New Arts Factory galleries augment April’s First Friday experience

First Friday may come along every month. But your first First Friday happens only once.

And it’s happening Friday for artists Steve Anthony and Victor Xiu, who mark this month’s event with the debut of their new Arts Factory space, SaVx Gallery.

They’re the latest — but hardly the only — addition to the complex that’s become ground zero for First Friday action.

“I’m not excited — I feel like I’m about to die,” says Xiu, only half in jest, as he and his partner count down to SaVx Gallery’s debut. “It’s like excitement times a million. It’s a dream come true for me.”

In March, both Xiu and Anthony were featured at the Wonderland Gallery, downstairs at the Arts Factory. (More about Wonderland in a bit.)

Xiu has previously exhibited at other Arts Factory galleries as well, but having his own studio and gallery space will “show people already following me that there is something new,” he says.

And the First Friday debut represents “perfect timing,” in Xiu’s view.

“I love the fact of the creativity that is involved with it,” he says of the monthly happening. “A place like this, where we are creating — crowds get inspired by what they see.”

Having a place of their own inspired artists — and collaborators — Nova May and Joel Spencer to open 222 Space in January for their site-specific installations.

Inside their tiny upstairs gallery, there’s room for “one big sculptural piece,” May explains. “When you walk in, it’s the whole gallery.”

This month’s installation, “Metamorphosis,” explores global warming and the environment, so “all these paper butterflies hanging suspended from the ceiling” are “made out of trash,” she notes.

Both May and Spencer are “production artists” who work in video, film and special events.

“We’re creative, but it’s somebody else’s vision,” she acknowledges. (Their individual works include May’s “Love Locket” at Container Park; one of Spencer’s murals is on First Street.)

“Joel and I, we have a passion for site-specific art,” May says, and Space 222 provides a place “where we can make it our own.”

Downstairs at Wonderland Gallery, Lynne Adamson Adrian reflects on her — and the gallery’s — metamorphosis.

About a year ago, Adrian rented gallery space from the previous operators, who left in November, she recalls.

At that point, Adrian and partner Kat Tatz decided to team up and opened Wonderland.

The two anchor the gallery with their works; different artists are featured monthly. (In April, figurative abstract artist Mannie Rubio and former street artist Mowgli Art join Adrian, Tatz and fellow resident artists Lincoln Maynard, Karen Waiksnis DiSorbo and Lisa Herr.)

Having a gallery represents “consistency — being able to have your doors open on a regular basis,” in Adrian’s view. Otherwise, “it’s harder to get people to come.”

And First Friday represents “the highlight of our month,” she adds. “I can’t imagine the gallery without it.”

Of course, First Friday has “gone through so many incarnations” since Adrian began participating.

“It started out with lots of real art on the street” and then “kind of turned into this street party, with people coming out to get drunk,” she recalls. And once the Downtown Project took over from the original organizers, “they kind of started changing it, making it more family-friendly.”

Now that a nonprofit foundation has assumed control of the monthly event, the gallery was “overwhelmed by the amount of people” in March, Adrian says. “It was wall-to-wall bodies.”

And when SaVx Gallery makes its debut this First Friday, Xiu and Anthony intend to “welcome everyone in our new house,” he says. “I think we’ll be opening a lot of souls — with a lot of heart.” And art.

Read more from Carol Cling at reviewjournal.com. Contact her at ccling@reviewjournal.com and follow @CarolSCling on Twitter.