By Elizabeth Brannon
Welcome to 2024 and another exciting year for the arts in Flower Mound!
The 2024 Traffic Signal Box Art Project opportunity is open and artists should submit works no later than Jan. 31. This year a new theme has been added to the “Flowers of Flower Mound” and “Celebrating Diversity” themes. The additional theme is “Connecting through Creativity” and should show how art unifies our community. Details for how to submit a design for consideration can be found at www.flower-mound.com/trafficbox.
For those who might like to see all 15 signal box art works side by side, there will be an art display on the Senior Center Art Wall starting mid-January. You can find a map to the locations of the existing boxes on the Flower Mound Arts official website then drive to see the actual boxes throughout the town.
Flower Mound has started a Meet and Greet program with local artists whose works are being featured on town walls. There have already been several Meet and Greets at the Senior Center, the Library and Town Hall. The next one will be at the Town Hall on Jan. 11 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. There you can meet and greet artist Alexy Bikman, a Flower Mound artist whose art work was installed at Town Hall in early December and will remain on display through Jan. 31. Alexy is inspired by nature and works in oil pastel, watercolor, gouache, graphite and oils. Her Town Hall art display is a bright and uplifting perspective in winter.
The Community Activity Center Art Wall will feature the work of local artist Steve Rodriguez, whose recent artwork can be seen on the signal box at the corner of Old Settlers and McKamy Creek Road. His favorite creations incorporate wildlife with bold colors and thus his art will brighten the walls of the CAC this winter. He has been featured in Lewisville, has a planned exhibit in Grapevine at the Palace Theater in May, won a contest to paint a crosswalk in Lewisville and has been a volunteer at Flower Mound art events previously. His work will be displayed early in January at the CAC.
The two local high schools will offer musical selections this January. Flower Mound High school will present the musical “Matilda,” Jan. 18-21, and Marcus High School will present “SpongeBob: The Musical,” Jan. 25 -28. If you haven’t attended a theatrical presentation at one of the high schools, you’re missing out on award-winning musical events. Support the arts programs in our schools and get an up-close and personal look at the young artists.
Art House will have a new exhibit and show, “The Sky’s the Limit,” featuring local artists. Works from artists must be submitted no later than Feb. 24, and the show will run from March 9-April 20. In addition to the new exhibit, winter semester classes are starting Jan. 8th at both the Highland Village and the Southlake studios. studioarthouse.com
Adventures, the town’s parks, recreation, senior and library programs publication, features numerous opportunities to participate in special community events and create works in the Creation Lab at the library. The Winter/Spring 2024 edition is available now and is a comprehensive resource.
The Cross Timbers Artist Guild is seeking artists to become a part of the CTAG community and share their works as well as have opportunities to learn, teach and mentor other artists. ctagmobile.com
Finally, mark your calendars for Saturday, May 11, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Heritage Park, for the Annual Arts Festival.
Happily, 2024 holds much promise for the arts and artists in Flower Mound!
Elizabeth Brannon serves on the Town of Flower Mound Cultural Arts Commission.
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