First Friday Highlights

First Friday is the monthly cultural event in the downtown arts district featuring gallery openings, live music, open studios, assorted live entertainment and other hard-to-categorize stuff. The event runs from 6-10 p.m. with a few after-hours events as well. We recommend starting at the Funkhouse at 1228 S. Casino Center Blvd. or the Arts Factory at 101 E. Charleston Blvd., where complete schedules and maps are available. Info: 678-6278 or 384-0092, or go to www.whirlygiglasvegas.org

COLORADO BOULEVARD

Colorado and Casino Center Boulevard in front of the Funk House will be closed off for a street fair. The Mercury's juried show WHAT IS ART? will be there. Also, Dangerous Furniture by metal artist Mike Jepsen, handmade tiles by sculptor Denise Duarte and a surf band. There will be artist booths, live music and other assorted stuff. Sonic explorations by local jam band Waste Management, 8:20-8:50; local punk favorites The Pervz, 9-9:40; Japanese taiko drumming performance by Kaminari Taiko. Barbecue by Sweet Georgia Brown, European cuisine by Euro Place and libations sold by Dino's. Vista Four will be playing in front of The Gypsy Caravan from 7-10 p.m.

The Funk House, 1228 Colorado Blvd. Eternal Bliss. Pen and ink art by Nicole Sligar. Musician Brother Luke from 7-9:30 p.m.

Colorado Cottages. Art studios on the southwest corner of Colorado and Casino Center Boulevard.

Dray's Place. Open studio and gallery featuring the work of Dray as well as the 702 Sub-Culture underground art calendar, showcasing the works of Garald Todd and Shannon Dorn.

Gallery MTZ. Local artist Do Do. Do Do combines tight and colorful brushwork with aerosol on canvas and board to create unique, graffiti-inspired pieces. Also, new works by Mark T. Zeilman.

Wetzel Gallery. Open studio and gallery of photography by Christine H. Wetzel.

MAIN STREET

Dust Gallery, 1221 S. Main St. Artists reception. Photos by NAC Fellowship grant recipient Cara Lea Cole and paintings on rice paper by Kyung Jeon.

Godt-Cleary Projects, 1217 S. Main St. Continuing. Dennis Hopper's photographs, billboards and paintings.

S2Art Gallery. Lithographs of Art Nouveau artist Alphonse Mucha. Live lithography demonstrations on their century-old presses.

ARTS FACTORY

Contemporary Arts Collective. Continuing. Our Daily Bread. A group show with food as the subject matter.

Common Area One. A Collection of Abstract Organicism by S. Victor Whitmill. Oil paintings, sculptures and photography. Think H.R. Giger with more sensuous curves and dimensionality and fewer bones.

Common Area Two. The Injured by Danny Roberts. A delightfully disturbing take on modern stress and anxiety.

Studio 5ive. Anima. Work by artist K.D. Matheson, who recently finished painting a large corporate work and is celebrating with this one-man show.

Cricket Studio and Face Up Gallery. Continuing. The Art of Recognition and 4 Dot. Work by Dar Freeland. Drawings from the Boneyard by Brian Swanson.

Cube Gallery. Vintage Vegas (Old and New) Photography by Tony Tompkins.

Mike Griesgraber Studio. Open studio and gallery.

Mike Wardle Gallery. Open studio and gallery, featuring abstract expressionist paintings.

Steven Spann Gallery. Open studio and gallery.

Zollar Gallery. Open studio and gallery.

SEAT (Social Experimentation and Absurd Theater). Phantasmagorie (7 p.m., 8 p.m., 9 p.m., mature audiences only), featuring Babes in Sin performing vicious stunts and cheeky striptease with Count Smokula's live performance art. A terrifying collision of film and flesh on the great stage. REEL 12.5 (10 p.m., all ages), a koala bear walks into a bar and holds the pickle jar ransom. A tax attorney is killed in a freak shaving accident involving his Yorkshire terrier and a small chair with magical powers that can only be summoned by watching reruns of "Gilligan's Island." HUSH (10 p.m.-4 a.m.), 125-watt argon laser. Four DJs. One Live PA. Turbo Sound. Only 50 people will be allowed in. Info: www.godsexandbowling.com or 736-4313.

ALSO

Nevada Arts Council, 871 S. Seventh St. 11 Women, 2 Men & a Baby's Hand. Paintings by Tom Umholtz.

AFTER PARTIES

Dino's.10:30 p.m.-1 a.m., check out sounds of the Nines, followed by karaoke with host Danny.

Ice House Lounge. "The Get Back" funky soul dance party with deejays John Doe, Danny Boy, Presto One, S-Boogie, Dirtycrum, Standing 8, Pizzo and Ryan Kinder. 10 p.m. until the wee hours, $5 for girls, $10 for guys. Drink specials all night, free easy parking.

Snick's Place and Aloha Laundromat, 1402 Third St. VegasArtists.com presents Spaced Invaders mini-film festival, live acts performing in the laundry, DJs all night and even more art.