Bootleg, Down the Street places to be tonight

 

The work of new artist Melanie Capps will be featured at Down the Street Art Gallery during First Friday festivities.

It's the season to be thankful. Bootleg Alley Antiques & Art and Down the Street Art Gallery are thankful to be a part of Payson and First Friday on Main Street.

On Nov. 4 while sitting around the fire pit, those gathering from 5-8 p.m. at 520 W. Main St. will be treated to a concert by Payson favorite John Carpino. They can be thankful for our furry friends and donate at the Humane Society table. Raffle tickets can be bought as well. Donations of money or food can be made for the local food bank.

Meanwhile, Down the Street Art Gallery’s popular Santa Fe sale begins Friday and runs through Jan. 7, with selected pieces at special prices. Two new artists will also be featured at First Friday:

Melanie Capps recently moved to the Payson area from Northern Idaho to escape the severe winters. Growing up in a career military family, Melanie moved and traveled a lot. To occupy her time she did arts and crafts and tried knitting, crocheting, needlepoint, and more, but grew bored with much of the routine.

Ten years ago her interest exploded when she found wire-sculpture; it was something new for her mind and creative juices to explore. Melanie uses only 14k gold-filled wire or the Argentium silver wire, creating heirloom quality jewelry. Each wire-sculpture piece is one of a kind, and expresses the artists' soul in creating its design and form. Melanie Capps will be demonstrating her wire wrapping techniques Friday evening and will be offering workshops in the near future.

Featured artist Nancy Frost returned to Arizona from California and spent most of her formative years in the west, which has influenced her art. Her parents encouraged her natural artistic abilities. As a child, she took every opportunity to draw and blend colors even to the point of completely coloring the underside of the family’s dining room table.

With degrees in drafting and art, Frost has investigated many art forms including pottery, gourds and studied painting with mentor Charles “Torch” McDonald, and been further inspired and influenced by the acrylic works of Merrill Mahaffey and Bruce Aiken. She is currently working in acrylics, often used like watercolors. She will demonstrate this First Friday at Down the Street Art Gallery, 703 W. Main Street, where you can also enjoy music and refreshments.

There's lots to be thankful for in Payson: good friends, wonderful music, and loads of ambiance at the celebration of First Friday on Historic Main Street.