Brad Michael Biggs – Analog Artist Digital World

First Thursdays, at the Orlando Museum of Art is held as the name implies, is held on the First Thursday of every month. Each month has a new theme. In November, the theme was animals. David Ramiss had a wonder metal sculpture of a wasp enclosed in a plexiglass case. A beautiful model was showing off a day sculptor in progress, still on the armature. I think the sculptor wanted to work on it during the event, but he was bombarded with so many questions, that he never had time to touch the clay.

The hissing cat was unique. Someone demonstrated that if you put your fringe in the cat’s butt, it would make a noise. I explained this unique feature to several friends who stopped to talk, but they didn’t believe me. No one activated the cat for the rest of the evening. Wine flowed and the room got more and more packed. Brad Micheal Biggs gave me a quartz crystal he had mined himself. Jeff had forgot he his cell phone and he needed to borrow mine. I guess the crystal was a fair trade.

The next First Thursday is titled,

ECLECTIC KNIGHTS

VIII September 1, 2016

8th annual event for the UCF College of Arts and Humanities Alumni
Chapter. This Knight of Art will feature artwork designed exclusively by
UCF alumni, faculty and staff in a variety of media.

Presented by the Associates of the Orlando Museum of Art| which is a volunteer support group committed to expanding
Museum membership and encouraging the appreciation of the visual arts.
From 6-9 pm on the first Thursday of each month, Central Florida has an
opportunity to discover local artists, listen to live music and mingle
with an eclectic mix of people. There are cash bars serving wine, beer,
soft drinks and water, and café offerings from area restaurants.

Admission to 1st Thursdays is $10 for visitors. Admission includes
access to the Museum’s featured exhibition. Parking is free at Orlando
Loch Haven Park and overflow parking is available at the Orlando Science
Center’s parking garage for $5 per vehicle.

On Thursday December 19th, I went downtown for Third Thursdays. On the Third Thursday of every month, all the downtown galleries open new exhibits. At the City Arts Factory, artists rent wall space. In the large courtyard between The Rusty Spoon and Urban Flats, Brad Michael Biggs rents out spots where artists can set up a table to sell their wares. Brad is the founder and owner of Art for All Spaces. Parker Sketch, who is a regular of the street sales scene, had a large display of his splashy pop imagery. In the past Parker had his work on display in the Thornton Park neighborhood on Third Thursday.

A young couple had a table full of tiny steam punk party top hats. There was an entire table full of paintings of bright boxy robots. A glass display case full of jewelry had a huge canvas poster behind it of a couple making out. Arts and crafts of all shapes and sizes were on display. When the sketch was finished, I hiked back downstairs and ended up photo bombing a family photo. On the way out, I passed Dresden Kincade‘s handmade jewelry. All her jewelry is handmade using wire and natural minerals. My wife Terry’s favorite color is purple and I saw a lovely Amethyst crystal necklace that she would love. On impulse, I bought it. Dresden wrapped it up along with a card describing the crystal’s powers. If it had the power to bring a moment of happiness it was well worth it.

Mark your calendar, the next Third Thursday is February 20th from 6pm to 9pm or so.