First Thursday is a year-round event, but when the weather gets cold, the outdoor festivities go into hibernation. In other words, tonight is your last chance to catch some outdoor artwalk and live music action.

According to the First Thursday Have-You-Attended-One-Yet? radar, there’s still plenty of you out there who haven’t come out to see what all the fuss is about. Fortunately, tonight’s forecast calls for perfect weather and a 100-percent chance of fun.

See you on the square?

Fayetteville Underground

Located in the downstairs section of East Square Plaza, Fayetteville Underground will host three new art exhibitions.

South Central Region Society for Photographic Education Conference Exhibition
Hive and Revolver Galleries

This month, the Hive and Revolver Galleries will host photography from the South Central Region of the Society for Photographic Education. SPESC members are in town this week for their annual conference which brings together photography educators, students and professionals from a six-state region for two days of presentations and lectures.

The Revolver Gallery will feature the work of SPESC members, photographic educators and professionals, and The Hive Gallery will include work by photography students from universities and colleges in Arkansas, Alabama, Louisiana, Tennessee, Mississippi, Oklahoma and Texas.

Fayetteville Underground Studio Artists – More Than a Picture
Vault Gallery

In honor of the visiting SPESC members, Fayetteville Underground studio artists will be presenting photography-based works in a group show for the month of October.

We stopped by this week and we can attest to the press release’s claim that “More than a Picture will be an interesting and varied exhibition as the artists come together to explore photography as a group.”

Martha Molina – Essential Elements: Earth & Fire
E-Street Gallery

Arkansas native Martha Molina received her B.A. and M.ED. from Southeastern Louisiana University where she began making performance masks for costumes and storytelling as well as decorations such as three dimensional portraits through experimentation.

Molina’s recent works are mostly nonfunctional pottery that utilize a firing process called “Raku.” It’s an alternative method that involves removing the clay from the kiln at its maximum temperature. The rapid reduction, cooling and trailing made by the flames creates a final product that is unpredictable and quite unique.

Molina currently teaches art at St. Joseph School in Fayetteville.

Outdoor art walk

Art walk (Experience Fayetteville)

More than 25 artists have been selected to set up on East Avenue for this month’s outdoor art walk including Brian Hirschy, Apryl Okoroafor, and Ruchi Negi.

In conjunction with the outdoor artwalk, new exhibits will be unveiled around the square at the galleries of Matt Miller, Kathy Thompson and Cindy Arsaga.

For a full list of this month’s artists visit the art section of firstthursdayfayetteville.com.

The music

Still on the Hill

This month’s First Thursday music lineup reads like a king sized bluegrass-n-folk extravaganza of evening magic. In other words, if this show were at the GoodFolk house, you’d have already missed out on tickets weeks ago.

If you’ve somehow managed to accidentally evade the greatness that is Still on the Hill and 3 Penny Acre (is that even possible?), now’s your chance to check off two boxes from the Fayetteville live music bucket list in one night. For free.

Click those links if you’re not familiar. Scroll to the bottom of this post to remind yourself (or discover) how amazing Still on the Hill’s interpretation of “Ballad of the Landlord” is.

The rest

This month’s First Thursday is the kickoff to the Offshoot Film Festival, FYI. Opening ceremonies will be held inside East Square Plaza at 6 p.m.

The four-day festival will feature a variety of films from six different categories. Interested in the full schedule? This link might help.

Also tonight, the City of Fayetteville invites all residents to participate in the first of two City Plan 2030 input sessions from 6:00-7:30 p.m. in the Bank of Fayetteville lobby on the Square.

For more information on First Thursday Fayetteville, visit firstthursdayfayetteville.com or call the Fayetteville Visitors Bureau at 479-521-5776.

Still on the Hill – “The Ballad of the Landlord” (YouTube)