The Belfast Arts Final Fridays Art Walk this month will take place on July 25. Explore the downtown galleries as well as the studios surrounding the downtown area. Every Final Fridays Art Walk is an evening of art, performance, food and drink, and as always, a taste of Belfast’s vibrant arts community!

Performers this month will be Beverly Mann, Shana Bloomstein, and Craig Hensley. Beverly Mann is an actress, maskmaker, and mime, and will be roaming downtown in her beautiful, whimsical, and expressive masks. Shana Bloomstein will be dancing in the streets – look for her and maybe her stool or other props performing modern dance throughout downtown Belfast. Also look for singer/songwriter Craig Hensley, who will provide music for the art walk.

There are a lot of exciting offerings this month, and many new things to see! The downtown area will be full of new gallery shows and dance, theatre, and music performers. If you haven’t already, be sure to also check out the studios that are a few blocks from downtown – they are just an easy, pleasant walk away!

Some of the highlights this month include:

Tom Gaines Stonehouse: The stonehouse studio and salon will exhibit a retrospective of work by Tom Gaines showing various styles for the past 35 years. His most recent figurative and representational work along with his current rock series will be featured in the post and beam house and stonehouse (at 28 Race Street).

Raven’s Nest Gallery: Meet the artist Ken Weeks at Raven’s Nest Gallery. Weeks, having been an actor, comedian, designer and always an artist, will have his paintings and unusual dioramas representing his wacky, wild and wonderful interpretations from life. Also featured will be his handcrafted birch bark canoes. A 14’ canoe will be on display for the Friday Art Walk only, other model canoes (1/4 scale) will be on display for the duration of the show, July 25 to Aug 15.

The Belfast Co-op: From 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. in the Belfast Co-op Café, there will be a free wine tasting of highlighted seasonal wines and the opening for Clarity’s art exhibit, “The Big Sea of ME”, which will be on display in the Co-op Cafe through late August. Bank Burana of Central Distributors, Jaap Helder from the Co-op’s Wine Department, and artists Robert & Su.Sane Hake, “Clarity”, will be available to answer questions. The paintings in this show are part of Clarity’s “Susanna’s World Children’s Series for the Creative Spirit”. They have published three books connected with this series, which you can learn more about at: www.houseofme.org . Robert and Su.Sane, who create their artwork together, have shown in the midcoast region over the past 17 years. Featured wines will be 10% off during the tasting; participants must be 21 years of age or older to attend.

Parent Gallery: This month the Parent gallery is showing new images by Neal Parent from his trips to Ireland, California and Maine. Joanne Parent has a set of new oils, Peg Bair has a whole new group of digital images, and Keith Maynard has some new sculptures.. Don’t forget Dan Bennett’s jewelry line, which is always new and original.

AAG Art Alliance Gallery: This month, the co-operative gallery, Art Alliance (AAG) is pleased to be featuring bird-themed fused glass, needle-felted sculpture, barrel-fired hand built clay vessels, and large action packed nautical paintings.

Maine Farmland Trust Gallery: Since its 2013 expansion, Maine Farmland Trust Gallery has coined the term “Stable Artists” to refer to a growing group of artists who collaborate with the Trust year-round in support of its mission: supporting farmers and protecting farmland. This year’s Summer Stable Show runs from July 18 through August 18. The public is invited to the opening reception, which falls on the evening of Belfast’s Final Friday Art Walk, July 25, from 5:30-8:00 p.m.

Fifteen Stable Artists will be participating in this year’s show, which boasts a wide variety of media—from oil paintings to pastels, monotypes to woodblock prints, sculpture and jewelry to mixed media collage.

Dina Petrillo-Belfast Bay Shade Company: Belfast Bay Shade Company invites all to stop by their studio on the top floor of the Belfast post office for drinks, treats, and the upbeat soulful sounds of local band, Honeyfoot! Since last month they’ve been busy little bees- they’ll be showing off their new solid, striped, and neutral tone lampshades as well as their new artisan wooden bases, made by Down East craftsman, Bill Sanborn. As always, keep your eyes peeled for their festive, outdoor shades up and down Main Street!

The other participating Belfast galleries and studios are:

Susan Tobey White – High Street Studio and Gallery, Harbor Artisans, Gail Savitz’s Front Street Pottery, Betts Gallery at the Belfast Framer, Fresh Cup Gallery, Galerie Dufour at Eat More Cheese, Northern Lights Gallery, and Waterfall Arts. Be sure to check out all that these galleries have to offer!

The dates for the remaining 2014 Final Fridays Art Walks are: July 25, August 29, September 26, and October 31. For more information, visit belfastcreativecoalition.org.