Hat tip, Susan Harb. From my Inbox to you:

First Friday Block Party

As the sun goes down on October 5th, historic downtown Lexington will light up with a diverse display of art, music and dance. Enjoy a glass of wine, a taste of Thai cuisine, even create your own original masterpiece.

Washington Street will be closed to traffic from Main to Jefferson between 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. for the special arts block party that features local businesses, galleries and artisans.

Organized by the newly formed Arts on Washington and sponsored by Artists in Cahoots, an artists cooperative observing its 30^th anniversary, the festivities will include regular First Friday gallery receptions plus business open houses and a line-up of street entertainment.

A slide show of old Lexington photos will be projected on the wall of Grand Furniture. Rockbridge County artist Mark Cline, who recently had a write up in The Wall Street Journal, will display his whimsical sculptures. Sculptor Ed Mattioli will bring a wild beast or two.

The band Greenhouse will perform and members of Halstone Dance Studio will pirouette down the street.

Sweet Treats will offer savories and Rockbridge Winery will have a booth on the street.

The six galleries which comprise Arts of Washington have planned several art activities and displays, including a $100 gift certificate raffle.

The Kiernan Gallery is offering portrait sittings using antique and vintage props from Wolf & Co. Arts and Antiques Photographs will be taken in its upstairs studio for $10 and then emailed to the client.

Wolf & Co. is hosting folk artist Ron Sachs who will demonstrate how he makes his large paper mache sculptures.

The public is invited to “Be a Master for a Moment” by Lexington Artists Co-op.

Drawing pads and paints will be set up on benches outside the gallery. Participants create an original work, gallery members will hold a frame over the completed art which then will be photographed and emailed to the individual who also gets to keep his or her creation.

Nelson Gallery is hosting its 5^th Invitational Paint Lexington plein air event on Friday and Saturday. Twenty artists will be working throughout the city and county for the two-day paint out which will culminate in an opening reception Saturday from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

All Washington Street galleries will be open late during Saturday’s Paint Out reception at Nelson.