First Friday at SEAD

First Friday celebrates the diversity and innovation in businesses, artists, and restaurants that find their home in Downtown Bryan. What better way to celebrate diversity in Bryan than to explore a historic building which has held so many diverse establishments?

Don’t be confused by the “Federal Building” sign on the big brick building on the corner of Parker and W 26th St., it’s certainly no crime to go inside and explore the rich history and art that is held within.

Built in 1915, the Federal Building has been home to the IRS, the Post Office and many more institutions throughout its 102 year history. Today the building is home to a few of the diverse organizations celebrated during First Friday such as the Downtown Bryan Association, The SEAD Gallery and Bookshop, and Innovation Underground.

The SEAD Gallery has held over 15 different art exhibits since its inception in the Fall of 2012. From wood engravings, to photography and abstract pieces of art, the SEAD Gallery has seen it all. Each exhibit beautiful and unique in its own way.

The gallery is currently hosting the enchanting acrylic abstract art of Texas native artist, Shelly Floyd, until July 15. The Austin-based artist created her own unique technique using acrylic mediums which allow her to shape, bend, and flow colors to create a composition that is organic and independent from structure. Floyd’s intention for “Fluidity” is to evoke emotion and allow her viewers to depart from reality and experience true freedom without restrictions or preconceptions. It is truly something to experience.

As of May 18, 2017, the gallery is now home to not only art, but also a library and bookshop. As you venture farther into the gallery, you will find shelves and shelves of books from every genre and time period. Guests can look over hundreds books and either sit and indulge in a good book on the comfy couches or buy one to take home and enjoy later. Every book on display is for sale with prices ranging from $2 to $200. The bookshop has everything from classics to foreign language books and any and everything in between. One customer even discovered an old love letter, written in the 1930s, nestled within the pages of an old copy of “The Things She Wrote to Him” by Richard Wightman. You never know what you might find, you may discover your own special piece of history.

Stop by the SEAD Gallery and Bookshop during Historic Downtown Bryan’s First Friday. We will be open until 9 PM and would be honored to see our friends enjoying our lovely living room space and taking in the calming yet curiously complex works of Shelly Floyd. Come explore the beautiful art, an eclectic assortment of books and revel in the history of the 102 year old building.