Businessman Wants Musicians, Artists, Mimes in Jonesboro

The Jonesboro Sun, September 11, 2009
By Sherry F. Pruitt

JONESBORO — Jonesboro businessman Kent Arnold was walking near his Main Street office about six months ago when he met a youngster with a guitar who shared that he had just earned his lunch money by strumming a tune in the city’s newest entertainment district.

That exchange put Arnold’s thinking into overdrive, with ideas of downtown gentrification, big city streetscapes and quality local talent in his mind. The more he shared his ideas with others and got their feedback, the more he thought about the concept of Downtown Jonesboro hosting nightly artistry.

The idea of the Street Artist Program was born, and now Arnold has additional community leaders on board.

“The purpose of it all is to bring ‘community’ to Jonesboro and to create an ambiance beyond the normal experience,” he said.

Arnold, Street Artist Program chairman, defines the Downtown Entertainment District as a section of old Jonesboro bounded by Washington Avenue to the south, Creath and Burke avenues to the north, Church Street to the east and Union Street to the west.

He envisions musicians, violinists, guitarists and the like playing or practicing along the sidewalks of downtown; starving artists with their canvases set up in Main Street parks and coves; and street performers, such as back-flipping youngsters, slightly obnoxious mimes and other artists. Arnold said he has seen artists and musicians in other cities, such as New Orleans, New York and Montreal, where people perform in the subway, on steps and in parks.

Arnold said that Downtown Historic Jonesboro has several restaurants to offer patrons, with more on the way, including Omar’s Uptown, a new sushi bar, an Irish pub, a revamped Sheffield’s and a Doe’s Steakhouse.

“There’s an eclectic mix of restaurants, and we can handle an eclectic mix of street artists,” he said.

In addition to eateries, unique businesses and fun shops, downtown also is home to professional offices and loft living spaces.

“There’s more foot traffic than I’ve ever seen,” the 57-year-old said.

Arnold said he has been in contact with Jonesboro Police Chief Mike Yates, Mayor Harold Perrin and Phyllis Burkett, president of the Downtown Jonesboro Association, as well as the ASU music community. So far, he’s heard only positive comments about street artists, he said.

One issue that some people have expressed concern about, though, is panhandling. However, Arnold said such activity can be controlled.

Another issue that has surfaced is the exact locations where the artists would perform or paint — whether that would be only sidewalks or in the street, which brings up the idea of closing Main Street from Washington to Creath avenues for a certain period after regular business hours. More than 7,000 vehicles per day travel Main Street, he related.

Closing that portion of Main Street would create a “safe, pedestrian-friendly environment,” Arnold said. “You’ll start seeing mothers strolling their children and couples walking in downtown. Parents will tell the generational stories as they walk along. Each building has stories. You can visit on the sidewalk.”

One of the main things area residents frequently complain about is that “there’s nothing to do” in Jonesboro, but the addition would provide another entertainment outlet to this city of 60,000.

Whether it’s nostalgia or community that the Northeast Arkansas native wants to see it downtown, adding street performers is surely a fresh idea for Jonesboro.

“Now we are a destination entertainment location,” Arnold said.