On the third Friday of each month, the little Arkansas town of Argenta revolves around art. When the city’s artist-advocates mounted the first Art Walk last year, “even people from out-of-town visited, ate and shopped as they searched for art,” said V.L. Cox, member of the Historic District, Arts and Restaurant Committee. “It was such a hit that business owners lined up to host artists’ exhibits” for what has become a monthly event.
Argenta is located across the Arkansas River from downtown Little Rock. Cox recounts the origins of its name: “Miners thought the town had silver, but it turned out to be lead.” Thanks to spirited citizen-artists, the reborn Argenta’s new gems include cafes, bars, quirky shops and a local-certified farmers market. Art can be found in all.
During art nights, tables at historic First Presbyterian Church overflow with objets d’art made from antique toy parts. Walls prop up wooden screen doors turned into Southern gothic trompe l’oeil eye-teasers through which figures peer out from the past.
Cox leaves her table of palm-size boxed paintings to escort visitors up the stairs to the new art, dance and music spaces dubbed Argenta Studios. “Age of Wonder” kinetic sculptures spill from Cox’s room; a tiny plane circles a vintage turntable-topped tower. Nostalgia repurposed has landed Cox’s works in private and corporate collections.
Event watch
Third Friday Art Walk: open studios, tent exhibitions, rogue galleries and refreshments from 5 to 8 p.m. on the third Friday of each month.
If you go
1-800-643-4690
northlittlerock.org
argentadc.org
Festive Third Friday sidewalk tents showcase homegrown talent. Merchants lure art walkers inside with monthly exhibitions. At Argenta Bead Co., Ellie Roy jokes that her wild, colorful beads reflect the town’s character. The micro-gallery at Baker House Bed & Breakfast gives visitors an excuse to tour the restored 1898 Victorian tower, fountains, gardens and hitching post. Much of the year, the fifth block of Main Street hosts the outdoor Argenta Art & Craft Market, where handcrafted goods sell at bargain prices while local characters hone their acts in market “Improv Circles.” It’s an extension of the new Saturday Farmers Market, which features only local source-verified foods.
Yellow streetcars link Argenta to Little Rock. If pedaling around the bike-friendly town, check out the towering quarry stone along the River Trail and Arkansas Inland Maritime Museum’s submarine, the USS Razorback.
While on Main Street, Cox recommends visiting Starving Artist Cafe for healthy and sophisticated updates of Southern comfort food. Cooler weather makes the minestrone and spinach-artichoke soup especially satisfying. Walls showcase local artists — some of whom paint live on-site.
Argenta’s silver miners are long gone, but its new gems are worth the trip.
Reach Robin Tierney at [email protected].
