Rogers, AR: The Rogers Lowell Chamber launched the Downtown Rogers Merchant Meet-Up to facilitate connections and collaborations among Downtown Rogers (DTR) businesses.

What to expect: Business owners, managers, and staff are invited to this monthly get-together to connect and collaborate over coffee. The news media is invited to join us 8:45 a.m. - 9:45 a.m., Thursday, January 18 at Brick & Mortar, 120 W Walnut Street.

Two New Downtown Attractions: Downtown Rogers businesses are invited to participate in hosting two new public art installations that will attract families to the Downtown community.

1. Mechel Wall, the Benton County coordinator of the Arkansas Quilt Trails, will be on hand to show off the new Downtown Rogers Barn Quilt, a painting entitled “Whistle Stop,” that incorporates Downtown Rogers symbols in a design painted on a 4’ x 4’ sign board.

• Attendees will learn how they may design and create and install their personalized barn quilt.
• Once installed, their business location will be included in the statewide Arkansas Quilt Trails booklet and website.
• The first barn quilt will be installed at Andora Real Estate, 401 N 2nd Street.

2. Tom Flynn, Rogers found-metal artist, will present one of eight lightning bug sculptures with solar lights designed and fabricated for installation on buildings or other structures in Downtown Rogers.

• These two public art installations will attract travelers, families, and individuals as they explore downtown Rogers.
• The projects will encourage people to appreciate the businesses and architectural elements of historic downtown Rogers and engage the imagination of the viewer as they seek out the painted wood quilts and whimsical lightning bug sculptures.
• Meet-up attendees will brainstorm ideas for using the Arkansas Quilt Trails and the lightning bug installation as a means of highlighting downtown businesses as destination locations.

Picture this: Imagine beautiful wooden barn quilts and lightning bug sculptures popping up in DTR, attracting the news media and new visitors, and providing a creative and long-lasting way to showcase Downtown Rogers as a destination location for visitors from throughout the state and beyond.

Why it matters: The concept of the third space is a term to designate communal spaces and destination locations where people connect during their free time, distinct from the home (first space) or work (second space)

• An inviting third space can be a coffee shop, bookstore, bar, or museum, any place where you can experience a transformative sense of self, identity, and connection to others.

Thank you to our hosts: Brick & Mortar is an intimate, historic venue for all kinds of traditional gatherings. Brick & Mortar’s mission is to support and empower local small businesses, by working with entrepreneurs and their budgets to adapt the space for any event that will best showcase their goods and knowledge and allow face-to-face interaction with an entrepreneur’s audience. These types of events include classes, workshops, product/portrait photography, pop-up markets, art exhibits, and more! Through these events, the venue temporarily serves as entrepreneurs’ "brick and mortar" – something that has proven to be extremely valuable to small businesses that are primarily online-based or whose staffs now work remotely.

Facilitating small businesses: The Rogers Lowell Chamber launched the Downtown Rogers Merchant Meet-Up program to facilitate connections and collaborations among Downtown Rogers businesses. Business owners, managers, and staff are invited to this monthly get-together to connect, converse, and collaborate.

Convening downtown businesses: Each month on the third Thursday, Rogers Lowell Chamber staff host downtown Rogers’ merchant meetings at a new location in DTR, inviting business owners to talk about ways the Chamber can help them grow their business while sharing tips and ideas for our downtown community to continue to cultivate success.

Growing business: A key mission of the Rogers Lowell Chamber is to support small business and entrepreneurial development along with economic development for our downtown sector.

Join us! RSVP or email VP of Downtown Development Karen Wagaman at [email protected] for more information.