Arts & Culture of the Upper East Side of Texas

World renowned sculptor and Texas Medal of Arts honoree James Surls told County Line a few years ago that growing up among the forests of East Texas near Malakoff was where he learned to spend his time “making things.”

“I didn’t call it art when I was a kid. I just loved to make little carts, wagons, tree houses, and other things. My dad was a builder. My older brother could build things that worked. He could take automobiles and watches apart and put them together and they worked. He built things that had a working reality. The things I built never did, but people always loved what I did, so I gravitated toward art. Over a period of my early 20s, I just kinda became more and more focused and it was apparent that there was a name for what I did, and it was called art. I would say I got into it by osmosis.”

Many artists find inspiration among the natural beauty of the Upper East Side of Texas and numerous galleries in the region feature their works on a regular basis. Others also bring in collections from around the world, all providing great resources for art lovers who live and visit the region.

Besides visual arts, the region is home for many performing arts stages hosting theatre, dance, live music, and various forms of entertainment.

Below are lists of notable galleries who feature art exhibitions and/or art for sale, including local artists’ online stores, and outdoor “galleries.” Also included are arts organizations that hold shows, classes, and other arts-related events on a regular basis throughout the year, as well as performance centers. Many talented artists and organizers keep the Upper East Side of Texas flowing with creativity.

VISUAL ARTS GALLERIES & MUSEUMS
PERFORMING ARTS
LIVE MUSIC VENUES
LITERARY
ARTS ORGANIZATIONS
ARTS FOCUSED EVENTS
ANNUAL CULTURAL AND OTHER EVENTS

VISUAL ARTS GALLERIES & MUSEUMS

211 Gallery, Athens
Angelina Arts Alliance, Lufkin
Anthony Bruce Art
Ava Arnold Art
Bart Soutendijk Welded Wire Wall Art, Mineola
Becker Art Studios, Lufkin
Caddo Mounds State Historic Site, Alto
Charlie Bullock Art Studio and School, Athens
Cindy the Potter, Alba. ( Horsefeathers, Mineola; WCA Gift Shop, Winnsboro)
Cole Art Center, The Old Opera House, Nacogdoches
Creative Arts Center, Bonham
East Texas Regional Arts Center, Jasper
Edom Art House
Fidone Fine Art Gallery, Lufkin
Gallery Main Street, Tyler
Gallery at the Redlands, Redlands Hotel, Palestine
Greenville Art Walk
Griffith Gallery, Griffith Fine Arts building, SFA, Nacogdoches
Horsefeathers, Mineola
JD Cole Art, Nacogdoches
Jeffie Brewer, Nacogdoches
Joseph Raymond Fine Art Gallery, Texarkana
Linda Lucas Hardy
Longview Museum of Fine Arts
Mary Karam Gallery, Denison
Maureen Killaby , Lindale
McKinney Art Gallery
Michelson Museum of Art, Marshall
Modern Country Living, Winnsboro
Museum of East Texas, Lufkin
Nancy Beauchamp
Northeast Texas Children’s Museum, Commerce
O3 Collective, Edom
Plaza Art Gallery, Paris
Pearce Museum, Navarro College, Corsicana
Pine Mills Pottery, Mineola
Potters Brown Collective, Edom
Sparrows Gallery, Denison
Terry Crum Studio
The Blade Bar, Edom
The Creative Spot Gallery & Gifts, Uptown Forum, Greenville
The Gallery at 1894, Texarkana
The Old Firehouse, Edom
Tyler Fine Art Gallery
Tyler Museum of Art
Northeast Texas Community College Galleries, Mount Pleasant
Winnsboro Center for the Arts
WCA Learning Center Gift Shop, Winnsboro
Wood County Walls
Zeke & Marty Jewelry, Edom
Zig Zag Galleries, Denison

ARTS & CULTURE FOCUSED EVENTS

Rhythm in Our Blues. Greenville. February. Annual concert at Greenville Municipal Auditorium. showtimeatthegma.com

Star Harbor Watercolor Society’s For the Love of Art Show. 2008. February. The lakeside community of Star Harbor is located just north of Malakoff. The free event includes delicious refreshments, an opportunity to meet the artists, and live music. Examples of the members’ artwork can be viewed at the society website www.starharborws.org.

Tribute to Townes Van Zandt. Ben Wheeler. 2019. March. Features singer-songwriters performing and paying tribute to the late Townes Van Zandt, one of the most influential singer-songwriters of the 20th century. The Forge Bar & Grill. theforgebenwheeler.com

Dogwood Arts & Music Festival. Palestine. 2019. March. Showcases Texas artists and musicians and includes food, live street performances, and children’s activities. Downtown Palestine. visitpalestine.com

LitCon. Greenville. 2019. March. Celebrate literature and pop culture including comics, manga, anime, games, and good old-fashioned books. Costumes are welcomed, but not required. litcongreenville.com

Rangerette Revels. Kilgore. 1950. April. The high-kicking, world-famous Rangerettes annual spring show features a wide range of dance genres. rangerette.com

Athens Old Fiddlers Contest & Reunion. 1932. April. The longest running fiddle contest in Texas features fiddlers of all ages, live music, street dances, car show, a kiddie carnival, and street food. athensfiddlers.com

Arts in Bloom. McKinney. 2008. April. Featuring more than 120 juried artists and renowned Texas wineries. Downtown McKinney. mckinneytexas.org/687/Arts-in-Bloom

Empty Bowls McKinney. 2011. April. Enjoy samples of gourmet soups prepared by local restaurant chefs and choose from hundreds of event bowls made by local artists. Proceeds go to local charities that provide food to those in need. McKinney Performing Arts Center. emptybowlsmckinney.com

Downtown Live. Longview. 2012. April/May and Sep/Oct. Annual outdoor music series with food trucks. Heritage Plaza, Downtown Longview. visitlongviewtexas.com

Winnsboro Festival of Books. 2018. May. Winnsboro Center for the Arts presents a celebration of all things literary. Event includes panel discussions, author readings, a children’s performance, and writers’ workshops. Published adult and children authors in attendance. Bowery Pedestrian Park, Downtown Winnsboro. winnsborocenterforthearts.com

Eiffel in Love with Quilts. Paris. 2019. May. Presented by the Red River Valley Quilt Guild. parisquiltshow.com

Hunt County Festival of the Arts. Greenville. 2022. May. Experience the talents of regional artists and a day with games, vendors, food, and music. Downtown Greenville. travelgreenvilletx.com

San Jacinto Music Series. Rockwall. 2014. May-September. Friday and Saturday evenings guests enjoy live music by regional talented singer-songwriters. rockwall.com/mainstreet_music.asp

Junebug Music, Makers & Art Show. Ben Wheeler. 2012. June. Art by professional and up-and-coming artisans, live music, Lyra performances, craft cocktails, and kids arts and crafts area. The Forge Bar and Grill. theforgebenwheeler.com

Texas Shakespeare Festival. Kilgore. 1986. June/July. High quality, professional theatre productions. texasshakespeare.com

Music at the Market Concert Series. Greenville. Free concerts at the Market Square on Sunday evenings. travelgreenvilletx.com

East Texas Sacred Harp Convention. Henderson. 1983. August. Although held in Henderson for just a few decades, this annual gathering of shape note singers has a continuous history from 1868, the earliest year noted in its minutes, having missed a few years of meeting because of the American Civil War. Re-established after the war, a large influx of Georgia and Alabama settlers added to its strength. Many are attracted to its folk music aspect using acappella and four part harmony. The convention is the oldest known singing convention in Texas, and the second oldest Sacred Harp Convention in the United States. Henderson Civic Center. easttexassingings.net

Winnsboro Cowboy Poetry & Music Gathering. 2019. Fall. Missing two years due to COVID restrictions, this event is going strong consistently now, with exciting performances of music and poetry and fun activities celebrating cowboy culture. winnsborocenterforthearts.com

Edom Art Festival. 1972. October. The late potter Doug Brown started this artists-run two-day event soon after he made Edom his home and a hamlet for creativity. It features 60 plus artists with original clothing, paintings, pottery, and mixed media, as well as live music, wine, and food trucks. edomarts.com

McKinney Art Studio Tour. McKinney. 2009. November. A self-guided tour featuring more than 60 artists in 20 locations across the community. mastmckinney.org

Winnsboro Art & Wine Festival. 2010. November. This popular, juried festival attracts talented participating artists from around the country. In addition to the variety of art, Texas wineries show off award-winning wines by providing tastings and bottles for sale. Specialty foods and other vendors attend as well. Live music provides entertainment on both Friday and Saturday. winnsboroartandwinefestival.com

Bob Wills Fiddle Festival & Contest. Greenville. 2014. November. Honors the life and music of Bob Wills with fiddling contest, concerts, dance, and more. bobwillsfest.com

REEL East Texas Film Festival. Kilgore. 2016. November. Celebrating a slate of indie film projects with live screenings, filmmaker Q&As, and other activities. Texan Theater, Texas Broadcast Museum. reeleasttexas.com

Please send updates to these lists to [email protected].

Arts & Culture of the Upper East Side of Texas

PERFORMING ARTS

LIVE MUSIC VENUES

LITERARY

CULTURE VENUES

ARTS ORGANIZATIONS

CULTURE ORGANIZATIONS

ARTS & CULTURE FOCUSED EVENTS

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