Eastern Michigan University art graduate, Caleb Zweifler, will be presenting a First Friday event at Beezy’s Café to promote a rich, artistic side from local artists.
This is the first time an event of this nature will be held, featuring showings of local artist works in and around downtown cities nationwide. Within the borders of Ypsilanti, it has gradually been expanding over the last three years. Deb Ennis, an art education major at EMU, had started First Fridays at the Bona Sera Cafe, had been pushing for Zweifler to get one started at Beezy’s. Zweifler, who had wanted to do so for some time, finally found his chance after talking with his boss about the idea.
“Everything came together at the right time and right place,” Zweifler said. “I am an obsessive promoter of art – this is an opportunity for me to do that.”
The idea of First Fridays is for local establishments to pull together and create cultural events to enrich the downtown community. Zweifler is doing something untraditional in trying to breathe new air into the design of the event.
Zweifler organized a comic and cartoon-themed Friday event, and promises to feature 2-D art, homemade pizzas and pies. There will also be a performing arts aspect to the event with two first-time comedians. “It’s a dying thing to look at art,” Zweifler said,
“There needs to be a shift on how we present art.”
Zweifler has been working and living in Ypsilanti for the last five years and has had the opportunity to meet many great artist and lovers of the craft. He feels the artists within the borders of Ypsilanti have so much to offer, as all the works they create comes from an honest desire and love for creating. Zweifler wants to fill the gap between how we think about art and gallery openings and how they truly can be.
“There are people everywhere who are artists,” Zweifler said.
Zweifler is also organizing a third Friday event, this month on Oct. 18. This event will be a continuation of the first, with the addition of a lecture atmosphere. This event will feature a talk about comic books and cartoon drawing.
