Local graphic portrait artist Tad Smith’s exhibition “First Friday Encounters” is scheduled to open at the SkyLine Lofts in Phoenix First Friday, December 4, 2015.  The exhibition will begin December 4th, 2015 with an opening reception from 6-9pm in the ground level art gallery of the luxury loft complex located at 600 N 4th St in downtown Phoenix.  Smith has been creating and exhibiting his graphic digital portraits in the valley for over a decade and even owned a gallery in downtown Phoenix for a number of years.

“First Friday Encounters” is a culmination of his past experience as a downtown gallery owner through his most recent exhibition of important community leaders in Chandler, AZ.  In “The Chandler Portraits” he worked with images provided of people selected by the Chandler Arts Commission.  The new exhibition will feature people he has personally met in his First Friday expeditions over the years.  The portraits are of artists, community leaders, gallerists, even media professionals—but to Smith they all have a common thread—they are important figures in the downtown Phoenix art community.  Smith states, “This show is really for all of the interesting people I have met that keep this scene alive.  I appreciate all the work they have put into building this community and felt this is the best way I can honor that dedication. I wish I could have illustrated more portraits for the show.”

Some of the people featured in Smith’s portraits are community leaders Beatrice Moore and Wayne Rainey, gallerists Laura Dragon and Robert Pela, and artists Lisa Albinger and Denise Fleisch.  Serving as an advisor on the project, local art professional Justin Germain commends Smith’s effort stating, “I think the people who built and sustained this community for so many years have gone unnoticed and this exhibition is a genuine sentiment from a local artist both honoring and thanking these folks for the vibrant arts scene we have in Phoenix today.”

The exhibition “First Friday Encounters” will be on display in the gallery at SkyLine Lofts through the month of December.

Opening reception: December 4, 2015, 6-9pm
SkyLine Lofts, 600 N 4th St, Phoenix, AZ 85001