By MONIKA JUNG

SENTINEL CORRESPONDENT

You do not have to travel to the big city to meander around neighborhood art venues and enjoy the cultural surroundings of live music and dining. Unless by big city you mean San Jose, then you do need to make the short drive over the hill. No longer is San Francisco the only destination for art enthusiasts wanting to sip wine while experiencing various art selections scattered throughout a neighborhood setting.

On every first Friday of the month, South First Fridays comes alive in downtown San Jose with five participating galleries remaining open until late. Starting at 8 p.m., participants walk the artsy SOFA district strip (known as SOFA, for South First area) and view creations at Anno Domini//the second coming of Art & Design, Green Rice Gallery, Movimiento de Arte y Cultura Latino Americana (MACLA), San Jose Institute of Contemporary Art and the San Jose Museum of Quilts and Textiles.

The galleries’ close proximity, from 300 S. First St. to 520 S. First St., makes walking a breeze. While all the venues are free to the public, each gallery represents unique qualities in a casual, social atmosphere. For people who might have skipped over less obvious galleries in the past, such as the San Jose Museum of Quilts and Textile, they are finding South First Fridays a welcome porthole into exposing themselves to alternative art forms.

Cherri Lakey, co-owner of Anno Domini, believes the past two South First Fridays were a success. Coming together, as a community of galleries, so the public can view and talk about their interpretations of the displays is what the event is all about, according to Lakey.

“People said the South First Fridays event made downtown San Jose feel like a real city,” said Lakey. “People were happily surprised about how vibrant and creative downtown felt.”

For Jenny Do, owner of Green Rice Gallery, which specializes in Vietnamese-American art, South First Fridays has brought in an audience that might never have thought about visiting her gallery.

“Vietnamese-Americans are usually not known for visual art,” according to Do. “South First Fridays is bringing a diverse group of professionals to Green Rice Gallery and the interaction is very exciting.”

One of those professionals, Dean Cowherd a San Jose resident living in Willow Glen, has made a point of going to the past two South First Fridays. Cowherd appreciates the simplicity of marking his calendar for the first Friday of every month rather than checking newspapers for gallery times and descriptions of displays.

“South First Fridays is a great social experience,” says Cowherd. “In one night you get to look at the displays in every gallery and then talk with other art lovers about your impressions. Coming down to the SOFA district on a Friday night is an inspiring way to spend an evening.”

Contact Monika Jung at monkajung@yahoo.com.