First Friday Fun

First Friday Art Walk did not disappoint- a sky glowing with an orange sunset was the perfect backdrop for the Friday, Aug. 5 event. If you haven't strolled historic Niwot in search of unique, local art or new artists to appreciate, you're missing a lovely evening.

On the first Friday of every month, Osmosis Art & Architecture hosts First Friday Art Walk in conjunction with the Niwot Cultural Arts Association on 2nd Avenue and in Cottonwood Square. Niwot businesses and restaurants look forward to the event and most stay open late or offer refreshments to the folks attending the Art Walk. The Art Walk has been featuring local artists for six years.

At Osmosis, owner Anne Postle and her team have curated the current exhibition, "Why Not Niwot?," which opened June 29th and runs through the end of August. The exhibition displays over 30 entries in a juried art show featuring the uniqueness of Niwot.

A people's choice voting event is going on in conjunction with the current exhibition. The grand prize-winning piece will be announced at the next First Friday Art Walk, at 6 p.m. on Sept. 2 at Osmosis. Visit any of these local businesses to pick up a "passport" to cast your vote:

Bella Terre Floral

Fly Away Home

Inkberry Books

Little Bird

The Little Shop

Niwot Wheel Works

Few of a Kind Vintage + Mercantile

Niwot Inn & Spa

Wise Buys Antiques

Niwot Jewelry & Gifts

The Old Oak Coffeehouse

Osmosis Architecture

Pebble Art Jewelry

Completed passports are entered in a drawing to win a print of the Grand Prize Winner.

Artist Lamya Deeb was one of the hosts at Osmosis Friday night. Deeb said enjoys the evenings she works at the gallery for First Fridays. She said, "It's a great community to get together. It's nice that businesses stay open later and have music and refreshments. It's a good time."

With a degree in painting from Colorado State University, and a working background in illustration and design, Deeb's style, "en plein air" is romantic and lush. Deeb said she "played around with art at CSU mostly doing landscape painting because I was inspired by the beauty of this area that we will live in. It is so peaceful and alive. People get the same kind of feeling looking at art."

Deeb's website describes her process and background; "My work begins with a search for solace, reflection, and beauty in the world. Through immersion and observation, it becomes a journey of discovery- of the poetry of light, the gestures of trees, the breath of breezes, the depth of water, the unique and the universal."

Born in the U.S., Deeb grew up in Beirut, Lebanon, becoming a witness to that country's devastating civil war. Conversely, her family's extensive travels in Europe and the Middle East brought her face to face with the great art and scenic beauty of those regions. Those experiences have had a profound impact on her life and work. Deeb's work can be viewed on her website, http://www.lamyadeebfineart.com.

Consider visiting the local galleries and shops to pick up a passport and vote for your favorite Niwot-themed masterpiece.