N o matter where you look, art is all around us here in Collin County. In Frisco, you can sit under one of the largest public art pieces in the state, a beautiful, colorful fiber sculpture made from the same material NASA used for the Mars rover, or, you can explore a vast private collection of contemporary sculptures that’s open to the public for all to enjoy. Head to McKinney, and you’ll find fine art coming out of a converted cotton mill adorned with magnificent murals. Swing by Plano or Allen and pursue intimate boutique galleries with local art. It’s all part of the diverse visual arts scene that’s continuing to grow in the county.
“I definitely have seen growth in more artists coming to Plano looking for opportunities,” says ArtCentre of Plano’s executive director, Suzy Jones. She’s not alone in that observation — and it’s not just Plano, either. Artists are coming to cities all around the county. Art Club of McKinney president Kathryn Iklé says McKinney has become an art magnet for both creators and connoisseurs. Likewise, Suad Bejtovic, the president of the Visual Arts Guild of Frisco, has seen his nonprofit’s membership quadruple over the course of the last three to four years.
It all adds to the county’s growing artistic history, which dates all the way back to the 1800s. Local Profile found 1890s excerpts from the McKinney Weekly Democrat-Gazette discussing George R. Wear’s art gallery. After a fire burned the gallery in 1892, Wear planned to open again in October of the same year. A September 15, 1892, edition of the newspaper said the reopened Wear’s Art Gallery would be “the best arranged gallery ever opened in McKinney, and we hope all who want fine work will give him a call.” More than a century later, Collin County is still home to some of the best-arranged galleries and exhibition spaces you can find. With such a growing pool of artistic talent flowing through the local community, there’s no shortage of exciting opportunities for art aficionados to explore and discover. “I personally know the wealth of talent that we have in this area and really want to see it thrive and expand as our community expands,” says Allen Arts Alliance executive director Wendy McIntyre of her local arts community…