Art lovers walk White Street for their favorite works

EUREKA SPRINGS — Hundreds of people made their way up and down historic White Street Friday (May 18), ducking into artists’ homes and galleries for a peek of works offered at the the 22nd White Street Studio Walk.

White Street has become the working address of several local artists. For the studio walk, these residents were joined by more than 40 guest artists from the Eureka Springs area, who showed weaving, watercolors, jewelry, oils, pottery, stained glass and more.

The event was started by weaver Eleanor Lux, watercolorist Zeek Taylor and painter/sculptor Mary Springer. The three are the walk's organizers and all by coincidence ended up living on White Street after attending the Memphis College of Art together.

It was a successful evening for watercolorist Zeek Taylor. Crowds gathered on the sidewalk in front of his house, in his yard, on his porch and eventually within his Taylor-Titus Home Studio.

“For the most part, they were a buying crowd,” Taylor said. He served a full buffet of snacks and more than 50 liters of wine during the art walk. His partner Dick Titus, not much one for socializing, kept their many cats corralled in a private room while hundreds of people circulated through their house.

“I think this was one of the largest crowds we've ever had," Taylor added.

Several collectors — one of them Cynthia Coughlin of Centerton and the other Kathy McClure of Rogers — came looking for one of Taylor’s originals depicting a chimpanzee bedecked in colorful clothing. Both came up empty handed, at least for now. Taylor said he would satisfy their wants as fast as he could.

A third collector, a man from Columbia, Mo., bought three to four pieces and bid Taylor adieu until next street’s White Street Studio Walk. Another hit of the night was Taylor's decorated switch plates depicting his art. He sold 65 of the 70 he had.