A small but colorful part of the Denver arts community’s First Friday event on Santa Fe Drive south of downtown belongs to Cambia Strickland, a former ACC student.

Her company, Wildflower Moon, is a product of her time studying jewelry at ACC.

“Without that course, I would not be able to do many of the things I now know how to do,” she said. Her professor taught her many of the techniques she uses in her shop, which is online except for an occasional booth – such as at First Friday.

First Friday is a free event open to all along Santa Fe Drive between Alameda and 12^th avenues. On the first Friday of the month, art galleries and shops stay open late and food vendors park nearby, giving people a chance to stroll – and stop – with a crowd. Parking is free, though not always easy to find.

In addition to the galleries and shops, live music is presented in several locations. Further, a few special causes vie for attention. The All Sacred Foundation, for example, donates any profits for a cause of the month (a recent one was an animal shelter).

The lively atmosphere makes it a fun place to spend an evening, and this makes it good for Strickland.

Even so, she has learned of the difficulties of owning her own business. At the start, the financial end can be tough, but it is critical to stick with it, she said.

She stays motivated by focusing on a dream for her jewelry. She wants to convince a chain clothing company to carry her material.

Meanwhile, she works to sell her Wildflower Moon jewelry at First Friday, as well as Westword Artopia, a few other locations and her online site.