Pictured: "Landscape with Figures" by Jan Wildens.

With First Friday comes First Saturday (and possibly First Hangover), but before any of that comes the return of the First Friday Artwalk in Downtown Sarasota. With galleries participating from Palm to Pineapple, explore old favorites, find new ones, see a special exhibition of 16th and 17th paintings from Italian Old Masters and take a look at the work of painter Yuqi Wang, whose star continues to rise.

On Palm Avenue, options abound. Stop in Meg Krakowiak Gallery to see the latest from the artist/owner, but don’t forget to make time for Dabbert Gallery, still shining in its new location just a few doors down. Get lost in the vibrant colors of painter James Griffin, currently also enjoying a solo exhibition at the Arts and Cultural Alliance of Sarasota County building off Tamiami Trail, and fellow Dabbert superstar Barbara Krupp. Enjoy pastels from Jeff Cornell, dreamlike compositions from Kasia Bruniany and the impressionism of Bill Farnsworth. And be sure to keep an eye out for works from Yuqi Wang, one of the gallery’s original artists and coming off a stellar year in the international art world, not only taking first place in the Portrait Society of America’s 2018 International Portrait Contest, but also seeing his work included in the Shandong Art Museum’s permanent collection in China.

From there it’s a quick hop, skip and jump to Allyn Gallup Gallery. See small works from Parisian artist Daphne Gamble, paintings from Miami artists Luisa Basnuevo and Luis Delgado and behold the waters of Myakka in a new light thanks to local artist Jean Blackburn. Large-scale compositions from the legendary Leslie Lerner round out the back wall.

A trip up Main Street brings the Artwalk to the big red awning of Art Uptown Gallery, where Balancing the Abstract features painter Jill Krasner and jewelry artist Lisa Flam Corin. “My concept behind this show was to create a collection of paintings that would explore the balance between large and small objects, positive and negative spaces, realism and abstraction,” says Krasner. “I did not limit my palette and I deliberately varied the sizes of my substrates, again challenging myself to create a body of work that would balance—in spite of all the variables.” Corin brings a yogic sensibility to the work, with pendants corresponding to particular poses.

And for those seeking out the aforementioned Italian Old Masters, look no further than AlexArt International Art Gallery on Pineapple Avenue. Inside, in addition to the vibrant, three-dimensional art of Massimo Meda, gallery owner Alexa Scanziani has put together a special exhibition of five paintings never before exhibited in the United States. Dating from the 15th and 16th centuries, these works come from private collections and will only be on display through November 3. Paintings include Landscape with Cattle and Figures by Francesco Zuccarelli, Praying Virgin by Francesco Guardi and, in a Flemish touch, a landscape from Jan Wildens.

Pictured: "Landscape with Figures" by Jan Wildens.