Downtown Arts Alliance Kicks Off the 2025 Gallery Crawl Season
Downtown Monroe and West Monroe will soon be alive with art enthusiasts and fun seekers as the Downtown Gallery Crawl returns for its first event of the 2025 season on Thursday, February 6, from 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM. Presented by the Northeast Realtors of Louisiana, this signature event—an initiative of the non-profit Downtown Arts Alliance—continues its mission to enrich the 318 art culture, providing North Louisiana artists with a platform to grow, connect, and showcase their work while contributing to the revitalization of both downtown areas.
The Downtown Gallery Crawl offers an engaging and interactive art experience, featuring both emerging and established local, regional, and national artists and artisans. Attendees can expect a vibrant atmosphere, live demonstrations, and an opportunity to purchase unique pieces directly from the artists.
Participating galleries in 2025 include:
Returning Galleries- The Good Daze, Alley Park, Courtyard on Cotton, Standard Coffee, Albritton Photography, NELA Arts Council, Flying Tiger Brewery, Revival Design, and La Bella
New Galleries- Morning Glory, The Makery, Parlor 5, Suite Beauty, and Clay & Canvas
The Downtown Gallery Crawl is free and open to the public and takes place every other month, six times a year, on the first Thursday of February, April, June, August, October, and December. The remaining 2025 Crawl dates are: April 3, June 5, August 7, October 2, and December 4. Participating galleries create a welcoming environment for the community to engage with fine art in a fun and inspiring setting.
The 2025 Downtown Gallery Crawl is made possible by the generosity of local sponsors including the Northeast Realtors of Louisiana (Crawl Presenter), Origin Bank (Crawl Believer), North Delta Title (Crawl Sponsor), Yarbrough Capital Advisors (Crawl Sponsor), and the Northeast Louisiana Arts Council. In kind sponsors include Sir Speedy Printing, KEDM Public Radio, and Flying Tiger Brewery.
Beyond the Gallery Crawl, the Downtown Arts Alliance actively supports and uplifts the Northeast Louisiana art community through various programs, including:
- Annual Student Art Competition (2016-2019, 2023): Local high school and middle school students create Christmas cards for public display in downtown areas.
- Herons on the Bayou (2018-2023): The largest public art project in Northeast Louisiana, featuring 100 full-size heron sculptures. Funds raised support the Herons Give Back initiative, which will begin awarding small grants to the local art community in 2025.
- Back-to-School Art Supply Drive (2023): Provided art supplies to the Children’s Coalition for their annual school supply distribution.
- Cultivate/Create Artist Residency (Launched in 2022): Offers artists the opportunity to live and work at the Neville House for two weeks, creating and showcasing their art.
For full crawl details, including gallery locations and descriptions, visit www.downtowngallerycrawl.com.
The Downtown Arts Alliance and its community programs are supported by a grant from the Louisiana Division of the Arts, Office of Cultural Development, Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism, in cooperation with the Louisiana State Arts Council, and as administered by the Northeast Louisiana Arts Council. Funding has also been provided by the National Endowment for the Arts, Art Works.
For more information about the Downtown Arts Alliance or for sponsorship information, contact Sheila Snow, President of the Downtown Arts Alliance, at 318.503.8329, artsalliancedowntown@gmail.com, or ssnow@monroe-westmonroe.org.
