First things first

Toledo celebrates arts scene at First Weekend

As the seasons change in Toledo, a new palette of colors is revealed — from the bright splashes of murals to the blooming of cherry trees lining the sidewalks.

At the start of each month, Toledo celebrates its vibrant arts community during First Weekend, when galleries and studios open their doors to one and all.

This month’s First Weekend, taking place on Saturday and Sunday, April 1 and 2, will see artwork on show at various locations, including “The Majors” exhibit at the Yaquina River Museum of Art. This exclusive selection of large paintings from the museum’s Permanent Collection includes works by Doug Haga, John Hewitt, Michael Gibbons, Marion Moir and Mark DeGraffenried. Located at 151 NE Alder Street, the museum will be open from noon to 4 pm on Saturday and Sunday. For more information, go to yaquinarivermuseumofart.org.

Across the street Gallery Michael Gibbons will be showing a rare find from the late artist’s studio — “Early Morning Reflections,” a plein air painting done in Ireland in 2006. While on a walk through the Irish countryside, Gibbons discovered a reflected view on a small creek surrounded by cattails and wild grasses bordered by trees in the distance. Using his masterful command of greens and yellows, he captured the bucolic Irish morning scene on site.  See this work and many more of the late regional artist’s original oils at Michael Gibbons’ Signature Gallery, located at 140 NE Alder Street, open from noon to 4 pm on Saturday and Sunday. For more information, go to michaelgibbons.net.

On Main Street, Crow’s Nest Gallery & Studio will feature works by more than 15 artists, including the striking photography of Sylvia Hosie. Her photographs of the American West and wildlife are a breath of cold, fresh air to look at.

“The camera is a tool to record what I see and feel about a location,” she said. “It captures a split second in time, a mood, a glance or gesture; something that resonates with me.”

Also shown in the gallery are the works of Crow’s Nest owner and assemblage artist Janet Runger; Alice Haga, fused glass; Val Bolen, tile and ceramic pieces; Paula Teplitz, sculptural jellyfish mobiles; Jeff Gibford, digitally manipulated photographs; Tish Epperson, watercolors; and Susan Jones, woven fiber jellyfish.

Crow’s Nest Gallery & Studio is located at 305 N. Main Street and will be open from 10 am to 5 pm on Saturday and Sunday.

Also showing along Main Street are the current artists selected for the quarterly installments of Art Toledo’s Phantom Galleries. The City of Toledo launched an art revitalization initiative to promote Toledo’s art, industry and history. Phantom Galleries is am ART Toledo project that promotes available commercial building spaces on Main Street by exhibiting local art. The Phantom Galleries change out on a quarterly basis. Currently featured are gyotaku prints by Toshio Toguchi; watercolor and mixed media by Erin Smith; and photorealistic paintings by Kim Bush.

For more information, go to ARTToledo.com.