TEXARKANA - Broad Street downtown will bloom with activity as artists do their work Friday evening during Downtown Live, an event presented by Main Street Texarkana and Joseph Raymond Fine Art.
More than 15 artists will set up their easels and workspaces to paint and more along both sides of Broad in both states from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Street musicians and other entertainers will join them. Downtown restaurants will serve food, drinks and desserts and much of it takes place within the Arkansas-side entertainment district.
Artists expected to paint and work include Joseph Raymond, Judy Jones, Paul Whitt, Joel Wright, Chris Thomas (with pottery), Georgia Hubnik, Debbie Nicholas, Linda Larey, Judy Wright Walter, David Price, Christopher Bachers, Jenny Stevens, Richard Cramer, Melissa Mitchell, Mary Beck, Tom Morrissey and Irma Zuniga (with dressmaking).
Main Street Texarkana Executive Director Ina McDowell said she and Raymond discussed holding this sort of art event for a while and now is the right time.
"With everything opening back up and people wanting to get out and enjoy this great weather, we thought it was the perfect opportunity," McDowell said, noting many of the artists are downtown artists.
"It's an opportunity to promote and showcase the great art culture that we have in our downtown," McDowell said.
A variety of artists will line East and West Broad Street along the sidewalk.
"They will set up and be demonstrating, doing their work for people to be able to walk around, watch, ask questions. Some of them will also have their work available for sale, but it's really a great opportunity to showcase our downtown artist community," McDowell said.
Additionally, live music and food add to the artistically festive occasion. McDowell says musicians will play along Broad, too, and over at Crossties.
"We have so many great restaurants in the downtown area that people can grab a bite to eat, of course get a drink of any kind, soft drink or whatever, and just be able to walk around and enjoy what we have," McDowell said. "We have some new murals in the downtown area."
She sees it as an opportunity to pull together many different things happening downtown, such as the seamstress Zuniga with The Dressmaker Shop on Broad Street. "You don't think about sewing as an art, but it is," McDowell said. "She is a fabulous seamstress."
Jewelry making is another art that will be exhibited. Ballet dancers will perform there at the event, too.
"Mary Beck that works at the city of Texarkana, Arkansas, she's the city planner. She's s great muralist but also does charcoal on paper. So she's going to be doing that," McDowell said.
As the Main Street Texarkana director, she's seen downtown communities in Texas, Arkansas and Louisiana hold events like this, albeit with different names.
"It's an opportunity for people to come down in the evening that are outside of normal business hours and get an opportunity to go in and visit these businesses and see what we have," McDowell said, but the emphasis on this Texarkana event is artists working.
"We hope this can become a quarterly event that Main Street will present," the MST director said, noting the artists are excited. "I think we'll be able to change out artists each time, and some of the same ones that want to come back will be welcomed, of course."
(For more information, visit Facebook.com/MainStreetTexarkana.)