Artists, music, carriage rides, refreshments, friends – all on a fine Friday evening. What more could one ask for?
          Friday’s Art After Hours in historic downtown Wake Forest will be celebrated in a number of shops and studio from about 5 until at least 9 p.m.
          At the Wake Forest Art & Frame Shop, owner Beth Massey will introduce Wake Forest folks to the art of Gary Miller. Miller specializes in black and white photographs of North Carolina scenery. He has been entranced by photography since he was a teenager studying art at a local community college and learned he loved working in the darkroom. You can see some of his art at http://www.shadesofgreygallery.com. Miller will exhibit his art at the frame shop until June 10.
          Around the corner at the Sunflower Studio and Gallery, the featured artists are six of Mary Benejam’s students who work in a wide variety of styles and subjects. Out on the porch, The Kudzu Rangers will provide acoustic and electric jazz and blues suitable for dancing on the grass or just sitting and enjoying. Inside, the art and jewelry by the studios participating artists will be on sale.
          There will be music up the street at the Wake Forest Coffee House, but Albert Barneto has not sent out a note about it. He features the work of local artists on his walls and encourages leisurely coffee drinking on the wide sidewalk.
          Next door, artist Maureen Seltzer’s work is on display in the N.C. Specialty Shop, and you can find an array of sauces, jams, peanuts, candy and other North Carolina fare.
          The potential riders for the free carriage rides line up at the parking lot. The rides are provided by the Downtown Revitalization Corporation.
          Across the parking lot, stop by for a cone or a dish of the gelato and ice cream served up at A la Mode.
          The featured artist at The Cotton Company is resident metalsmith Ginger Meek Allen. Her new exhibit, a series of paintings, jewelry and sculpture, is called Reading The Key: An Exploration of Metals, Pigment & Paper. There will be wine and savory appetizers, assistant manager Jackie Middleton said, and the music will be a folk duo, guitar and drum kit, named Birds & Arrows from Chapel Hill.