Waynesburg art, music slated for First Fridays
WAYNESBURG – Downtown Waynesburg will be rocking from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday as the Pittsburgh-based band LocaL plays the courthouse steps for “Rock the Chalk Friday.”
“They’re a fun band,” said Athena Bowman of the Waynesburg Prosperous and Beautiful promotions committee. “I heard them play and really liked their music so we invited them to perform in Waynesburg. They play acoustic rock and original songs.”
Bowman noted that visitors attending the concert on the courthouse steps should bring a chair.
Celebrating the first Friday of the month during the summer with live music, contests and freebees galore is the brainchild of Waynesburg Prosperous and Beautiful, and participating merchants and vendors will have their doors open and will be on the street with special deals for those who stop by. There is also a First Raffle, drawn at 8 p.m. with a $100 winner and four $25 gift certificates.
The chalk that will be rocking Friday is a sidewalk-style art contest for artists who have signed up to do chalk drawings on paper taped to the sidewalk up and down High Street starting at 4 p.m. and ending at 7 p.m. Prizes will be given for people’s choice and jury’s choices.
Chalk also will be available for anyone who wants to try making live art along with the contestants, and Autumn Woods Hair Care Studio will be there to do free hair chalking.
At Artbeat Gallery, local artist David Lesako of New Freeport will be chalking a scene on the outside wall of the gallery at the corner of High and Church streets during the evening. Inside the gallery, an exhibit of his latest work is on display, done in pastels, which is the word for the more densely pigmented professional chalks used by artists worldwide. Once the powdery drawings are sprayed with fixative, the colors become more vivid and the art is then stable enough for matting and framing.
Lesako’s “plein air” work, done outdoors in every season, captures the powerful play of light and shadow on the county’s steep wooded hillsides, hay fields, old barns, farmsteads and churches.
“We’re making First Friday the opening night of David’s exhibit, so stop by for refreshments and enjoy the art,” gallery owner Linda Winegar said. “We have over 50 artists on display.”
Some Waynesburg Farmers’ Market regulars will have booths set up, including Autumns Botique, S. S. Company, Willow Tree Farm, Moore’s Hotdogs and other local vendors with food and refreshments for sale.