First Friday: Oceanside Art Walk started in 2013 as the first major effort of the newly formed Oceanside Cultural Consortium, spearheaded by Daniel Foster (formerly of Oceanside Museum of Art) and designed & developed by Dinah Poellnitz (The Hill Street Country Club), with assistance from the formation team of Brigid Parsons (LocalArtWalk.com), Cynthia Melfi (El Camino Country Club), Mitzi Summers (Oceanside Museum of Art) and Gumaro Escarcega (MainStreet Oceanside). Brigid Parsons was its general manager and administrator 2014-2016.
The first event was held on August 1, 2014 with 18 venues, about 40 artists and thousands of local residents enjoying the night. By the end of 2016, over 300 different artists appeared in 28 monthly events, showcased by over 40 different venues in downtown Oceanside. Venues chose to either engage their own artists (self curate) or requested visual and/or performance artists from the Art Walk curation team.
Oceanside is the home to military, surf, skate and NOW A THRIVING ART DISTRICT. Join us as we promote our vibrant art community showcasing live performances, music, poetry, art education, culinary and pop-up art galleries embedded in local businesses and public spaces.
Who : Downtown Oceanside is coming alive with vibrant arts, performances, music, poetry, activities, food, and fun for all ages, all free
What : Hundreds of regional residents attend the First Friday: Oceanside Art Walk, put on by dozens of businesses and showcasing dozens of local artists
Where : Businesses, civic areas and vacant spaces throughout downtown Oceanside
Why : The Oceanside Cultural Consortium (OCC) was established in 2013 with the goal of establishing Oceanside and surrounding communities as an important arts, culture, entertainment and tourism hub/destination that catalyzes economic prosperity and a high quality of life for Oceanside’s future. Its members included nearly 50 different Oceanside arts, community, business, and civic organizations. In 2015 First Friday: Oceanside Art Walk became a stand-alone nonprofit, and starting in 2017 the events will be presented by Oceanside Friends of the Arts.
How Much : Free to Attend!
Event maps distributed at each event, listing that month’s locations, art happenings and sponsors.
Curation
The first few events in 2014 were curated by Dinah Poellnitz (The Hill Street Country Club), December 2014 by Brigid Parsons (LocalArtWalk.com), February 2015 by Penny Hill (San Diego Watercolor Society), and the rest of 2015 by Gailee Walker Wells (Theatre Arts West). Cynthia Melfi (El Camino Country Club) was the curator for 2016, with Brigid Parsons leading the literary art walk in July 2016.
NonProfit
In October 2015, First Friday: Oceanside Art Walk became a 501(c)(3) non profit corporation, Tax ID #47-5148895. On January 1, 2017 the non profit was disbanded.