Artists and musicians transformed the streets of downtown Monroe and West Monroe with art, music, refreshments, and entertainment Thursday night.

Downtown Arts Alliance ,a non-profit organization, produced the Downtown Art Crawl with the help of local sponsors.  The crawl featured 10 different galleries with artists’ works for guests to enjoy along with music from live bands.

ULM students attended the art crawl for a taste of local culture as well as artistic inspiration.

Victoria Gonyea, a sophomore psychology major, says the event was more than just entertaining.

“I thought it would be an interesting experience to see the local art.  I draw and paint in my free time and found it inspiring,” Gonyea said.

Guests to the galleries also had the opportunity to speak with the artists about their pieces.

Rick Sikes, a local artist, was the featured artist in Art Alley’s

“UPSTAIRS” gallery with his solo show, “Overstatements”.

This is his fourth year being involved in the art crawl.  His show included portraits and figure drawings with several caricatures of famous individuals.  Sikes strives to “accentuate the characters.”

He also spoke of the importance of those viewing his work to simply “have a good time.”

Art Alley’s Sugar Gallery included paintings, sculptures, photographs, and jewelry created by its group of resident artists.

Stacy Medaries displayed her recent work at Sugar Gallery including a large ceramic piece and a collection of three-dimensional color pictures made from aluminum.  Medaries emphasized several benefits of the art crawl for the community and local students.

“It’s good for the community and revitalizes downtown,” Medaries said.

The collection of local artists also attracts more businesses to the commercial district.  In addition, all purchases of original art are sales

tax free in these galleries within the Cultural Districts of Monroe and West Monroe.

Medaries also spoke of the benefits for art students to get inspired from viewing the different art pieces and to be able to picture their own work in an art show or gallery in the future.