By Pete Kendall/reporter@trcle.com
Downtown Cleburne Association members and area artists are serious about the creation of Art Alley adjacent to the recently opened downtown Plaza Theater, 111 S. Main St.
The next move belongs to the city of Cleburne: whether to close the narrow passageway between Chambers and James streets to all but emergency vehicle traffic.
The city council can make that happen with a vote.
The only fly in the ointment might be a large dumpster situated in the alley. For a sanitation truck to service it, the truck must be able to access the alley.
Regardless, Art Alley is an idea whose time has come, said Burleson resident and Johnson County Art Guild member Yuri Trushin.
“How many art galleries do you know of in Cleburne?” he asked.
Trushin answered his own question, “None. This would be a place for artists to exhibit their paintings.”
It wouldn’t take up much room, partly because there’s little room in the alley to take up.
“It is a little passage that can converted into a pedestrian, artist-friendly street with paintings and outdoor sculptures,” Trushin said. “It would be very convenient, efficient and cozy.”
With permission of property owners, murals could be painted on brick walls facing the alley.
“The murals could create fake passages through the buildings, with different views of different cities,” Trushin said. “You are looking not from the building to the street but looking to the building. For example, instead of just a plain wall, we would have the interesting passage, as well as metal bars and metal fences on which artists can hang their work. They can easily attach their paintings to the metal so they don’t have to bring their easels.”
Trushin visualizes street musicians and small art cafes in the alley.
“It would be very interesting to have musicians and cozy places with little fountains,” he said, “where people can sit and discuss paintings. Even people who come to the Plaza Theater can come by and see what’s going on before the play.”
Art alleys are common in San Francisco, Chicago and Boston. Of course, Cleburne is slightly less cosmopolitan than such major hubs.
“The idea is European but American, too,” Trushin said. “Cleburne is good enough economically that it can promote art and culture. There are a bunch of artists in Fort Worth and Dallas who already know about the idea and are ready to participate. They say they will bring their art and sculptures. Students from [UT-Arlington] would like to show their work. We can also invite artists from Granbury and other cities. I understand that it’s a big project. It will have to be done piece by piece.”
The first piece will require elbow grease.
“We need to clean it up, maybe by sandblasting the brick and changing the pavement,” Trushin said. “An all-brick alley would be wonderful but very expensive. The major thing is to make it pedestrian, to close it from transportation. We could close it with an arch that can be moved to let emergency vehicles through. We can do that by rotating one piece of the gate. It would be multifunctional, inviting and attractive.”
The Russian native added, “Moscow has many such pedestrian streets for artists and little cafes where artists can meet their clients. There are a lot of artistic people in Cleburne, and they have no place to meet and communicate. The Johnson County Art Guild meets once a month. That’s not enough. Artists need a place to share ideas.”
