Beat the heat with art this First Friday

Aug. 3—If you can brave the heat, there's plenty of art and entertainment to be enjoyed for First Friday.

Stay cool and enjoy a free afternoon of fine art at the Bakersfield Museum of Art, which will be open until 8 p.m.

The spring exhibitions include bold works from "Personal to Political: Celebrating the African American Artists of Paulson Fontaine Press," a touring exhibition reflecting the mission of the Berkeley-based fine art studio that is committed to amplifying important voices in the visual arts.

The collection features quilts, sculptures, etchings, paintings and prints as well as iPads offering videos about the artists' process.

Also on display is the "Under the Kern County Sky: Prapat Sirinavarat," a whimsical collection from the Thai-born, Bakersfield-based artist, and "Exploring the Figure: Selections from BMoA's Permanent Collection," which include works in a variety of media using the figure as a form of communication.

Along with the three ongoing exhibitions, the museum will host the Summer Art Camp Art Show featuring work from students of BMoA's Summer Art Camps, which wrapped up last month. Artists, ranging in age from 2 to 17 years, selected one object they created during camp to put on display for the show.

The reception runs from 5 to 6:30 p.m. and will include hands-on art projects and refreshments.

White Wolf Wellness Foundation will also host a free yoga class starting at 6 p.m. in the museum's sculpture garden.

The museum is open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., 1930 R St. Admission is free.

The Bakersfield Art Association's Art Center will feature two artists this month: Jim Bates and Mark Englelien.

Bates has been a member of the BAA for 15 years ago since retiring as an educator. He currently serves as a board member.

His show, "Architecture," highlights work drawn from his travels. The avid traveler enjoys taking photos of famous locations both domestically as well as overseas from which he creates his paintings.

He said he enjoys the challenge of representing majestic and historical locations in watercolor and each work has a special meaning to him.

Engelien is also an artist inspired by his travels. He began using ink sketches to create memories of places he and his family visited and gave some to friends and family to help commemorate shared adventures.

Starting in 2018, the artist and trained architect began to augment his sketches with digital rendering and watercolors.

Along with architectural subjects and urban spaces, Engelien also focuses on portraits, wildlife and nature in his art.

A reception will be held 4 to 7 p.m. Friday at the center, 1607 19th St.

For those who can't attend, there will be a virtual show on the Bakersfield Art Association's website (bakersfieldartassociation.org), Facebook (facebook.com/BAAartists) and Instagram (@bakersfieldartassociation) pages.

Over at Dagny's Coffee Co., a BAA satellite location, the work of Mike Doyle remains on display.

Doyle, 71, returned to his art just five years ago, picking up after the demands of family and career kept him artistically inactive for decades.

His wife, jewelry designer Karen Landon, and daughter Michelle Fanbrough continue to encourage his craft, which he continues to hone in his home studio.

Doyle prefers to paint landscapes, seascapes and streetscapes.

Doyle's collection is on display at the coffee shop, 1600 20th St.

To view more of his work, visit his Instagram page (@mjdoyle1950).

Stefani Dias can be reached at 661-395-7488. Follow her on Twitter at @realstefanidias.