Annual arts market offers creative shopping possibilities
Holiday spirit and local creativity entice art shoppers today and Saturday at the Holiday Open House and Arts Market inside the Regional Arts Center downtown.
From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. today and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, the holiday market features 35 artists and artisans from the area who will sell everything from pottery to soap to art scarves, quilts, art prints, chocolates and more. Presented by Women for the Arts, it’s free and open to the public.
“This year, I think, what’s probably the most interesting thing is we’ve got the most vendors that we’ve ever had,” said David Murphy, marketing coordinator for the Texarkana Regional Arts and Humanities Council. If fact, the RAC will be just about full with vendors, so space is at a premium.
Expect the market to grow up to the third floor next year. “We’ve already filled up to the first and second floors,” Murphy said.
Artists lined up for this year’s rendition are plentiful, such as Eylau Lane Creations (crochet and knit items, artwork), artists from the Downtown Gallery (Georgia Hubnik and others), pottery from Chris Thomas and Nina Cork, Rose of Sharon Acres and Bubblecraft Soapworks (soap), Tipton’s Creations (Roger Tipton woodwork), Betty Miller (ornaments), Donna Blair and Linda Register (art scarves) and Joseph Raymond (fine art). In all, about 35 artists are slated to participate.
“The big catch is Dean Lynn,” Murphy said of the local artist. “He did it last year and he was really successful.” Much of his work celebrates Texarkana landmarks, but his work is varied.
“Dean is considered to be one of the bright shining stars of art in Texarkana,” Murphy said.
Everything available at the market is either handcrafted or made locally.
“That’s kind of the thing that we do for the Holiday Arts Market because we want people to be exposed to our local vendors,” Murphy said. He’s excited about the tremendous popularity. Last
year? “It was packed with people,” he said.
Surrounding the art are two exhibits: “Briana Sutton: Envisioned Spaces” and “Wild Land, Thomas Cole and the Birth of American Landscape Painting.” The walls are filled with art.
“It’s like having a holiday party in an arts center,” Murphy said. “That’s what’s different about it than anything else that’s in town.”
In addition to the many vendors, two art exhibits and light refreshments, visitors to the Holiday Open House & Arts Market will be treated to musical entertainment, too. “We call it Open House and Arts Market because it’s an opportunity for people who’ve never been to the Regional Arts Center to see what we do inside the building,” Murphy said.
(The Regional Arts Center is located at 321 W. 4th St. More info: TRAHC.org or 903-7928681.)