LITTLE ROCK -- Arkansans for the Arts, the only statewide arts advocacy nonprofit organization, kicks off a four-city tour of town hall meetings meant to bring together arts communities and build support for arts advocacy at 11 a.m. Friday, April 26, at the ARTSpace on Main at the ARTx3 Campus, 701 S. Main St. in Pine Bluff.
The event is free and includes lunch, but seating is limited. Registration is required via Eventbrite or by contacting Executive Director Mariah Hatta at [email protected].
"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 chairperson 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 Jr., tourism development director for the Pine Bluff Advertising and Promotion Commission, will be a featured speaker during the event. Cunningham is the director of the Delta Rhythm & Bayous Cultural District, a cultural heritage tourism initiative highlighting music, arts and bayou history along U.S. 65 and U.S. 82 from Pine Bluff to Greenville, Miss. Other confirmed speakers include: Pam Griffin, president and CEO of El Dorado Festival and Events with Murphy Arts District, and Chef Cynthia East-Malik, director of food and beverage at Saracen Casino Resort.
The ARTSpace features a retail gallery of works by regional artists along with a community gallery space and hands-on arts workshop studios. 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.
Attendees will have the opportunity to discuss the arts and creative industries, ask questions and learn how they can advocate for the arts with other artists, creatives and art workers, educators, and community and civic leaders. Each town hall will highlight creative work by local creatives and artists. Participants will be invited to become members of Arkansans for the Arts.
The 2024 Arkansans for the Arts Town Hall tour includes events in northwest Arkansas, Jonesboro and Conway. Times and places are pending. For more information, sign up for updates at arkansansforthearts.org.
The event in Pine Bluff is in partnership with the ARTx3 Campus, which includes the ARTSpace on Main, ART WORKS on Main, and the Arts and Science Center for Southeast Arkansas.