AFTON – Afton's Third Friday Night Art Exhibits opens next weekend from 5 to 8 p.m. on May 15 at 146 Main Street in Afton, also known as the HUB, HALos, and the old Great American store. Each month, different pieces will be on display from a variety of artists. The first exhibit will showcase art made by the youth of Afton.

Michael Bolde, the gallery curator and an artist himself, started the exhibits three years ago to bring people in the community together for a common reason, enjoying art.

“It's just a nice way to spend some time, you know, with the family, or with some friends. Come and see some incredible artists. It's very surprising to find who's in your backyard and finding out what they do,” said Bolde.

The gallery space is provided for by Joyce Humphrey founder/director of HALos, Help After Loss, which provides a multitude of grief counseling programs to the community. She also designed the space to include The HUB which serves as a Wellness Community Center. She allows Bolde to host the third Friday night art exhibits in the community room free of charge.

Bolde relayed that if any art piece does sell, they ask the artist to give a 20% commission to the HALos program. Much lower than a typical art gallery that demands a 50% split between artist and gallery, and it dually supports the artist and local community programming. However the art on display is not always for sale, that is up to each individual artist.

The third Friday night art exhibits have been growing each year and feature a variety of art forms on display. Everything from oil paintings, acrylic paintings, watercolors, ink and pencil, tapestries, quilts, photography, and even sculpture has made an appearance at various exhibits. The community-centric nature of the events means that often the artists will be present at openings and available to attendees. Attendees are welcome to graciously meet the artists, chat and ask questions about their work.

At this first exhibit of the season, the gallery features the work of local Afton students and youth. The art teacher in Afton, Scott Higby, helped Bolde to collect a variety of pieces from young artists in and out of the school who want to participate in the exhibit.

However each month features a different display of art. Bolde explained that at times it's been a solo show or small groups of artists, both beginners and professionals have participated.

“It's just to expose the community, as another community gathering for the art. We're always looking for artists, local or regional as well,” he said.

If you're an artist interested in participating you can reach out to Bolde at (845) 475-4503.

The monthly third Friday night exhibits begin next week on May 15, and run through November. They typically leave the art on display for three weeks following the openings and it can be viewed by appointment by contacting Bolde.

The August exhibit will be opening the same time as the Afton Arts and Crafts Festival. That weekend the art on display at the HUB expands beyond the Friday night exhibits, it will showcase local student art work from competitions, and a separate room for local artists and crafters participating curated by Bolde to go alongside the festival.

“It combines our Friday night and the arts and craft in August, all in one building,” said Bolde.

Afton's third Friday Night Art Exhibits kick off on May 15 from 5 to 8 p.m. At 146 Main Street, Afton NY. Expect a different exhibit each month from then until November.