Tree of Love:
You’ll need: A tree, small heart shaped notes,

I got our little tree in the dollar bin at Target. You could use any kind of tree and tie things on with ribbon, or use a basket or sack that is Valentine themed, anything to hold your little notes would work.

I cut our little hearts out of paper from our scrap bag, if you don’t want to cut, lots of craft stores have heart cut-outs in a variety of sizes and colors available right now.

The idea is simple, throughout the day, we are on the look out for love. I introduced this using binoculars and pointing out things I had seen the girls do earlier in the day, “I saw you ask your sister to help you with nice words instead of whining,” “I saw you practice piano with no complaining.” Then I told them that whenever they saw love happening they could come and write it on a heart and attach the heart to the tree. For the first day, I made it a point to point out the loving or even the pleasant things that were happening, but since then they have been great about doing it all on their own, even my beginning writer has been “sounding out” her own cards to write!

Each night at dinner we take turns taking a heart off the tree and reading about the love that is filling our home. The person whom the heart was written about is affirmed and the rest of us are encouraged by their example. Easy and highly effective.

Hidden Hearts:

You’ll need: One cut out heart per child, per day (again, I cut mine from scrap paper)

This is really simple, but our girls have loved it and it has really helped them remember that they are all important and loved and that each one deserves to be treated like that.

Simply write a little note to your child telling them one thing you love or appreciate about them, sign it and hide it somewhere in the house. The kids then wake up and hunt for it (if you don’t have time in the morning you could do it after school or before bed, whatever works for your family.) Our girls have decided to hang all the hearts they find on the kitchen wall so they can make a wall of love! Again, really a good visual that reminds them that each person is treasured and deserves to be treated with love.

Here is a link to last week’s Valentine Craft post, I added some pictures so you can see our finished product and here is a link to some snow fun ideas, just in case you need them this week!

Have a safe and warm week in our snowy town. Stop by next week for some family friendly ways to celebrate President’s Day.

The 815, 815 O Street, 6-9 pm

After nearly two years spent sharing local art with the community, The 815 will host its Final First Friday on February 3. To celebrate the success of The 815, all artists who have shown on the lower level have been invited back to display a few of their favorite pieces. Artists will include Robert Donlan, Tim and Katie Frisch, Eddie Gentry, Rob Liliedahl, Daniel Joseph May, Aimee Smith, Andrei Sorokin, Gonca Yengin, and more. The Artists on the Edge will show upstairs for the final time after 23 consecutive First Fridays.

LPS Arts and Humanities Focus Program, 643 S. 25 Street

Arts & Humanities is preparing new works for display in March. Check back next month for details.

Burkholder Project, 719 P Street, 7-9pm

MAIN GALLERY:  ‘Fine Art Images from America’s National Parks’ by Sam Swartz; and ‘Dichroic Kaleidoscope’ – Jewelry by Bonnie Sittig

OUTBACK:  ‘New Clay, New Play – Fresh Games in Porcelain’ by Leroy von Glan;   along with Color Pencil Drawings by Karen Merritt and Fabric Landscapes by Karen Krull Robart

SKYLIGHT:  ‘From the Cosmos to Earth and Water’ – Oil Paintings by Ed Millican

SPECIAL EXHIBIT:  ‘Relating Forms’  - Oil Paintings by Johanna SawyerRegular Hours: Tuesday through Friday from 10 AM – 4 PM and Saturday from 9 AM – 3 PM.

Crescent Moon Coffee, 140 N. 8th St, 6:00 – 11:00 p.m.

Crescent Moon presents First Friday Artwalk with featured artist Bob Donlan and Roots Rock n’ Roll music with The Resonators 8-10pm.

Crescent Moon Coffee is located in the lower level of the Apothecary building. Crescent Moon Coffee has been at home in the Haymarket District since 2001. There are performances six nights a week and a monthly featured artist for First Friday Art Walks.

Regular Hours: Monday – Friday 8am – 11pm, Saturday 7:00am – 11:00pm, Sunday 9:00am – 1:00pm

Drift Station Gallery, 1746 N Street, 7:00 – 11:00 p.m.

Drift Station presents TRANSCEIVER: An Exhibition of Works Transmitted, Not Transported. Curated by Angeles Cossio & Jeff Thompson in conjunction with the Bemis Center for Contemporary Art. For the month of February, Drift Station will be home to a low-power FM radio station and will screen a curated series of live webcams from around the world.

Bring a radio to the opening for a custom soundtrack, or tune in the rest of this month for micro-broadcasting on 94.5FM.

Gallery 9, 124 N. 9th St, Suite 4, 6:30- 9:30 p.m.

Gallery 9 Presents: “NEW Works” by Larry Griffing. Larry Griffing’s distinctive style has made him a favorite of Gallery Nine patrons. His intriguing painterly approach always results in works that demand attention. Plan on viewing the latest stop in Larry’s creative journey.

Regular Hours: Wednesday through Saturday from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm and Sundays from Noon to 5:00 pm.

The Grand Manse Gallery, 129 N 10th St

The Grand Manse Gallery is proud to exhibit one of it’s favorite artists, photographer Eddie Gentry. Gentry balances beautifully old and new techniques, with some of his most recent work. Come see the way he sees.

Art displayed on First Fridays at the Grand Manse remains on the walls and available to be viewed by personal request until the following First Friday. The Grand Manse is located at 129 N 10th St. To view the display, enter the central doors on the eastern side of the building off 10^th St., or the northeastern doors on the north side of the building off P St.

Great Plains Art Museum, 1155 Q Street

Great Plains Art Museum presents Marking the Prairie Sublime, Paintings and prints by Jonathan Goodding and Transported with Wonder, Works from the Permanent Collection of the Great Plains Art Museum In the West Gallery.

Regular Hours: Tuesday – Saturday 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Sunday 1:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Closed Mondays, holiday weekends and between exhibitions.

Indigo Bridge Books, 701 P Street, Suite 102, 6-10 p.m.

Indigo Bridge Books will display selected works by the Artists on the Edge. Fiber artist and Lux artist-in-residence Katie Frisch displays pieces from and inspired by her year-long Calendar Project: 365 days of hand-dyed, hand-felted pieces. Available in The Woodroom!

Michael Forsberg Gallery, 100 N 8th Street, 12 noon to 8:00 p.m.

The Michael Forsberg Gallery has a variety of Michael’s work for display and sale. Michael is an award winning conservation photographer. Forsberg’s images are a dramatic witness to the awesome spirit of the wide open. The subjects of his photos include Plant Life, Wildlife, Birds, cranes and Landscapes.

Modern Arts Midwest

800 P Street, Suite 30, 6:30 – 9:00 p.m.

Modern Arts Midwest presents “Without Time or Place” and “A Silent Mutation”, the haunting and thought provoking black and white photographs by Italian artist Roberto Kusterle.

Regular Gallery Hours: Tuesday to Saturday 11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. and by appointment

Noyes Art Gallery, 119 S. 9th St, 6:30 – 9:00 p.m.

The Noyes Gallery featured artists include Aurelia Thomas, Paintings; Julie Lemons, Pastels; Jan Beal, Mobiles. In the Focus Gallery are Marcia Bauerle,  Collage; Karen Bowling, Digital Photography; Susan Hanson, Quilts and Fabric Art; and Aurelia Thomas, Paintings.

Regular Hours: Monday – Friday  10:00am – 5:00pm, Saturday  10:00am – 5:00pm

Parallax Space, 7:00 – 11:00 p.m.

1746 “N” Street (at 18^th Street)

Parallax Space presents The House That Feminism Built which will run from February 3 – March 31, 2012.

UNL Womanhouse and Parallax Space are pleased to announce the opening of the installation The House that Feminism Built on Friday, February 3, 2012.

Help us build! We want you to bring red, pink, and purple women’s clothing for sewing, and all your half-empty, no longer using “beauty products” from those bathroom cupboards. Bring to both First Friday events!

UNL Womanhouse is a group of artists and activists coming together to proclaim our status as feminists and address the state of feminist politics in contemporary artistic practice and society. In recognition of the 40th anniversary of Womanhouse, which took place in Los Angeles from January 30 – February 28, 1972, a group of graduate and undergraduate students in the Department of Art and Art History at the University of Nebraska – Lincoln, as well as recent alums and professors from the Department of Art and Art History and the Department of Textiles, Clothing and Design, are creating an updated version of Womanhouse for the 21st century. The result is the construction of The House that Feminism Built, a collaborative and ongoing installation of a suspended “house” composed of patched and sewn fragments of donated women’s clothing. A series of related events will take place during the months of February and March, including film screenings, panel discussions, sewing sessions, and community activities. For a list of upcoming events visit: www.unlwomanhouse.org

The Public/Black Market 6:00 – 9:00 p.m.

1033 O Street

The Public/The Black Market presents Travis Beck this month for First Friday. He is a photographer and a musician. Therefore, he will have his photographs on display. But also, he will be performing with his band Time Hammer. As always, there will be food and beverages available. Some desserts by Shelly Richardson, because it’s so close to Valentine’s Day and beers from Nebraska Brewery because they are so good.

Regular hours at The Public are: Mon-Sat 11am-8pm; Sun 12pm-6pm.

Screen Ink – 7:00 – 10:00 p.m.

416 S. 11th Street

Screen Ink presents an opening reception for illustrator Kris Maxwell. Kris has been putting pencil to paper for the last two years in his quest to become a certified tattoo artist. In the process, his work has grown in both skill and content. We are proud to present the first exhibit of his illustration work.

In the words of Mr. Maxwell, his style of art could most closely be described as a neo-traditional style of tattoo flash. Drawing influence from the artwork of early American electric tattoo artists and blending it with his own off-kilter style of visual art, Maxwell has created a style that he himself would describe as comic book traditional tattoo flash.

Sheldon Museum of Art, 12th & R Streets, 5:00 – 7:00 p.m.

Celebrate First Friday and the opening of three exhibitions: Railroads and the Making of Modern America; Partners and Adversaries, The Art of Collaboration; and All is Pretty: Warhol Polaroids.

Regular Hours: Tuesday 10 a.m. – 8 p.m., Wednesday through Saturday 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. and Sunday from 12 p.m. – 5 p.m.

Ten Thousand Villages, 140 North 8th Street, 6:00 – 9:00 p.m.

Ten Thousand Villages has a drum circle in the store every First Friday. Bring your own drum, or use ours, but most importantly, have some fun! Drumming will take place between 8-9pm.

Ten Thousand Villages is a non-profit Fair Trade store which works with artisans who would otherwise be unemployed or  underemployed in Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Middle East. This income helps pay for food, education, health care and housing.

Regular Hours: Monday – Saturday 10 a.m. – 9 p.m., Closed Sunday

Workspace Gallery,  440 N 8th Street

Workspace Gallery is pleased to present “Artifacts and Incidents,” an exhibition of photographs by Nicole Jean Hill. A reception for Nicole Jean Hill’s exhibition will be held from 6:00-8:00 pm with an artist’s gallery talk at 7:00 pm.

Nicole Jean Hill creates photographs along the periphery of rural communities in the western United States – the spaces nestled between national forest lands and private property or the easement zones along county roads and greenbelts. Existing as neither private nor public, these liminal spaces simultaneously imply autonomy and lawlessness. Without a clearly defined function, these borderlands are an overlap of unruliness and regulation. They contain evidence of the disruptive character of human activity, efforts at cultivation, and the inherent wildness of an environment.

Kiechel Fine Art is pleased to announce the first exhibition for Steven DeLair at the gallery. The show entitled Variations and Contrasts will be on view from January 30th through March 9th. The opening reception will be held on Friday, February 3rd from 6 to 8 p.m.

Steven DeLair studied fine art at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln before living and working in Arizona. After nearly 30 years, he returned to Nebraska. His early works, realist large-scale oils, have recently been replaced by a new body of work exploring new methods, materials and style. This conscious break from the past has resulted in richly saturated watercolors and acrylics that balance the line between reality and abstraction. The few canvases in the show reflect the influence of his recent experimentation through more traditional methods. DeLair’s color and style, reminicent of the Bay area painters, adds a unique perspective to the Nebraskan landscape.

DeLair’s work has been included in private and corporate collections internationally and featured in national publications.

Kiechel Fine Art is located at 5733 S. 34th Street, Suite 300, in Lincoln, Nebraska. Works from the exhibition can be found on our website,
www.kiechelart.com.

On Friday, February 3rd, Heart of Gold Jewelers, International Quilt Study Center & Museum, LUX Center for the Arts, Mo Java Café, and Urban Legends will participate in the North Lincoln Art Crawl. Gallery maps will be provided at each of the galleries.

9 Muses Studio – 6:00 – 9:00 p.m.

2713 N. 48th Street

9 Muses Studio, is an organization of artists and performers who have come together to present their work to the public. During the year, we will be offering dance/movement classes, presenting local musical talent, mounting exhibitions, and giving dance workshops. The goal of the Co-op is to maintain a space where women will take creative risks and empower themselves through creative movement.

Against the Wall Gallery – No info
6220 Havelock Avenue

Against the Wall Gallery will hopefully be participating again in March.

Heart of Gold Jewelers

2701 N. 48th St, Suite #1

Heart of Gold Jewelers will host a gallery opening and reception.  This show will feature new works in jewelry, pottery, glasswork, prints, and woodcarving- all by various local artists.

International Quilt Study Center & Museum – 4:30 – 7:00 p.m.

33rd & Holdrege Streets

International Quilt Study Center & Museum presents a Public Lecture: Being in Total Control of Herself: The Story Quilts of Yvonne Wells. Presented by Jeannette Eileen Jones, Associate Professor of History and Ethnic Studies, UNL and Jill Kessler, Student Curator, Black History Month lecture.

Exhibitions on display at that time will be: Yvonne  Wells: Quilted Messages, A Tribute to Ardis James; What’s In A Name? Inscribed Quilts; Second Time Around: Quilts Re-made by Joan White; Quilts of the Homesteading Era

The LUX Center for the Arts – 5:00 to 8:00 p.m.

2601 N. 48th Street

LUX Center for the Arts presents “In the Woodland Shade” by local artist and illustrator Nicole Gustafsson. Gustafsson uses her memories of childhood adventures as inspiration to create intimate paintings of enchanted forests filled with lively woodland creatures.  She will be at the opening to talk about her work and answer questions.

“Rock, Paper, Scissors” runs through February 25.  This exhibition features a range of styles and techniques by nine artists who use clay, metals, or paper to create wall pieces inspired by abstraction and minimalism.  Participating artists are Joe Bussell, Lisa Lockman, Kenneth Morgan, Larry Pelter, Amy Schmierbach, Jury Smith, Patricia Sonnino, Jess Starkel, and Cara Walz.

MoJava Cafe – 5:00 to 7:00 p.m.

2649 N. 48th Street  – 464-4130

MoJava Cafe will be featuring live music by mark lowe as well as photography by neil mersmann.

Urban Legends – 5:00 – 8:00 p.m.

2632 N. 48th Street

Urban Legends features local artisans and recycled art classes for all ages.  For Feb.;  ” LVing our planet…with all our Art”   Featuring 10 local artists. Join us for inspiring artist insights on the creativity process for normally discarded resources.  Come share ideas with us!

aorta, 116 N 14th Street, 2nd Floor

Aorta has a wonderful selection of vintage items, including apparel. Aorta has a focus on applique.

Robot Luv , 1410 O Street 2nd Floor

Robot Luv will be open showing a plethora of Carrie Masters work in a variety of media.

Special Event including art from Carrie Masters:

Doc’s Place (140 N 8th St Ste 150, Lincoln, NE) will hold it’s second group show this year with flower-themed art made of fabric, thread and other materials created by artists: Amanda Garner, Carrie Masters, Lora Rocke, Deb Lee Toth, Natalie Swanda, Jennifer Woockman, Panhia Yang

Drink specials on opening night (02/03/12) and for Valentine’s Day (02/14/12).

SP_CE Gallery, 1410 O Street 2nd Floor, 7:00 – 9:00 p.m.

Lots of stuff happening in SP CE on the First Friday in February.

Bennett Holzworth will be showing off his new project Card to Art.

We will be releasing our sixth SP CEbook in seven months, this is a special Love Poem SP CEbook that features a wide variety of Love Poetry by 25 contributors, there will be 50 SP CEbooks on hand.

There will be free cake & booze.

And finally, the main event!

The Second Annual Love Poem Open Mic will start at 8:45 p.m. Bring your Love Poems and your friends with Love Poems and read them to a crowd of frenzied Love Poem enthusiasts.

SPATIVM, 1410 O Street 2nd Floor, 7:00 – 10:00 p.m.

SPATIVM Gallery presents Bryan Klopping.

About SPATIUM:
SPATIUM is a space for art. Art can be a somewhat subjective term outside of the academic world. But art is whatever a given person decides to call art. Others may disagree, but once a piece is labeled as “art” then the topic is up for discussion. Some may hold their ground, and others may change their minds. But once something is called “art” then it will always be “art” to someone. SPATIUM is a space for those discussions. SPATIUM is a space for artists, whether they are labeled: “academic”, “outsider”, “professional”, “amateur”, or anything else.  SPATIUM is a space for art. The name SPATIUM is Latin for “space” and is pronounced like the words “spa”, “tea”, & “um”.

Tugboat Gallery, (Gomez Art Supply) 116 N. 14th Street- second story, 7-10pm

Tugboat Gallery proudly presents “Wired to Distant Things” featuring Victoria Hoyt, Ben Swift and Pawl Tisdale – a motley mix ranging from glass images to large scale mixed media paintings.

Get Ready! Who is goin to get In Yo’ Face! Rik Minnick a representative of the Gettin Hipper Fun Bunch will be the official Tugboat DJ making the atmosphere even more bumpin and groovin on First Fridays.

Regular Hours: Monday-Friday 10-6, Sat, 12-5 and Sunday 2-5.

Lincoln Women’s Expo

Lancaster Event Center

10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.

The first 500 women in the door on Saturday receive a special 4th anniversary bag of goodies so it may be worth it to head to this event in the morning, rather than the afternoon. You can find booths on fashion & beauty, health & wellness, and shopping galore! There are also education, business, and volunteer opportunities at some of the booths as well. Take a chance to stop in this information and fun expo at the Lancaster Event Center.

Strategic Air & Space Museum

Chili Bomb

11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

When it’s cold outside, it’s chili at SASM. Enjoy a day of chili sampling, vote for your favorite, and get a close-up look at the bomber collection.

There will be a special presentation by Jim Partington USN/RADM, Retired who is the Executive Director of the Nebraska Restaurant Association.  The Peoples Choice Award will be presented in the Con Agra Theater at 3:00pm.  See if your favorite reigns supreme. Regular admission applies. This is always a fun trek and the bonus of the chili sampling should make it a fun day for all!

Pershing Center

PRCA Championship Rodeo

7:30 – 11:30 p.m.

Cowboy UP! It’s Rodeo time in Lincoln. This is always a great event. Fun for the whole family, especially the mutton bustin’! Tickets are available at the Pershing Center Box Office. The rodeo only comes once a year to this venue, so don’t miss it! Yee HAW!