As for First Friday-only events (tonight, December 4, 5pm-8pm), here are some hilights:

We have the Artist Studio‘s (536 Congress) annual open studio. I got a chance to check out some of the work being hung for it the other night, and it’s not to be missed. It’s rare that this group of (some of Portland’s best) artists invites the public in to their studios to get a look at work both finished and in progress.

At the Meg Perry Center (644 Congress), Local Sprouts presents Food : Art : Community, a show featuring art made inspired by food and community.

Geno’s Rock Club (625 Congress) gets in the Art Walk mood with new paintings by Avery Shaughnessy on the walls of their front lobby.

Over at the Arm Factory (200 Anderson Street #8), there’s another annual holiday sale and party. A Feast of Friends III features screen prints and other media by Ratio, Team Space Pirate, Pat Palmer, Zack Howard + friends.

Also of note, though not exclusive to the art walk, is that the popular local coffee chain, Coffee By Design, is currently showing the annual CBD Holiday Art Show, featuring work in various formats by Virginia Anderson, Charles Brandt, Paul Chiles, Alex Helfen, Audrey Hotchkiss & Morgan Martell. A good way to kick off (and caffeinate yourself for) the art walk.

For a full listing of officially-sanctioned Art Walk events, check out the listings here. If you find yourself with energy left after all there is to see (and buy) then I highly suggest you catch a ride to Biddeford for the Brown Bird cd release show at the Hogfarm Studio Annex. The rest of your musical weekend is potentially packed, with options ranging from MMW to South China to The Accident That Led Me To The World to Benjamin Burgess (and his cd release dual-show celebration) to OLAS. Have fun out there, whatever you choose to do.

For those planning ahead, next weekend will be a busy one as well, with the PICNIC Holiday Sale happening on Saturday, December 12 and then the [dog] and [pony] DVD release show at SPACE Gallery that same night. I’ll be at PICNIC selling some photo prints and Portland Pins (I’ll have free HillyTown pins as well), then playing at SPACE with my band, Marie Stella, later that night.