Arkansans for the Arts to visit PB

Arkansans for the Arts, the only statewide arts advocacy nonprofit organization, kicks off a four-city tour of town hall meetings about the creative economy at 11 a.m. April 26 at the ARTSpace on Main, 623 S. Main St. The event is free and includes lunch, but seating is limited, according to a news release.

“We are excited to be back in Pine Bluff for the first 2024 town hall meeting. Our lineup will feature leaders from South Arkansas who work in the vast sector referred to as the creative economy,” said Jean Lacefield, board chairman for Arkansans for the Arts. “Listening directly to communities, bringing together nonprofit organizations, creatives and artists with civic leaders and sharing how to advocate for the creative economy is essential in building ecosystems that support all aspects of the creative economy.”

Jimmy Cunningham, tourism development director for the Pine Bluff Advertising and Promotions Commission, will be a featured speaker. Cunningham is also the director of the Delta Rhythm & Bayous Cultural District, a cultural heritage tourism initiative highlighting music, arts and bayou history along U.S. Highway 65 and U.S. Highway 82 from Pine Bluff to Greenville, Miss.

Other speakers include Suzzette Shaw Goldmon, assistant professor of hospitality and tourism management for the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff; Pam Griffin, president and chief executive officer of El Dorado Festival and Events with Murphy Arts District; and Chef Cynthia East-Malik, director of Food and Beverage at Saracen Casino Resort.

Cunningham and Griffin will talk about music districts as a cultural resource feeding the local economy. During lunch, a discussion will be led by Lacefield. After lunch, Malik and Goldmon will speak. The event also includes a tour of the ARTSpace.

The two-hour event will cover arts-related issues focusing on southern Arkansas counties. The areas included are related to the Arkansas Arts Council’s arts districts, which mirror the Arkansas planning and development districts, and are outlined at arkansasarts.org.

Registration for the free event is required via Eventbrite or by contacting Executive Director Mariah Hatta at mariah@arkansansforthearts.org.