The layout may be a bit different this month but First Friday fun is still to be had in downtown Bakersfield.
Due to ongoing construction in front of its 18th Street building, the Arts Council of Kern will move its ArtWalk to The Amara at 712 19th St.
The garden-style venue will host vendors as well as a pop-up Makers Mart with locally made goods from 5 to 9 p.m.
Tlo Wines (1212 18th St.), whose parking lot is no longer closed by construction, will welcome guests to come in and enjoy a glass of wine and music by John Love, who will perform from 6 to 8 p.m.
Artist Charlotte White is representing the Bakersfield Art Association with shows on display at its Art Center (1607 19th St.) and satellite show location at Dagny’s Coffee Co. (1600 20th St.)
Her shows feature oil pastels created on newspapers, including The Bakersfield Californian.
White has had other pastels on display since last month but the displays for May include fresh paintings created in plein air.
The Kern County Museum served as inspiration with “Nut Festival,” depicting the entrance to the Kern County festival that was held at the museum from 2013 to 2015.
“An elaborate entrance had been created that reminded me of Disneyland,” she wrote of the work. “The morning after the event closed I sat by the clock tower to sketch.”
Another museum-themed work is “Andre’s and Milt’s,” which depicts the rescued neon signs for the drive-in and coffee shop, respectively, now housed at the museum’s Mission Bank Neon Plaza.
“Andre’s is still in business serving delicious burgers and fries on Brundage, while Milt’s is under new ownership. One Thursday morning I just had to capture likenesses of the two signs.”
White also created a piece at Bakersfield National Cemetery.
“I drove on Memorial Day to pause and reflect. There were small American flags decorating the tombstones. The scene was worthy of a sketch as citizens walked along the paths bringing flowers.”
Her “Water Pipes Going to Los Angeles” was created in a field near Mettler. Of the piece she wrote, “I wanted to see the insulation at the base of the Grapevine but was turned away at the gate. I drove down the road, got out of the car and sketched.”
The artist also captured “Chewy,” the Dewar’s mascot at its Calloway Drive location and the perks of Reverb Coffee, which operates in the newly renovated Woolworth’s building.
“After enjoying a cup of their coffee, I bought a package of their private label coffee. Taking the coffee into my studio I set up the still life to capture the beverage visually.”
BAA displays are also highlighted on the Bakersfield Art Association’s website (bakersfieldartassociation.org), Facebook (facebook.com/BAAartists) and Instagram (@bakersfieldartassociation) pages.
Also at the coffee shop will be the First Friday Open Mic, organized by Kern Poetry, which begins at 6 p.m. (Sign-ups at 5:50 p.m.)
Featured poet Saxon Peavler will perform followed by open mic performances that will continue through 7:40 p.m. at Dagny’s, 1600 20th St.
The Bakersfield Museum of Art (1930 R St.) is also open with free admission all day.
Currently on display are the winter exhibitions of “The Invented Land” by Ann Diener, “The Afterlife of Rivers and Fields” by Ali Vaughan and “Impressions of Place: Works from BMoA’s Collection.”
“Seventy Years of Inspiration: The Story of the Bakersfield Museum of Art” — curated by Victor Gonzales, the museum’s curator of exhibitions and collections, and assistant curator Abby Kinsey — is also on view with images, ephemera and text that serve as a visual journey through the museum’s rich history.
The museum is open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Admission is free.
Visit bmoa.org for more information.