After a few years of losing their sheen, First Fridays in Old City are back

First Fridays have long been a welcome treat to the sleepier side of Old City.

Since 1991, the neighborhood-wide showcase has been a destination for art and community. Art galleries open new exhibitions, design showrooms display new furnishings, and small businesses extend their evening hours for a lively crowd of attendees. But in recent years, Paradigm Gallery + Studio co-owner Sara McCorriston said First Fridays in Old City have lost much of their luster.

Each month, a bustling crowd of curious art lovers armed with glasses of sparkling wine filled the sidewalks of North Third Street, hopping from one gallery, clothing boutique, and design shop to the next. Some visitors leaned into the block party vibe.

On a recent Friday, with the smell of freshly grilled food and the sounds of live music filling the air, an enthused group of First Friday-goers danced to the music and gave one another warm hugs, while exchanging memories from past First Fridays.

As a student at the University of the Arts, McCorriston said it was an “undergraduate dream” to be one of the curators of First Friday. Now, 15 years later, she’s helping enliven the experience in Old City.

McCorriston, who moved her gallery from Queen Village to Old City one year ago, said the allure of First Fridays started to dwindle as shops closed, longtime gallery owners began retiring, and others moved to Fishtown and Kensington to get a jump on gentrification. The result was a less vivacious First Friday in Old City.

“It felt like you could go to five different friends’ shows in a few hours. There were all these different art experiences, and that’s kind of the energy that I remember feeling [in college],” McCorriston said. “It’s not like the art scene got weaker, it’s just been a lot more spread out.”

Jonene Lee, the owner of Chestnut Hill’s NoName Gallery, said it felt like “First Fridays in Old City disappeared for a decade.” But with the arrival of Paradigm Gallery, and the presence of new gallery owners, she said there’s a newfound sense of momentum and a reclaiming of the event’s essence.

“As a dancer, First Friday is where I went to see art and experience things, and then go to the club and battle other dancers in a circle,” Lee said. “It’s art, music, and culture.”

After settling into their Third Street location last spring, McCorriston and co-owner Jason Chen began working with neighboring galleries and design shops such as Millésimé, CPB Architects, Axiom, Unique Photo, Arch Enemy Arts, and others to coordinate a broader stroke of events for the monthly celebration. They also brought in a wider range of artistic talent to showcase.

Among them was Philly artist Nazeer Sabree, whose work was featured in Paradigm Gallery’s opening weekend and First Friday celebration.

The event drew more than 1,500 visitors and helped Sabree sell out his collection within two days. The turnout and the increased interest in First Fridays, he said, is a sign of a new phase in the Philly arts community. “Philadelphia is having its Harlem Renaissance,” Sabree said. “There’s a lot of talent in the city, and they’re not creating work just to create work. They’re creating meaningful things.”

Arts curator Ginger Rudolph said Paradigm Gallery and similar spaces have broken the barriers of exclusivity seen at more traditional museums and arts venues through their efforts. Along with opening new pathways for artists of color, they are attracting a newer and larger audience of art consumers.

“I feel like we’re bringing in younger people of color that are feeling more represented in this particular community on First Friday,” said Rudolph, who works as a consultant for various Philly arts organizations. “I see the change in that way.”

Old City District executive director Job Itzkowitz said First Friday has remained a “preeminent art walk” throughout its history, but there’s now a “new energy and new openness” that was unseen in previous years.

While other First Friday events happen throughout Philly, sculptor and printmaker Kate VanVliet of BYO Print said the work of McCorriston and others is turning Old City back into the premiere location. “We’re stepping into this place where people are looking for culture in Old City,” said VanVliet, a longtime collaborator with Paradigm Gallery. “It has historic value in Philadelphia and a part of the country, so it’s exciting to be a part of that.”

This is just the start, McCorriston said.

The resurgence partly inspired Lee to develop her own First Friday event in Chestnut Hill. While past attempts fell flat, she was determined to offer an evening of art, food, music, and hip-hop culture to the sleepy neighborhood. And in March, she celebrated the first Arts & Eats event.