Last week, the Washington County Quorum Court approved using American Rescue Plan funds to improve the county jail, allocating nearly $18m towards a jail expansion project.

• For: Supporters of the decision felt the funding necessary for improving jail conditions, expanding medical services, increasing security, providing more beds for detainees to keep people off the ground, maintaining COVID protocols, and other safety measures.
• Against: Those in opposition raised questions about the legality of using federal ARPA funds for a jail expansion rather than pre-trial services and felt this plan violated the voters' decision in November to reject a sales tax increase to fund the jail expansion.

Learn more about the issue HERE.

Local artisans are coming together to host the Winter Solstice Market in Downtown Fayetteville this evening from 5-9p.

• Santa's Workshop: The market will feature locally crafted goods such as pottery, baked goods, jewelry, candles, books, art, vintage clothing, and other handmade items.
• Shop and sip: Enjoy vendors like Cardinal Classics, Pink Fern Plant Co., and Ceramic Sorcery while sipping on to-go beverages served by nearby bars like Maxine's, Big Box Karaoke, Vault, and Pinpoint.

Find more information on the Fayetteville Flyer HERE.

Arts One Presents is seeking four fiber/textile artists and craftspeople from Northwest Arkansas to design a barn quilt that reflects the practices and traditions of their respective Latiné, Marshallese, or Ozarkan cultures as part of "The Springdale Barn Quilt Project."

• Stitched together: Barn Quilts are a rural American tradition blending art, craft, public space, and identity. Arts One Presents intends for the project to highlight the diverse communities of Downtown Springdale.
• On display: Selected artists will design and paint a barn quilt and exhibit their traditional craftwork in a partnering exhibition in 2023 at The Medium by CACHE and The Shiloh Museum of Ozark History. 

Artists can apply for the project HERE.

I Am Northwest Arkansas recently sat down with Lakisha Harper Bradley to hear her story of starting her business My-T-By-Design, a therapeutic art studio in Fayetteville.

• Art heals: Lakisha Harper Bradley described the inspirational moment she decided to leave her job at Walmart to pursue her passion for utilizing art to help others express themselves and enhance their mental and physical well-being.
• Drawn together: Lakisha and her team work closely with local businesses and nonprofit organizations to help create healthy change in communities through customizable group events, leadership development programs, and intervention programs like incARceraTed with Purpose.

Listen to the full story HERE.

It's been bleak winter after bleak winter ever since the last Frost Fest Outdoor Beer Festival happened in 2020, but the Yeti has finally thawed, and the South's premiere winter beer festival will return to the Washington Country Fairgrounds on Saturday, Feb 4, 2023.

• The chillest: Organized by the folks behind Fossil Cove Brewery, the festival highlights craft breweries, creators, and makers while supporting non-profits from the Northwest Arkansas area.
• Party on: Sample craft beers, explore local art vendors, and rock out to live music by Nick Shoulders, The Phlegms, and Vintage Pistol. 

Get your Frost Fest tickets HERE before the price increases on Jan 1.