Get your art fix Friday and Saturday as downtown Goshen, Ind., showcases the community’s visual artists.
The two-day event starts 5 to 9 p.m. Friday.  Start the tour at Art Alley, 119½ S. Main St., which is  celebrating its grand opening and will be serving as tour headquarters for the Goshen Open Studio Tour. Check in here for maps, tour info, First Fridays details and scavenger hunt forms for the kids.
Adam Fleming, Art Alley director said, “We are excited to present the Grand Opening of the Art Alley. There will be paintings by South Bend abstract evolution artist Julian Alcantar, the Girl Scouts of Goshen are providing a major project educating the public about graffiti, and we have a group called Yarn Revolt installing a new form of urban art called Yarn Bombing, which people really need to see to believe,” said Adam Fleming, Art Alley director. “Other area artists both professional and amateur will be exhibiting work in the alley, and there will be opportunity for kids to make on-the-spot chalk drawings and display them in the Art Alley as well.”

Goshen Open Studio participants include:

·       Rachel Shenk (wood block prints), Rachel’s Bread at the Mill Race Center, 212 W. Washington St.
·       Wilma Harder (jewelry), w.harder studio at the Mill Race Center, 212 W. Washington St.
·       Goshen Clay Artist Guild (ceramic arts), at the Mill Race Center, 212 W. Washington St.
·       Goshen Painters Guild (painting), at the Mill Race Center, 212 W. Washington St.
·       Goshen College faculty, Goshen College Hershberger Gallery, 1700 S. Main St.
·       Cyd DuBois with Mary Jane Hoffman, Cyd Gallery, 129 S. Main St., Suite 2
·       Lauren Hodges, Accents Framing and Gifts , 120 E. Washington St.
·       Ann and Keith Graber Miller (Graber Family Artists; Multi-media), Graber Designs Gallery, 208 S. Main St.
·       Bryan Chris Photography, 213 S. Main St.
·       Lynne Zehr (photography), Gateway Cellar Winery, 211 S. Main St.
·       Gerrit Huig (cartoons), Gateway Cellar Winery, 211 S. Main St.
·       Ben Stutzman (painting), Gateway Cellar Winery, 211 S. Main St.
·       Merrill Krabill
·       Adam Fleming[M1]

The Retreat Women’s Health Center of Indiana University Health Goshen showcases the 4th Annual Decorated Bra Event. Community members unleash their creativity to raise awareness for breast cancer by bringing attention to mammograms and early breast cancer detection. The exhibit will be hosted at Bryan Chris Photography, 213 S. Main St. Proceeds from community voting helps support Heart Strings Sisters, which provides free mammograms to uninsured women. (Learn more at goshenbracontest.org.)

Entertainment Friday will be provided by the Kansas City Bible Company, who will perform from 8 – 9:30 p.m., at the Goshen Theater (216 South Main St.).

“The 11 of us look forward to returning to beautiful Goshen and we especially look forward to participating in First Fridays, an integral part of the Goshen community,” said Carl Violet, guitarist/vocalist, on behalf of the group. “Although we now all live in Nashville, Goshen is KBCo’s hometown, where our friends, family, and favorite fans dwell. It’s where we go to reenergize and revitalize and also where we feel comfortable premiering new music. At this next performance we plan to premiere some new numbers as well as some re-worked old numbers. It’s going to be an interstellar experience through the stars and around the planets. Bring your friends, spouses, dogs, cats, mouses, uncles, aunts, enemies, co-workers, youth group pastors, probation officers, babysitters, and every creature of the night you can find.”

For the kids, stop by Goshen City Church of the Brethren, 203 North 5th St. from 5 – 8 p.m. Children are invited to create their own 3-D art! The work of artists of City Church will also be featured in the Fellowship Hall.

SCAVENGER HUNT & ART PRIZES!
There will also be a scavenger hunt for kids. Those who get their sheet signed by participating Open Studio artists can turn it in to be part of the drawing, which takes place on Saturday, 4 p.m. There will be many prizes given away!

On Saturday, the tour continues from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Visitors can take a self-guided tour to view current gallery exhibits, get an inside look at artists’ studios, see work in progress, and purchase original art directly from the artist. The tour is free and open to all ages.

CULINARY ART
After enjoying the artists’ work, be sure to enjoy dinner at one of the many downtown restaurants. Choose from vegetarian, fusion, tapas, homemade chocolates, local and organic produce, crusty wood fired pizzas, flaky pastries – its all here.  Or grab a drink – choose from freshly roasted coffee, home brewed and bottled wine, and pub drinks. Find a complete list of restaurants and bars at www.gofridays.com. After you’ve enjoyed a good meal, head to the Goshen Theater for the closing event of the Goshen Open Studio weekend – a concert by, Red Molly, who will perform at 7 p.m. (tickets: $15)
The tour is free and open to all ages. For additional food, entertainment, and activity details, see below or visit www.gofridays.com.