A slight chill in the air makes for pleasant evening strolls. But this Friday, October 6, might be the time to shake up your art-viewing patterns and drive somewhere. Below you'll find a handful of outside-Burlington shows and events, followed by our Queen City picks.

P.S. In truth, we can’t get to all of these locations in a single night, but if we had Hermione Granger’s Time-Turner, we definitely would.

Outside Burlington

"SiteTime: Cordwood" Opening, Montpelier

click to enlarge

Most shows in traditional galleries last a month, maybe three months tops. Not so with “SiteTime.” This outdoor artwork, organized by the Vermont Arts Council and installed in its State Street courtyard-cum-sculpture garden, will evolve in full view of the public over two years. Talk about slow art. The installation is a collaboration of Vermont artists Erika Senft Miller, Nancy Winship Milliken and Michael Zebrowski, who will contemplate an entity familiar to most Vermonters: the woodpile.

Each will each alter and interact with the site, using choreography, video and sound installation and other sculptural elements to address the fuel source in its living and posthumous states. How the site will change through the seasons remains to be seen —  we're rooting for a bonfire.

Artist Talk With Melora Griffiths, Stowe

The Brooklyn-based artist speaks about recent paintings, now on view in “beyond all walking” at 571 Projects. Of particular interest for Griffiths is the cave — as primitive shelter, portal and explosive allegorical symbol. Sound interesting? We think so.

Middle Eastern Textile Pop-Up, Vergennes

Time to get cozy, and colorful. This Friday through Sunday, Mouawia Bouzo and Deborah Felmeth (author of Syria Remember Me) fill Northern Daughters gallery with tribal rugs, vintage carpets and kilims from Syria, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Iran. It's a great opportunity to soak in the craftsmanship, patterns and rich colors of traditional Middle Eastern textiles, even if you’re not buying.

"Of Land and Local" Opening Reception

• Burlington City Arts
• "Five-Part-Bloom" by Rebecca Hutchinson

The annual exhibition, which features exhibitions at both Shelburne Farms and the BCA Center (the latter opens later this month) will home in on the same theme it explored last year: Watersheds. The show features 16 artists, some whom also contributed work last year.

Water is as universal as it gets, and these artists will explore its various aspects — as a commodity, a resource, life giver and destroyer. At least that’s what we think … but who knows? It’s a broad topic, and we’re curious to see what they've come up with this year.

Burlington

Steamroller Printing Benefit Show

Last year, Noah Lagle of Public Works Press coordinated his first-ever Steamroller Printing event. His gig is by no means the only one in the area (Helen Day Art Center and Sushi Yoshi in Stowe continue to host a similar, annual event), but it’s the only one in Burlington. This year, Lagle brought back

the event, aided again by a BCA Community Fund grant.

Last weekend, participants pressed their carved plywood printing blocks under an industrial steamroller — the kind used to flatten cement — at Pine Street Studios. This Friday at the Karma Bird House Gallery, the resulting prints are on display and will be auctioned off to benefit the King Street Center in what will surely be an animated evening.

"Dark Matter"

click to enlarge

• Courtesy of S.P.A.C.E. Gallery
• "When Silence Is Betrayal" by Matt Larson

Sounds like a bewitching way to kick off the seasonal — and for some, spiritual — transition from light to dark. A reception is Friday evening.

Last Chance: Diane Al-Hadid + Dave Kennedy, Burlington City Arts

If you haven’t popped into the current round of BCA Center shows, now would be the time to do it. The work comes down on Sunday to make way for the downtown component of "Of Land and Local."

The First Friday Roundup is a monthly compilation of art openings and events. It is by no means comprehensive (check the Seven Days art listings for the full picture), but presents a few shows and events we’re particularly excited about.

Want local art highlights in your inbox every Friday? Sign up for our visual arts newsletter re:View on the Seven Days homepage.