Elberta Arts Center facts for kids

The Elberta Arts Center is a cool place in Nashville, Arkansas, a small town that really loves art! It's one of the smallest towns in Arkansas to have its own arts center. You can find it right on Main Street in downtown Nashville. This center is home to the Elberta Arts Council and Humanities, which is a non-profit group that helps bring art to everyone. A person named Marie Murray Martin started it in February 2000. The Center shows off art from local artists. It even has the awesome neon sign from the old Elberta Theater, which was built in the 1950s!

History of the Elberta Arts Center

This is the old Elberta cinema building. Its cool neon sign is now kept safe by the modern Arts Center.

The Elberta Arts Center first opened its doors in November 2000. They had a special party to celebrate an artist named Lankford Moore. Since then, the Center has done a lot to bring public art to Nashville.

One of their first big projects was a downtown mural. An artist named Johnce Parrish painted it on the corner of Main and Clark Street. This mural shows how important farming has always been in Howard County, Arkansas. It also celebrates the famous Elberta peach, which the area is known for!

Awards and Recognition

The Elberta Arts Center has won some important awards for its work.

Helping the Arts Grow

In the summer of 2001, the Elberta Arts Council and Humanities was chosen for a special grant. This money came from the Arkansas Arts Council. It was part of a three-year program to help arts groups grow. The grant helped the Center from 2002 to 2005.

Organization of the Year

Just two years after it opened, the Center was named "Organization of the Year" in 2003. This award came from the Nashville Chamber of Commerce. It showed how much the community appreciated the Center's efforts.

Preserving Local History

The Arkansas Department of Heritage also gave the Elberta Arts Council a grant. This was to celebrate Arkansas Heritage Month. The grant helped fund a program called "Preserving Howard County's Heritage."

During May 2007, the Center hosted many activities. There was a month-long quilt exhibit organized by the Elberta Quilter's Guild. Local artists also showed off their skills. They demonstrated things like making blades, tooling leather, and doing needle-work.

Founder's Award Nomination

In 2001, Marie Martin, who started the Center, was nominated for an Arkansas Governor's Art Award. This was for her work in community development.

What You Can See at the Center

The Elberta Arts Center often features different artists and exhibits. For example, famous cowboy artist Bob Tommey showed his work there in July 2002. Dr. Frank Latimer also had an exhibit called 'Reclaiming Space' in June 2006.

The Center is a great place to see local and regional art!