Historic downtown McKinney blooms as spring weather ushers in a cavalcade of colors and the McKinney Square will be particularly interesting May 14 as the Second Saturday Art Walk crowd tour local art galleries and Election Day swells the already burgeoning Collin County seat.

Currently ranked fifth on CNN's Money Magazine's list of best places to live in the United States, McKinney is developing a national reputation as a city with vision that can still make things happen on a scale of Texas proportions. Sporting a renovated downtown to accommodate the increased flow of residents and tourists who now see McKinney as a destination for the arts, fine dining and shopping, McKinney Performing Arts Center is the flagship towering over the McKinney Square.  And last month when McKinney Performing Arts Center (MPAC) celebrated the fifth anniversary of its renovation, none other than Michael Martin Murphey was on hand to blow out the candle before his performance in MPAC's Courtroom Theatre.

Michael Martin Murphey

 

 

Saturday's Art Walk will be something of a homecoming for one of the instrumental players who helped develop McKinney's popular Second Saturday Art Walk. 

 

Carrie Cameron will be one of the featured artists at Orisons Art and Framing. Known for her lush, sculpted oil paintings, Carrie’s Galleria d’Arte formerly occupied the building that is now home to Spoons Café before the gallery moved around the corner for an interesting run in the historic digs of the 1880-era Collin County Prison. Ever the busy artistic entrepreneur, Carrie is now fashioning custom-made cowboy boots emblazoned with tooled images of her paintings.

 

Other artists expected at Orisons this Saturday evening from 7:00 p.m. until 10:00 p.m. include Leo Malboeuf and Joe Sambataro.

Laura Moore’s Fine Art Studios will feature the work of painter Pernie Fallon and photographer Guy Giersch May 14.  On a recent sojourn into the Valley of Shining Stone near Abiquiu, New Mexico, Pernie and Guy stumbled upon a somewhat surreal scene of a door with a message to match the mystique of the panoramic high desert plateaus. That message left behind on the Land of Enchantment’s door of perception became the motivation and theme to Pernie and Guy’s newest exhibit.

 

painter Pernie Fallon and photographer Guy Giersch found this spray painted door in northern New Mexico and it will be the theme for their exhibit May 14 in Laura Moore Fine Art Studios.

 

 

Meet the artists on opening night, Saturday, May 14 from 7:00 p.m. until 10:00 p.m.  The exhibit will be featured through June 8 at Laura Moore Fine Art Studios, 107 South Tennessee in McKinney, Texas.

 

Joe Sambataro

Allison Jardine's Intermittent Light was featured at Laura Moore Fine Art Studios April 9

Debra Spears weaves bamboo fibers.

Imaging on the Square is another favorite stop for photographers and artists.

Carol Hoorman works on a sketch.

David Hobson prefers the soft images he achieves with pastels.

Laura Moore Fine Art Studios always draws a crowd for Second Saturday Art Walk.

Leo Malboeuf gives pointers to aspiring young artists.

Christina Smith, a student of McKinney artist Anne Royer, concentrates on her latest creation.

Anne Royer provides a little one-on-one expertise as a shutterbug in the background captures the moment.

A young artist learns the trade.

A lathe artist works on the McKinney Square.

This was an interesting project and fundraiser by local artists, Sip 'n' Doodle.

Michael Martin Murphey gives a brief speech about the importance of the arts...

...offers a toast before blowing out the candle...

...and then gives a memorable show at McKinney Performing Arts Center.