Downtown Ithaca is thrilled to announce this month’s Gallery Night will include a new artist and many fantastic art pieces from some long-time local and regional artists. Gallery Night is set for Friday, June 9 from 5 to 8 p.m. at 17 locations on and around The Commons. 

Come out and meet Miwa Oseki Robbins, a budding artist in the Ithaca area, at Ten Forward Cafe, one of Downtown Ithaca’s newest eateries. Miwa’s paintings are often inspired by a personal story, documenting and expressing moments of internal and external death and rebirth. Her collection, Transform, will introduce you to her first decade as an “adult,” and a time of rich transformation, growth, and rebirth. 

Ithaca native Scout Dunbar also explores youth in her latest exhibit In the Ring which will be on display at the Community School of Music and Arts Gallery. Through the exploration of pattern, mark-making, line, and material, Scout uses memory as a tool to revisit childhood. Her approach to aesthetics varies; some works are left as simple line drawings and others are filled with colors and patterns. 

As guests continue through the walkable tour, they will have the opportunity to take a stroll on the wild side while viewing Lisa Baechtle’s Lions! and Tigers! and Bears! Oh My! collection at Collegetown Bagels, 203 N. Aurora St. Baechtle expresses her visions with vibrant, dense color not always associated with the transparent medium. 

Though the Gallery Night tour has much to do with viewing art, visitors may take part in a hands-on activity at Handwork, 102 W. State St., where artists will be demonstrating how to create marbled paper in just a few easy steps. Marbled paper is great for personalized greeting cards, scrapbooking, stationary, and more. 

Also, event guests will have a chance to learn how to preserve archeological artifacts by attending the FFGN Archaeology presentation at The History Center in Tompkins County. Binghamton University’s Brant Venables and Eight Square Schoolhouse Program Director Carole West will talk about the importance of archeology and also educate visitors about the eclectic range of artifacts from recent and past excavations that will be on display.

Additional exhibits will be available in at least a dozen other locations in the downtown area. Visit www.gallerynightIthaca.com to learn more about the participating locations and artists.

Gallery Night is funded in part by the Community Arts Partnership Decentralization Grant and is organized by the Downtown Ithaca Alliance. The DIA is proud to welcome WITH90.1 as its new media sponsor.