Check Out the Downtown Cape Arts Scene - Kelly Downes

Thursday, July 11, 2024 ~ Updated 11:44 PM

Kelly Downes is the director of the Arts Council of Southeast Missouri.

Photo BY Aaron Eisenhauer

Chicago native and Arts Council of Southeast Missouri director Kelly Downes had an understanding of Cape Girardeau as a fly-over zone — a place passed on the way to a big city, but not necessarily a destination town. At least, not if you were looking for a vibrant arts scene. Which she was.

From a young age, Downes was immersed in art, music and culture. She says it became who she was and a part of everything she did. After earning a bachelor’s degree in humanities (fine art/history) from Michigan State University, Downes settled in Southeast Missouri in 2015.

Then, Downes discovered what once seemed an isolated city became an opportunity. There was passion and heart here, plus a community full of resources. Her mindset about the arts in downtown Cape began to change.

“A lot of artists want to go to bigger cities,” Downes says. “But I think there’s power in going where there’s not and creating something new.”

Passionate about visual, performing and literary art, Downes became involved in all three. She met high-level poets, painters and dancers, owners of hip record stores, craftsmen of metal and ceramics, and people who were creating food and fermenting spirits — and all of this was on one little block. It showed her that in Cape Girardeau, artists could be authentically who they are, and the art scene would develop out of that.

Downes wants this for everyone.

“Art is a lifesaving device; creativity a lifelong sport,” Downes says. “It’s not just for downtown Cape or Spanish Street.”

So in 2018, when Downes began her position as the director of the Arts Council of Southeast Missouri, she wanted to find a pathway for people in smaller towns and surrounding areas who may not make it to the river to enjoy the arts. She also wanted to include family programming, so people of all ages could be involved. Her allies on the arts scene became friends and neighbors in the city where she lived and worked. And because art and commerce are so closely related, she found the cooperation between organizations and businesses to be welcoming and open to new ideas, allowing the art culture to grow and develop.

Currently, the Arts Council has more than 200 members and a thriving arts community of 40 artists in the Visual Arts Cooperative, an independent organization housed within the Arts Council space at 16 N. Spanish St. Two microgalleries, known as The Blank Slate, are available for aspiring and practicing artists. And the River Campus recently built two new buildings on Morgan Oak Street, which house new gallery space and a ceramics studio, solidifying this area of town as Cape’s official arts district.

From the Happy Campers Project, a partnership with local businesses to provide week-long art camps to school-aged kids, to First Friday with the Arts, a gallery-inspired event that encourages residents to engage with the arts, there truly is something for everyone in the downtown Cape Girardeau arts community. And no matter your skill level, from beginner hobbyist to a full-time career, there’s always an opportunity to use your voice, express yourself and try something new.

“Art is a growth mindset. Nothing is fixed,” Downes says. “We are ever-changing, and through art, we can see ourselves in the world.”

This is why Downes is on a mission to meet people where they are and help them create something beautiful, using the resources they have at hand, no matter where they live. Love making TikTok dances? That’s art. Want to support local theater? Our area of the map is filled with talent. Have it in mind to host an open-mic night? We can do that here.

There will always be an influx of art and culture in Nashville, Tenn.; Memphis, Tenn.; and St. Louis. But it turns out, there’s a blank canvas of opportunity right here in our own backyard. What you do with it is up to you.