I was not sure what to expect from my first First Friday Art Trail experience. Many of friends had attended, but for some reason, I had never gone. Quran Batiste, the promotions and social media manager for The Hub@TTU, and I went together for our first time to see what the hype was all about!
Art displayed at The Louise Hopkins Underwood Center for the Arts (LHUCA). Natalie Morales/ The Hub@TTU
According to the First Friday Art Trail website, the trail is a free, self-guided event featuring local artists. It happens on the first Friday of every month, regardless of the weather. Of course, as a college student, I loved that it is free!
I planned to meet some friends there who had attended so we would not feel completely lost. This helped. Before I actually experienced the “trail,” I was a little confused and unsure exactly how it worked.
For first-timers, I do not think the First Friday Art Trail website was of much help. It did not have much information, except official venues, and some of the places we went to were not even on the website. Since I had friends who had attended before, we let them lead the way.
First, we went to The Louise Hopkins Underwood Center for the Arts. We grabbed a glass of wine and began looking at the art throughout the building. I had never seen art on display or done anything remotely close to this, but I really loved it.
Natalie Morales/ The Hub@TTU
This experience is very different from a typical “Broadway Shuffle” bar night. It was a lot more calm and relaxed. It was also nice to talk with friends about the art because it is not something I usually have conversations about. You could also overhear other conversations and opinions, which created a very intimate atmosphere.
While we were at the LHUCA, there were white posters on the walls for everyone to draw on. I loved this idea because it let you leave your own piece of art.
Of course, I wanted to draw something. The only thing I can draw is a monkey. I’m not sure how I learned or who taught me, but it has been the only thing I can draw since I was little. So I drew a monkey in a hula skirt, with a bubble next to it saying “I love the Hub@TTU.”
From there, we went across the street to Ice House, which featured displays of art created by All Saints Episcopal students. We did not stay long because of the small space at this venue. However, the art was impressive. It was better than anything I could have done; that’s for sure.
We had gone to only four places before we made our last stop at La Diosa, one of my favorite restaurants in Lubbock. If you have not been there yet, you must try it! You cannot go wrong with a pitcher of sangria and some of their tasty food. It is also convenient for First Friday Art Trail because it is near all of the venues.
Jodi Jones, a senior nutrition major, enjoying a glass of red wine as she walks through LHUCA. Natalie Morales/ The Hub@TTU
If you are a woman, you may be wondering what to wear to such an event. Be sure to check the weather before getting dressed. Most of the destinations were in the Lubbock Cultural District, so we walked to each destination. A short walk, but still, it was freezing.
I asked my friend who had attended before what to wear, and she suggested jeans, boots and a cute top. That is pretty much exactly what I wore. Some people were not as dressed up, but others were, obviously enjoying a date night.
I’m already excited to go to the next one art trail event because there were many places we did not get to see.
If you like art, or even if you do not, I highly suggest you try out this experience. Grab yourself a glass of wine while you are there, and feel inspired by the beauty of the art around you!
About Natalie Morales
