Local artists Braxton Daniels, Luke Beekman, and Diane Googins are working to make Mansfield a hub for fine art. Their initiative, “Cup of Art,” will take place this weekend at 3rd Cup Tea and Galería Ekkles.
The event, scheduled for Friday night and Saturday, will showcase live music, poetry readings, and live painting. Attendees can also purchase original artwork from local creators at both venues.
“Cup of Art” merges elements from Daniels’ back lot concert series and Beekman’s Literati and Open Mic Nights. “We need to revitalize the gallery hop concept in downtown Mansfield,” said Beekman, founder of Mankind Murals. “The goal is to create a rotating gallery hop series that features downtown art and supports local gallery spaces.”
The event will kick off Friday evening at 6 p.m. with live music by Maddy Carr and live painting by Sarah Moody in the alley behind 3rd Cup Tea. Poetry readings will follow at 8 p.m., with sign-ups starting at 7:30 p.m. In case of rain, the event will move indoors.
On Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., 3rd Cup Tea will host a meet-and-greet with Mansfield artist Evelia Sowash. Sowash, who was the official artist for the 2014 National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington D.C., will have artwork for sale. She is also a member of the Society of Fine Artists (SOFA), a group dedicated to enhancing artistic expression in Mansfield through collaboration and learning.
“I hope to increase awareness of local fine artists,” Sowash said.
The organizers plan to make “Cup of Art” a recurring event, potentially on a quarterly basis. Daniels, the owner of 3rd Cup Tea, emphasized the need for community involvement. “We have space in Mansfield that isn’t being used. It needs to be a community-led effort to address this issue,” he said.