TEXARKANA, Ark. - When Debbie Nicholas retires from her longtime tenure as an art teacher, she'll still be doing something she loves - sharing art with others.
Instead of the classroom, though, the Texas High School art teacher will do so via the downtown art gallery she aims to open soon: Arts on Broad. That gallery will feature local artists, some of them young and up-and-coming artists whose work hasn't found its way into the spotlight yet.
Although her busy schedule and the coronavirus crisis make it tougher to get it all finished and open, she hopes to do this in early June. Her business partner for the venture is Kathy Hudson.
"I've been teaching art for 37 years, and I'm about to retire from Texas High," Nicholas said, noting she also teaches art appreciation at Texarkana College. Being so enmeshed in art as a teacher, she adores the subject.
"I love art. Art's been like my life," Nicholas said. "I started with my grandmother, and it's just something I want to keep doing and to keep sharing, my love for art, because I think it's really important. It's a basic communication."
As she puts it, she's not ready to stop sharing this love.
"I want to keep that part up. I want to show art, especially new, upcoming artists that don't have their own place and don't have their own way to show their art," Nicholas said. She also wants to offer local artists' and artisans' work for sale, but not the flea market variety. She wants a place where the public can see work without having to go to an art fair.
She has classroom space at the gallery, so she'll do "drink and sling" classes. "I'm going to have some fun classes. I'm going to have some serious classes," Nicholas said. She'd like to nurture young talent and give them space where their art can be seen. Camps for children are in the mix, too.
"Basically, I just want to share art," Nicholas said, summing up her art gallery dream.
The address is 223 E. Broad St. At the moment, she's just using the front part of the building. She's blocking off some space and has filled the front window display with art. She already has art up inside.
"I plan on having my opening on June 4. Of course, that's dependent on the coronavirus and everything, but that's my plan at the moment. We'll see how that goes," Nicholas said. An art gallery, of course, needs foot traffic and it's a place to mingle and see art.
This gallery will join a few others popping up downtown, such as Zen Artists Emporium, 1894 Gallery and Joseph Raymond Fine Art. Silvermoon on Broad features art shows occasionally, and there's also the Regional Arts Center. Downtown is home to plenty of art.
Nicholas aims to get Facebook and Instagram pages ready to promote Arts on Broad, so art lovers should be on the lookout for them to appear soon.