An Art Walk on the Edge of Texas – Tales from the Edge

An Art Walk on the Edge of Texas

by Blasita J. Lopez

In current day trends, people have so many more ways to meet, Skype Conferences, Instameets on Instagram and Google+ Hangouts, all on-line and over the World Wide Web, but what if, we went back to our roots?

Several downtown Laredo spots have long been natural gathering scenes because of our unique system of town squares, or plazas, as we like to call them here.  It’s a tradition that has been passed down through generations and borrows from Spanish and Mexican influences over two centuries.  In Texas, only San Antonio and Laredo have more than two plazas, according to one of our sources and friends at the Texas Historical Commission.

In order to preserve this heritage, a new series of activities launched earlier this year are great platforms that allow visitors and locals alike to enjoy each other and downtown Laredo from a new point of view.

One of those recent events is CaminArte, a free, self-guided, walk-at-your-own-pace exploratory activity held in historic downtown Laredo on the first Friday of each month, initiated this past March.  Each location hosts an array of art, some creator demonstrations and art community enthusiasts willing to share their craft.

Participating locations are:

1. Laredo Center for the Arts
2. Gallery 201
3. Laredo Convention and Visitors Bureau
4. On the Rocks Tavern
5. Casa Ortiz
6. Washington’s Birthday Celebration Museum
7. La Posada Hotel
8. Plaza San AgustinInterested art-walkers can pick up a map at any one of the above locations and easily follow their own path or the suggested one marked by chalk art clues along the sidewalk, sandwich board signs at each local and Tourism Ambassadors, strategically placed along the route.

Every three months, June 5, September 4 and December 4, CaminArte winds up another notch with the end of the path at San Agustin Plaza and the Streets of Laredo Artisan Bazaar.  Set up with booths all around the plaza, and in June a vintage car show demonstration area, revelers of all ages and sizes will be able to enjoy the ambience of this historic epi-center from 5:00- 9:00 p.m.  Booths will feature handmade wares and goods from regional and local artists and crafters, along with food booths or puestos serving up some street-side cart favorites like taquitos, tortas, corn-in-a-cup, Mexican-style hot dogs, corn-on-the-cob (Laredo style), aguas frescas (fruit-ades) beverages, and fresh fruit with chile and lime, among other tasty foods.

These events bring people together in an ambience of cultural appreciation through art, architecture and food; it allows for people, whether they are visiting or native, in this community to be present in spaces that were meant for gathering, off line and away from your keyboard or device.   This helps to preserve our communities’ heritage spaces and revisit our social roots, where social media all started!  Come take an art walk on the edge of Texas!

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Blasita Lopez is the Director at the Laredo Convention and Visitors Bureau.

A product of Texas and IH35, began her career as a journalist. Longhorn 4 life!