Texas Street has become Art Street

MichaelNealPhillips painting at Coolspace

Texas Street has blossomed as Art Street, in my opinion.

A year ago that would have been an outrageous exaggeration. Today it's a valid title because of the following:

* Southern University Museum of Art Shreveport (SUMAS) at 610 Texas St.
* Tipitina's Foundation Co-op, a center for music and media types and Thurs evening shows of music and movies.
* Artspace exhibits and workshops at 710 Texas.
* CC Hardman Art Supplies at 712 Texas.
* The plans for establishment of the Robinson Film Center across Texas from these centers.
* First Methodist Performing Arts Center.
* 516 Soundstage, a regional center for original music and art from the rock'n roll point of view.
* Academy of Visual Arts, 605 Texas. Also known as Kuumba Art Gallery, the corporate name is Achievement Through Art, Inc.

For more perspective, talk to Janie Landry of the Downtown Development Authority about what's called the West Edge.

And speaking of Artspace . . .

Summer hours for Artspace are
Mon to Wed: 10 am to 4 pm.
Th to Sat: 10 am to 9 pm.

Artspace Artist's Workshops are 10:30 to noon and 2 to 3:30 pm daily. Young artists may (there's a $5 fee but adults are free) take up the following:

* Make a bobble-head robot.
* Creat a body-bot.
* Sculpt a clay robot.
* Synthesize the 3 above!

See Michael Neal Phillips' witty painting of a nostalgic spaceman in the exhibit at Coolspace, downstairs at Artspace.