On First Friday, April 1, 2011 the NOTO community celebrates the Grand Opening of two new businesses in the NOTO Arts District.

The Eclective, 900 North Kansas Avenue, an eclectic art showroom and studios, will hold its ribbon cutting ceremony at 5 p.m.  Live entertainment by Mother Kali, refreshments and beverage will be provided from 5 – 9 pm. Owner Renee Johnson will feature her unique Stainless Steel Design Concepts, highly recognized in the Topeka art community.  She is joined by five artists with studios:  Angela Lexow, fine jewelry and gourd artist; Cora Spencer, fiber artist; Pat Abellon, painter; Randy Fay, Iron Florist; and Pam Renovato, digital fine art.  Studios will be in the back of the store, with a public gallery featuring the artists’ work in the front of the store.  The Chamber of Commerce will assist with the ribbon cutting.

The Two Day Monthly Market, 824 North Kansas Avenue.  Co-owners Coralee Evans and Lisa Cusick of Brickhouse Antiques, 3711 SW Burlingame Road,  are expanding and opening another business that will be conducted as a ‘monthly market’ which will be open the first Friday and Saturday of each month in conjunction with the First Friday Art Walk.  The inventory will include antique and vintage, as well as mid-century modern items, unique industrial pieces, home décor, jewelry and much more.  Their hours will be 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Fridays and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturdays.  The featured visiting artists for the April 1 and 2 Grand Opening are photographer Nathan Ham whose work will be displayed, as well as paintings by Louise Brock Hamilton.  Refreshments will be served during the Art Walk.

Also, STUDIO 831 will be hosting their First Opening on the First Friday art walk by featuring work by Barbara Waterman-Peters and her co-artists, Michael Hager and Lois Van Liew.  Refreshments will also be served at Studio 831.

Free parking is available on Kansas Avenue and also behind the Kansas Avenue stores on the east side, located between the Kansas Avenue Bridge and the backdoors of Bradley’s Corner Café and businesses to the south.

[ press release | image at top by Colin MacMillan/Nathan Ham Photography | other images courtesy NOTO on Facebook ]