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Paintings by Numbers Road rules for First Thursday By Todd Dayton The beauty of First Thursdays is that you rarely have to walk (or stumble, as the case may be) far to hit the next gallery. While a lot of galleries don't participate in every First Thursday, you can generally find a handful of locations that are ground zero for artists and their circle. First Thursdays generally last from around 5:30 to 7:30, but prepare to arrive relatively early if you expect to get your fill of food and drink. Start off the evening at 49 Geary, a building that houses a number of galleries, including Catharine Clark, jennjoygallery and Patricia Sweetow. The crowd can vary, but 49 Geary has a reputation for being a First Thursday party spot. A flier in the lobby or the elevator will indicate which galleries are open. Another hotspot is 251 Post St., home to some half-dozen galleries. Check by the door downstairs for fliers or keep an eye out for where the art types are headed. You can also stop by 250 Sutter to see which galleries there are open for First Thursday. A great place to end the night, is Hang (556 Sutter St.), which generally stays open until 8:30 or 9. Their art is accessible and pretty cheap, and the crowd tends to be a lot less stuffy than at any random First Thursday gallery that one might stumble upon. [ San Francisco | MetroActive Central | Archives ]