Free and open to the public, Downtown Bryan Street and Art Fair will feature a variety of activities, displays and booths to shop from for all patrons.
The event, to be held Saturday, April 10, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., will promote local artists and businesses. According to Downtown Bryan’s website, there will be over 30 artists participating this year, and the event hopes to encourage local artists.
“Over the last several years, Downtown Bryan has actively fostered arts and culture,” the website reads. “This fair continues to build on that by inviting our local artists as well as regional artists to support the rebirth that is occurring there.”
Destination Bryan public relations and communications manager Abigail Noel, Class of 2012, said she is looking forward to this year’s fair.
“I’m super excited. The art fair hasn’t happened for two years, one year due to weather and last year due to COVID[-19],” Noel said. “It’s such a fun, family friendly and community-focused [event]. It’s an official Texas A&M Family Weekend event as well. I know there’s going to be a lot of families in town for Ring Day and all the other celebrations happening in the community.”
Noel said she enjoys the diversity of art presented at the fair and looks forward to seeing which creators showcase and sell this year.
“We’ve got artists set up in the street, we have live music with acoustic local singer-songwriters throughout the day, there’s always a kids interactive art area and of course, any local artists that have their work in Downtown Bryan,” Noel said. “[We will have] everything from painting, to handmade jewelry, to woodworking, pottery, a little bit of everything in between.”
One feature of the event will be a live demonstration from Houston chalk artist Anat Ronen, who creates 3D interactive chalk murals. Noel said this will be a great opportunity for visitors to see art in action and interact with the piece itself.
“She’s done large murals all over Houston and does artwork for events like this,” Noel said. “It will be interactive, so you can take pictures with it as well.”
The Frame Gallery owner Missy Barron said she will be using the event time to highlight new artists and give a unique learning experience to artists who haven’t been able to showcase or sell their artwork yet.
“We decided to have a tent out in front of The Frame Gallery this year. Having a gallery, I have a ton of artists that come in who are interested in putting stuff in the gallery,” Barron said. “I’ve had several of the newer [artists] cross my path that are still learning. They really need that opportunity, but they’re not quite ready for a gallery yet … The tent is a little dip into that. It gives me a chance to see some of these newer artists and what people respond to.”
Barron said she is looking forward to featuring the new artists, but she is also hoping to see many students and family members learn more about the Downtown Bryan community.
“With it falling on parent’s weekend, it’s nice for those parents to be able to get out with their kids and see our community,” Barron said. “Not just things related to the university, but what is the community that their kids are living in? It helps introduce all these businesses in Downtown Bryan to these families, so when they come back, they’ll come here again.”
Barron said she greatly encourages students and families to come down to Bryan and enjoy the event even if they’re not able to spend money on the art itself.
“I love festivals and how it brings the community together,” Barron said “You’re all there for a similar reason, and to enjoy this one thing, which happens to be art. The whole purpose of art is to inspire. I hope people will come here, and even if they’re not able to buy pieces, they’ll see something that sparks an emotion or inspiration and discussion.”
For more information about the festival, visit the Downtown Bryan or Destination Bryan websites.