterans Fly Fishing and started tying flies weekly with local veterans. Now a veteran myself I tie every week and started making earrings for my fiance. This is where River Bottom Crafts began. I love everything wildlife and local out here in the West. I am super excited to share our creations with y'all.
Kate Fredrickson with Tempest Studio // After a lengthy and beloved career as a stay-at-home mom, Kate has started to delve into hobbies and passions that she'd left on the back burner. One of those passions is creating. Working mainly with acrylics, Kate enjoys painting stormy, perhaps untidy, landscapes in a sketchy, haphazard impressionist style. She enjoys painting Christmas ornaments with native plants and wildlife. Kate has also found a place for some of her snarky attitude in making bracelets and ornaments that reflect a more adult sense of humor. Kate, her husband, Brandon, and their five children have lived in many places including California, South Dakota, Texas, and Chile. They're happy to be back where both Kate and Brandon grew up, Fort Collins, Colorado.
Mushmonkie // Mushmonkie is a lesbian owned sticker business created from my love of stickers. I craved silly and funky designs, and when I couldn’t find many I decided to make my own! I love to work with bright colors and niche themes. With lots, and lots, of clowns and monkeys!
Erin Joy Art // My name is Erin and I am a Fort Collins Colorado botanical illustrator, painter, jewelry maker, and small batch screen printer. As an outdoor enthusiast and birder, I am tremendously inspired by the natural world and the magic of its interconnected systems. My art focuses mainly on specific species I am inspired by, as well as the colors, textures, and variety of nature. My favorite part of the artist’s experience is connection, both to the natural world, and to the people who protect and cherish it.
The Copper Compass // The Copper Compass is locally owned and operated by Kaj Morris and their dad, Tyler. They offer several styles of nature inspired earrings and pins made from copper, brass and sliver.
JCHops // Riding the wave of rediscovering creativity through the physicality of glass work, pigments in paint, and diversity of digital art. Mostly self taught been expanding my skills with the help of friends here in town and as far away as Singapore. I enjoy colors, lines, illustrating and most of all seeing other people have happiness from something I’ve created!
Abstruse Apparel // Retired wood shop teacher from New York and California, I now run Abstruse Apparel in Fort Collins creating digital art messaging and upcycling used clothing. Join my Collaborative Message Challenge every First Friday! Submit a creative message to see turned into apparel or digital art. Selected designs will be on display and the winner can pick up the item for FREE! Visit Funktional: A Space For Radical Reuse on 1228 W. Elizabeth Street to see my work. Let's change the world together, one stitch at a time!
Jennifer Carmack @Wild Spirit Colorado // As a yoga teacher and energy healer for over 20 years, my art reflects my conversations with people about trauma, healing, energy systems, and the mind-body connection. Whether I create a portrait or mandala, acrylic or collage, I seek to uncover the underlying layer. Each piece is an exploration of myself, revealing universal experiences. By opening up to what wants to come through the canvas, I connect with the energy of this wild world.
Josh Sun Music // My name is Josh Sun also known as the folk prince of Colorado. I make music I tell jokes and I love making people happy one song at a time. Thank you for letting me share my heart with you.
I fully believe that art is meant to be shared so I started DanaPaintsCo to make it easier to share my work beyond just my immediate circle. So I'm very excited to be part of the local art community here in Fort Collins! I typically work with acrylic paint but will occasionally pick up chalk pastels, charcoal, or another kind of paint and see what happens.
Donivon Wood Fine Art // I'm very pleased to share my drawings with you. I am a self-taught artist that has been drawing and painting since I was 5 years old. Pencil work has been my preferred medium because of the level of detail that can be achieved. Throughout my life, I've had so much fun drawing that an estimated 90% of my work has been gifted to whoever commissioned it. Art has definitely been a constant source of joy in my life, and it's my mission to share it with those who love it. I have always specialized in graphite and charcoal pencil drawings. Lately, I've added colored pencils and pastels into the mix. My most current works have been portraits of pop culture, music, and sports icons who either I personally admire, or was commissioned to do. I love creating commissioned drawings for people. The personal satisfaction I get when I hear or see how much the work brightens up their life helps confirm that this is part of my purpose.
Photograper. Musician. Bicycle Mechanic. Gardener. Traveler. Lover of life.
A_boldartist // I am a self-taught artist who enjoys using all different types of medium. Majority of my paintings are done with oil or acrylic, but I do also enjoy, using my hands with clay or crafting to create unique pieces. Some of the artwork I recently have been focused on is bringing mental health awareness to the forefront since I myself suffer with anxiety, but I also love to incorporate elements of our environment, animals, and silly characters. My friends would say my style of painting is influenced by flash art in the tattoo community.
Creative Follies was born of the belief that the world can always use more levity, and that we too often feel the need to justify things in practical terms. If something brings you joy, solace, or more meaningful relationships, it is self-justifying. To Hell with its practical value. Art always has been, and always will be, a cornerstone of my sanity. But like most people with a creative drive, I've let it lie fallow at different stages in my life. Most of my best ideas have been stolen ... from my kids. Or in some way inspired by them. One day if I am successful perhaps they'll sue me. In the meantime, I feel privileged to be able to share my art, humor, and ideas with you. Whether you feel an artistic or intellectual kinship with me, or you simply get a laugh out of T-Rexes riding unicycles, thanks for dropping in.
MTN Goddess Ceramics is a small, women owned Pottery business created by Madi Nigro. All ceramics in the shop have been hand thrown, carved and glazed by Madi. Growing up in Colorado near the Rocky Mountains, Madi has fond memories of rock climbing, hiking, and exploring nature. Focusing on ceramics that spark joy, self confidence and inner love, each product is handcrafted with care, making no two pieces the same.
Psychedelic Punx // Hello world! My name is Brooke my artwork I call my Psychedelic Punx. I just recently started to share my art with the world and it has been such a supportive and joyful experience! I combined my love for art with subject matter I enjoy such as music and skateboarding. I love to paint big canvases with vibrant colors. I use a combination of media however mostly work with paint markers and spray paint.
Waging My Wars // Eli Crocker // My name is Eli Crocker and I’m a geology major at CSU. While I’ve always loved rocks, I’ve also always had a passion for art. It’s been such an important part of my life and it allows me to let out my emotions in a creative way. Showing what I feel is important to me because I want to connect with others who feel similarly. Art is all about interpreting what you see. My goal is to get my viewers to feel something when looking at my work. Many of my pieces reflect on transphobia, depression, anxiety, and PTSD.
Simply Elcee // I am an artist with a lifelong passion for all things crafty. Growing up in a family of artists, I developed a deep appreciation for the creative process and the power of art to connect people and bring joy to their lives. Over the past five years, I have made Fort Collins my home, finding inspiration in the natural beauty and vibrant arts scene of the city. Through a variety of mediums including art prints, cards, and apparel, I am trying to capture the essence of the world around me I am excited to share my art with the community and invite you to explore my work and join me on my creative journey!
Joey Miranda // My goal as a crafts-person is to create a culture of authenticity as people drink their tea, set the table, or arrange flowers in their home. My work is made to carry food, water, and plants. I try my best not to make work that is too intricate or detailed, and keep my prices as reasonable as I can as well in the attempt to build a functioning culture for everyone. I work with as many local materials as I can. Using local wood ash for my glazes for now, I am working towards gathering my own clay within the area of Fort Collins, and building mills to process rocks for my work as well. Another passion of mine is to work for other potters, as I appreciate the community oriented nature of folk and cooperative pottery making. I love to teach, and do so at Fort Collins' Smokestack Pottery Studio.
Hypnagogist // Hypnagogist is multimedia visionary artist hailing from Columbus, Ohio, specializing in 3D animation, traditional painting, art installations, and mixed media fusions of the aforementioned works. Hypnagogia is the liminal space between wakefulness and sleep, and Hypnagogist's work reflects that with colorful and surreal imagery, pulling from conscious and unconscious states.
Mila Solo // Mila is a Ukrainian artist over 25 years of experience and now resides in the USA as a war refugee. She narrowly escaped after her studio in Ukraine was destroyed during a military attack losing her life’s work in the process and now resides in Fort Collins, Colorado. She skilfully uses multi-layered techniques to convey both volume and states in abstract painting. The concept of art is to create a multi-dimensional picture. Ambiguous and emotional. Art is the way to express emotions, experiences, awareness and composition on canvas. Each painting contains a deep and multifaceted meaning of philosophy and beauty of the world. This is reflection of our experiences, spiritual development and knowledge of the universe. Each work is unique and has a special message to the viewer.
Whisper Sister // Mycelium grows underground and designs a network, before ever fruiting mushrooms. Whisper Sister is the new budding fruit of an underground ear. Using all weapons and tools in their goal of pure expression. No leaders, only god in the room with a knife in her teeth. "And it's only just begun." Artwork by Liz Ortiz @madharepress
Allison Harvey with Pieces of Childhood // I love anything that is unique and makes a statement. I get asked often about where I get my earrings or planters so I decided to give this crafting thing a try and spread the love of creepy fun toys being used in art.
Burning Bonsai Art Studio // Nathan grew up in inner city Denver where his love of creating artwork was nurtured by the microcosm of different cultures that exist there. Because of his exposure and love for so many different artistic styles, he rebelled against the idea that one must stick to just one. In fact, he named his business The Burning Bonsai, because a lot of his work is a blend of both Eastern and Western artistic styles and techniques.
Silverthaw Jewelry // Erin Greenberg creates whimsical jewelry pieces out of silver and gemstones. She has a degree in Computer Science and works in software by day and silver by night, using jewelry design as her creative outlet. Erin is a lifelong avid reader and is inspired most by romantic and magical/fantasy themes. She is constantly learning new techniques and dabbling in different styles, though she consistently returns to magical, whimsical motifs. She loves incorporating color and texture into her work and collects gemstones like a dragon. She is originally from Louisiana and now lives in Fort Collins with her two cats, Minnie and Bobo.
EmilysDivine // Hello! My name is Emily and I have a small jewelry business called EmilysDivine. I handcraft each piece of beaded and wire wrapped jewelry made on my sites. I love adding a purpose into my art so I decided to incorporate crystals into my work! I hope you enjoy my lovely art, have an amazing day.
Jaz Binger // My art seeks to explore emotions and ideas. By immersing myself in art history I recognize my place in the canon of artists. Through use of techniques and conceptual ideas developed by the masters, I hope to further art history in my own way.
Alejandro Alonzo was raised in Tampa, Florida, and lives in Fort Collins, Colorado. Alejandro specializes in silver gelatin prints based on styles influenced by decisive moments, portraits, landscapes, and studio work. Come learn about his culture and style through the collection of his hand-crafted prints developed in his darkroom.
Chelsea Ermer // Hello. My name is Chelsea Ermer and I am an artist, reader and teacher. My work spans many different mediums from pen and ink, to gouche, to digital and Procreate art. Recently my work has been focused upon creating bookmarks for a variety of books. I also take commissions for pet portraits and bookmarks. I have also been fortunate enough to create murals for the city and you can find several of my Transformer cabinets around town. Overall, I love creating beautiful things in whatever medium I can get my hands on.
Mad Hare Press by Liz Ortiz // Liz Ortiz, a Fort Collins-based multidisciplinary artist, specializes in various printmaking methods. Holding a BFA in Photo Image Making and Printmaking, she focused on intaglio, lithography, and woodcut techniques, as well as analog B&W photography. Liz transitioned to relief block printing, primarily using linoleum blocks for hand-carved and printed images on diverse surfaces. Her work features bold, graceful lines in nature-inspired compositions. While mainly monochromatic, Liz incorporates watercolor and fibers for mixed media, multi-color prints.
Joey da Rat // I’m Joey and I draw rats. I started drawing in 2021 and first showed my work in Fort Collins in Summer of 2022. I try to give people a break from the seriousness of the world while still biting back at it with my rats, and with my oil pastels I try to show the beauty in the horror of the 21st century. I’m excited to unleash my goofy monstrosities on the you all! It’ll be fun don’t worry! :)
Micah // Hi, I am Micah. I am from Durango, Co, and am a professional graphic designer and passionate artist. I am a very deep thinker and therefore is shown through my art. I love bright colors and deep darker colors. I love to create things that are different from what most have already seen, and love to put my own twist on art trends. I also love surrealism art and the challenges it brings to the mind and the viewer. I hope you enjoy my art and feel free to ask me about it!
Ryan Stover // Ryan's vivid watercolors and complex ink drawings celebrate the beauty of nature and the paradox of human experience. Ry's work is overflowing with energy and colors that are wild and free – yet bound and balanced by bold black lines. His work is a visual meditation on holding on and letting go: Going with the flow... while being aware of doing so.
Kim Nigro // I am a retired school teacher who works in a meditative and natural organic frame that reminds us of the beauty of life. I paint Goddess Artwork to promote the diversity and strength of women all over the world while reusing and reinventing things such as canvas and paint. My paintings include recycled paint and canvas representing the perseverance of women as they struggle to be free. My most often works use motivational words and imagery, sealing the thoughts into the message of the painting in hopes of inspiring those who view the work. I invite you to vie these abstract energy paintings and share how you experience life now and how it may look in the future.
WastedWire // One of a kind jewelry using metals ranging from brass to sterling silver mixed with gemstones and made locally in Fort Collins. Many pieces have the look and feel of a previous generation.
Ginger & Faye // Ginger & Faye is a small business founded by two sisters and named after their grandmothers. We make handmade and unique jewelry while donating 10% of the proceeds to Sea Shepherd, a non-profit organization that stops illegal fishing and helps clean the ocean.
Paula Harrison // Intentional experimentation is an important part of my process. Experimenting with materials and techniques allows an artist to uncover a path to their original intention. The beauty is that you can discover many things along the way to your goal. This remains a big part of what I do in my own work; it’s often a meander not a straight line. For me, painting is also a spiritual practice. I learned along the way that images are a means to access experiences of awareness and consciousness that can only be accessed non-verbally. Creating images that are open-ended enough to allow dialogue, to allow personal meaning to develop, is a great joy. I taught art for twenty years in the public school. If you are interested in investigating how making art can open up your world, contact me.
Trinkets by Riley is a handmade jewelry business started in Fort Collins by student Riley Bemelen. She makes everything piece by piece in her little studio apartment to bring fun, customizable jewelry to the Northern Colorado community. Riley uses found, thrifted, and handmade objects to create eclectic and unique jewelry. Trinkets by Riley offers necklaces, earrings, bracelets, keychains, brooches, and more!
Linda Roth // Linda graduated from CSU with a BFA and an Art Education degree. While working as a freelance and public works artist for over 20 years, she also owns and operates Walnut Creek and The Merchant Room Gallery, in Fort Collins, since 2014. Influenced by her experiences as a single, widowed, mother of 3, an art advocate and educator, Linda is an accomplished artist in a variety of subjects and mediums. Her primary work focuses on her passion to encourage and promote women. Their need for gender equality, answers to continued cultural marginalization and abuse in all facets of our world today.
Eva Rose King // Eva is originally from Orange County, California, where she grew up playing the viola. She has toured Spain, Portugal, Poland, and England playing with orchestras. Eva has always loved composing music, and at an early age started writing string quartets and viola solo compositions. She discovered her love of songwriting after getting her first guitar as a teenager.
Scott Lenaway // I feel the impact of a given object is how it is rendered. An object can be implied by marks. There should be an aspect of the mystical and unknown in how an object is rendered.
Lucas Archuleta // Hey there I'm some dude who can draw stuff. For the most part, ink illustrations are my go-to. Thus far, I've found comfort in a colorless world, focusing heavily on the detail and line work. I’m pretty driven by my emotions when creating a piece most of the time, but I also draw inspiration from stuff that I just think is neat. I hope you’ll give my weird little drawings a gander.
Let us know you’re attending
Are you an Artist?
Please let us know! We are always searching for more like-minded individuals to feature, collaborate with, and get to know. Don’t hesitate to drop us a line.
