It’s that time of month again - Art Murmur time. And 2012 is sure to bring a new crop of artists eager to awe Oakland with new ideas and new inspiration.

This week’s forecast is clear, making Friday an excellent opportunity to bring the new year in with art, friends and fun.

Famous Four Colors, a local screen printing collective new to the Art Murmur scene, is offering a glimmer of hope for 2012 with "Youtopia." As the name implies, "Youtopia" is “an exhibit dedicated to each artist’s personal paradise.” Along with live music by Bad Paradise at 9 p.m., this show offers artwork by noteworthy up and comers in the Oakland art scene.

The Great Wall is back in action for January, projecting some cinematic scintillation on the wall at West Grand Avenue and Valley Street This month’s installation is an homage to surrealist art and is aptly named “Exquisite Corpse.” In the style of an exquisite corpse, hand drawn animations by various artists are linked together into one contiguous piece.

At Krowswork, Sonja Hinrichsen and Chris Treggiari have collaborated on The "SF Bay: A Mediamorphology." This show is a mixed media exploration of the Bay Area’s geomorphological history and a look into its future. Anyone interested in a creative interpretation of the city we live in and its change over time should check out this show.

Around the corner from Krowswork, Beili Liu will be showing site specific installations and works on paper at Vessel Gallery. Entitled "Between Wind and Water," it is sure to live up to the high standards of art we have come to expect from Vessel Gallery.

If you still have some pep in your step after exploring Art Murmur, look no further than the Ruby Room. You can dance the night away at the First Friday Dance Party, which always draws the danciest dancers in Oakland. If you’re in the mood for some cutting edge hip hop and electronic music, check out Sick, Sad World. Chippy Nonstop and Friendzone - two of Oakland’s most exciting new acts - will be performing live along with some rad local DJs.

Have a very Oakland First Friday!