FAIRHOPE, ALA. – The Eastern Shore Art Center plans on knocking your socks off at First Friday Art Walk, September 6th. The monthly event occurs 6 to 8 p.m. in downtown Fairhope. Exhibitions are sponsored by TKO Offshore Contractors, LLC and catered by S.E.L.F. Volunteers.

Here's what on tap for the September event:

The Bischoff Gallery is revisted by young artist Lauren McCrory with her timeless show “Old-Fashioned Appeal”. Her abstract acrylic and pastel works have gained much attention locally and in several online publications such as creative Christian magazine Ktizo.

Painter Lou Golding presents “Visions of Color” in the Woolley Gallery, a vast collection with a focus on the use of bright, vivid color, and a wide variety of subject matter. She dabbles in both oil and acrylic mediums.

Golding states that her creative side, “seems to lean toward exaggerations of color, reflecting a magical mood that mirrors my feelings and personality. When I dream, I truly dream in color, and so my paintings are often reflections of my dreams.” She hopes that her work will inspire the viewer to dream in color as well!

The Whiting Gallery is being taken over by painter Colleen Terrell Comer on Art Walk night! Originally from Mobile, Alabama, Comer has lived and shown her work across the South East, New York City and Paris. Last summer she spent a month in Paris, France as part of Columbia University's prestigious Summer Painting Intensive. Her work has been commissioned for personal and corporate collections including the Contemporary Carolina Collection; a major retrospective of living South Carolina artists.

Along with her contrasting paintings of gigantic oak trees and boats clung to familiar marinas within “New Works”, she will be hosting interactive art with Art Walkers to accompany John Cage’s Birthday. This 3 day birthday celebration is a collaboration between several art institutions from Mobile to the Eastern Shore, focusing on John Cage’s residing impact on the humanities. To find out more on this event, visit www.happybirthdayjohncage.com.

The Courtyard Gallery welcomes instructor and beloved artist Maria Spies in her solo exhibit, “Passion for Pottery.” Having worked as an independent ceramic artist since 1973, she moved to Alabama after living and teaching in Texas, Washington, and Pennsylvania. She has studied with prominent national and international artists; for instance, a month long workshop at the University of Tokyo Fine Arts and a tour of major Japanese pottery centers.

Spies says, “All of my travels have provided a very rich mixture of influences on, and opportunities for my work. I have woodfired in a variety of anagama kilns across the country; saggar fired; Raku fired and fired more electric kilns than I could count.” She enjoys sharing all of these experiences through both her work and her teaching.

Spies can be found teaching this Fall starting September 19th at the Eastern Shore Art Center on Thursday mornings. Registration is open until September 12^th  and filling up quickly! Contact Melinda Hicks, Academy Director, for course descriptions or membership inquiries.

Curious about member discounts? September Art Walk will also mark the first month of the Eastern Shore Art Center’s Membership Drive. A station will be set up 6-8pm with information on the benefits of becoming a member of the Art Center!

First Friday Art Walk takes place in downtown Fairhope September 6th from 6-8pm. Refreshments and live music will be provided. Exhibits run until September 30th.

The Eastern Shore Art Center is free to the public and located in downtown Fairhope at 401 Oak Street. Hours of operation are Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. For more information visit the website at www.esartcenter.com or call 251.928.2228 ext.101.