First Friday Markets & Makers (Art Alley)

Group ProjectsPlanning and ProcessCreative ExperiencesDesign and Communications

Oct 25

In 2022 I was approached as the executive director of the The Center for Creative Exploration (CCE) at PCA&D by the City of Lancaster to partner and offer hands-on experiential arts programming during First Friday events from May - October. When we started discussions about collaboration, I knew that my staff could not program every First Friday event and that showcasing the various arts organizations in our city would be important for general arts and culture awareness. When considering working with other arts organizations, we took the time to put ourselves in their shoes to think about barriers CCE has faced when asked to offer community engagement. We also reached out to query arts programming leaders to learn their pain points. What became clear is that transparent expectations, schedules, staffing, and resources for supplies were issues for most of us. I chose to explore a model where my center would act at the point of contact for the city and handle administrative and project management work. I used the remainder of the budget for stipends for organizations so they could use the funds to pay for staffing and supplies. They, too, could look to us at the point of contact for questions, payment, and other resource needs.

We launched what became Art Alley in May of 2022. The City of Lancaster team provided infrastructure (tables, chairs, access to electricity), managed an artist market, and a free trolley circulator and my center hosted two arts organizations per month. Each offered free hands-on engagement. It was a great success!

We were informed that for the 2024 season we would be moving the events to the newly renovated Ewell Plaza. We would need to rename the event and work on new visual rebranding. The new name became First Friday Markets & Makers and my center took on the visual rebranding work. Below are images from Art Alley and First Friday Markets & Makers (FFMM) events as well as the visual branding work that was completed for the 2024 season.

The official description of First Friday Markets & Makers:

Each First Friday from May to October Ewell Plaza hosts First Friday Markets & Makers which is held in partnership with Pennsylvania College of Art & Design and features arts organizations hosting free make-and-take projects for all ages as well as an arts market which provides opportunities for emerging artists to show and sell their work. Visit First Friday Markets & Makers and leave inspired!