If you live in southern Arkansas, don't be offended by what I'm about to say. As always on this blog, it's my expat point of view. I've traveled a lot, seen different places.
It's hard to put into words, but this area is not the place to be if you enjoy arts, design and variety. It starts with the food, and pretty much affects every area from there to "scene". I keep bringing up the German saying "Was der Bauer nicht kennt, frisst er nicht" - which translates to something like "The Redneck don't know it. The Redneck don't eat it."
It's fun and great if you are into (duck) hunting, camouflaged clothes, fried food, 4-wheelers and maybe fishing. But besides that, there's nothing much to do.
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| ...they even have a wonderful Mural. |
For a while I felt pretty lost and isolated round here. But that was only until the day I stopped in Ruston, Louisiana, for the first time. Maybe it's because it's a college town (Louisiana Tech. Go Bulldogs!) - but from day one I felt more home there than I've ever felt in the Arkansas town I live now. You see STYLE, different people from different nations, art, music, restaurants that don't throw everything in the fryer... So over the last years, Ruston became my place to be if I don't want to drive for hours when I'm in need of a time out and creative input.
I follow a whole bunch of businesses round there on Facebook to stay in the loop, so I was very exited to read about the "Ruston Downtown Art Crawl" not too long ago.
"A community event organized by the art related businesses of downtown Ruston. Stroll through beautiful downtown and enjoy new work by local artisans and craftsmen.
Participating locations include:
Gallery 203 and Studio 203
Fine Line Supply Co.
Cotton Top Print Shop
Trenton Interiors
Main Street Exchange Occasional Shop"
So May 12th I packed up one of my friends, and we drove the 45 minutes to check it out. We've had a wonderful time strolling around Ruston, inhaling art - and a beer and Margarita at the Ponchatoulas to end the day stuffed and happy. If you have the chance to visit Ruston one day, don't even think twice and pack your bags already! This quote sums up this town. Small, but full of surprises.
"And though she be but little, she is fierce." —Helena (A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare)
I'm glad that you were able to find a great place to enjoy art, especially if your own community does not seem to value art.
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