Downtown Spokane Partnership celebrates 30th anniversary with monthly paint competitions

This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Downtown Spokane Partnership. To celebrate, the DSP is launching a series of creative events called the First Friday Face-Offs.

These monthly events will give local artists the chance to create live canvas art in two hour long painting challenges. The challenges will take place at the Parkade, where Rite-Aid used to be located.

Face-Offs will be on the first Friday of every month, but each event will have different themes. This First Friday actually falls on the second Friday this month (Jan. 9), due to the New Year’s holiday, with the aptly named theme “New Year – New You.”

“We wanted something fresh and dynamic to mark our 30 years,” Elisabeth Hooker, DSP vice president of marketing and programming, said in a release. “First Friday Face-Off brings art to life in the heart of downtown, inviting everyone to experience the creative process and celebrate the incredible talent in our community.”

Each Face-Off event will have a DJ, food trucks and drinks available to purchase while artists paint. Each First Friday event is free to attend and is open to all, according to the release.

“This is our first event like this, and we’re hoping the event will grow and grow as the year goes on,” Hooker said in an interview.

At the end of the night, one artist will be selected as the winner of the contest by public vote. That artist’s piece will become the official print for the following month’s First Friday, displayed throughout downtown and across digital platforms. A collector’s edition of the piece will then be made available at the next Face-Off, according to the release.

Winning artists throughout the year will go on to compete in a special championship showdown during Brushes & Boughs, the last Face-Off competition of the year on Dec. 3. The champion will be crowned First Friday Artist of the Year, meant to be a standout moment in DSP’s anniversary celebration.

The Face-Off events are funded by the City of Spokane’s Tourism and Cultural Investment Grant.