First Friday greets two new locations this month

Two new locations will enter the First Friday art walk this week -- the Community Counseling Center and Lang Jewelers.

The Community Counseling Center (CCC) will exhibit about 20 paintings created by people who use the center's counseling services, called "consumers" within the CCC culture.

"Having a gallery here would be something very visible, so people could see our patients and the talent they have," said staff member Dr. Robert McCool, who helped organize the exhibition called "Gallery of Inspirations." "Another reason was to kind of educate the community and destigmatize mental illness."

The CCC hopes to have First Friday receptions, poetry readings and musical performances in the future if this first one goes well, McCool said. Friday's reception will take place from 6 to 8:30 p.m. at the CCC offices.

Lang Jewelers is always open on Friday nights, but this week owners Robert and Judith Anne Lang decided to take part in the First Friday receptions, exhibiting a collection of precision-crafted knives created by William Henry Studios.

Judith Anne Lang said these knives are functional art pieces, some of them sold for thousands of dollars. Some of the pieces take eight months to make, Lang said.

Lang Jewelers will remain open until 9 p.m. Friday night.