BETHLEHEM, Pa. — It's the last of many First Fridays — 25 years in the making.
Before the Banana Factory is demolished early next year, ArtsQuest will hold one final First Friday celebration.
The event will take place from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, Dec. 6.
The Banana Factory has housed after-school programs and classes, exhibitions and an artist's studio.
It must be empty by the end of December before workers bulldoze the complex and start construction on the new $26 million cultural center on the same site.
ArtsQuest started its First Friday program not long after the building, at 25. W Third St., opened in 1998.
"First Fridays were primarily a way to give exposure to the resident artists, create connections, promote art sales and for the artists to invite the public into their studios," said Lisa Harms, ArtsQuest's senior director of visual arts and education.
"They have grown to include exhibition openings, glassblowing, artist talks and demonstrations, art-making and live music."
Over the years, First Fridays held in December were dedicated to highlighting the works of ArtSmart students; in May, the last two First Fridays of each month featured fashion exhibitions and live dance performances.
Moving to temporary space
During the construction of the new cultural center, First Fridays will be held inside the ArtsQuest Center at SteelStacks.
But not before one last hurrah.
The last First Friday event will feature live music glassblowing demos and ArtsQuest's eighth annual Compendium juried exhibition with local and regional artists.
Also, a bright yellow Bananarama display will feature the best banana-themes artworks created by locals to celebrate the factory's history.
Throughout the evening, the works of area students will be showcased in the ArtSmart exhibition, made up of creative pieces by students at Bethlehem Area School District, plus a virtual arts classroom experience with Banana Factory teachers Allison MacKenzie and Monica Salazar, a local muralist (featuring students from Donegan Elementary School).
There will also be a launch of a new Teen Takeover Podcast at 6:30 p.m. with a Q&A session with students to follow.
The teens recently participated in a podcast course where they learned how to present and record with podcasters from Cold Case Mysteries of the Lehigh Valley.
Goodbye sales
To clear out the factory, ArtsQuest is holding yard sales from 6-9 p.m. every Friday until the end of 2024 at the Banana Factory.
On sale are ArtsQuest Musikfest memorabilia and art supplies.
A final three-day sale is scheduled for late December.
The new cultural center will boast five floors, a more-than-5,000-square-foot glass studio, and dedicated outdoor spaces.
