White Street tradition continues with virtual event

BECCA MARTIN-BROWN

bmartin@nwadg.com

This is going to be a little bit more work than Books In (Virtual) Bloom.

This Sunday, you’ve got to climb the virtual steps to Zeek Taylor’s house — no small feat in and of itself. Plus, you’ve got to buy your own wine — he only serves white to protect clothes and floors — and make your own cookies. But we’ve included Taylor’s recipe here, and we promise to deliver the ambience of the annual White Street Walk on these pages.

Whether it’s the first stop on the annual White Street pilgrimage or the last, everyone eventually crowds in to Taylor’s 110-year-old cottage on the upper historic loop in Eureka Springs — and has been doing so for decades.

“When I moved to White Street, Eleanor Lux and Mary Springer were already living on the street,” Taylor explains. “I knew Mary from years earlier when the two of us were classmates at the Memphis College of Art. Eleanor was also from Memphis, but I only met her after I had moved to town. Eleanor wanted to start an art walk on our street, approached Mary and me with the idea, and the three of us originated the first walk. We have continued to serve as the organizing committee. This would have been our 30th year.”

Taylor says when he looks back at his art from the first walk, “I can see that I’ve added color with greater intensity. In 2004, I premiered my first painting with a chimp in it. Since that time the chimps in my work have become one of my most iconic images. About 10 years ago, I created my first three-dimensional piece for the walk. It was a shadowbox featuring one of the chimps. I still have collectors who come to the walk just for the chimp art.”

But he also started serving food that first year.

“My mother had taught me that when one has guests, they need to have refreshments available,” he says. “When she taught me that, I don’t think she had any idea that I would have hundreds of guests come by in one evening! I start baking and freezing about a month before the event and continue preparing dishes up until the day of the walk.

“My mother was a good old-fashioned Southern cook, and she had collected hundreds of recipes,” he goes on. “Many of the recipes that I make for the walk came from her, including the ‘Bushel of Cookies’ recipe. She also gave me the recipe for one of the most popular dishes that I make. It’s a caramel dip for apples. Folks always ask me for that recipe, but it is one I keep secret. It’s fun having them guess what’s in it, and most of the time they are way off base with their guesses. I tell them all that I will have the recipe included in my obituary. The cheese rolls that I make are from a very old recipe that was passed down to my partner, Dick Titus, from his grandmother.

“The walk is the first real social event of the year in Eureka Springs,” Taylor sighs. “Besides seeing many locals, I see lots of tourists who are return visitors to the walk. Many plan the timing of their annual trip to Eureka Springs to coincide with White Street.”

Turned away by covid-19 concerns, guests will miss not only the shopping but the chance to peek into Taylor’s personal life. Many of the furnishings and collectibles in his home fit the time period when the house was built, but he says his art studio located near the front of the house is an exception.

“More than one person has commented that it reminds them of ‘Peewee’s Play House,’” he admits with a laugh. “I use the excuse that many of the items that I’ve collected have been used in still life paintings. Some have, but admittedly I have collected chimp and monkey knickknacks because they are fun to have. I have ceramic chimp and monkey items, stuffed monkeys and monkey books. Several pieces in that collection are sock monkeys that include a stuffed Christmas sock monkey toy, a vampire sock monkey and a very tiny one-inch crocheted sock monkey.

“The collection in my studio that garners the most attention, though, is a rather large grouping of antique watercolor tins,” he goes on. “Most still contain the original paints. They range in size from the common Prang brand tin that has eight colors in it to very large tins with a color selection of more than 50. Many of the illustrations on the tin boxes are works of art that reflect the time they were manufactured, and the designs were obviously geared toward marketing to children. Several of the paint tins have been gifts from friends and collectors of my art. Being surrounded by fun collectibles in my studio helps to create a joyful mood that I try to reflect through my art.”

Taylor will also miss the opportunity to introduce smaller pieces of art — most of them 5×7 inches — that are acrylic on canvas, a new direction for him in the last few months.

“I personally have little wall space in my home to add additional art, and I hear the same from other collectors,” he says. “That’s one reason I started creating smaller pieces. I thought perhaps collectors could find room for a tiny painting. And that seems to be true. And young art lovers find the smaller pieces an affordable way to start collecting. I love seeing my work, big or small, going to new homes.

“The walk will return,” Taylor concludes adamantly. “If not this year, we will be back next year. I’m looking forward to our 30th anniversary walk whenever it does happen. I’m also looking forward to the hundreds of hugs I’ll receive at White Street.”

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Zeek Taylor

www.zeektaylor.com

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Make It!

Bushel Of Cookies

Zeek Taylor always serves his White Street Walk guests several family recipes, including this one. You might want to try to reduce the yield. It makes 24 dozen!

2 pound of raisins

1 pound of pecans

5 cups of butter, softened

11 cups of sugar

12 eggs

1 cup of maple syrup

1 quart of milk

¼ cup of vanilla extract

12 cups of quick-cooking oats

21 cups of all-purpose flour

¼ cup of baking powder

¼ cup of baking soda

2 teaspoons of salt

2 12-ounce packages of butterscotch chips

Grind or finely chop raisins and pecans; set aside. In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, a few at a time, mixing well after each. Add syrup, milk and vanilla; mix well. Stir in oats, raisins and pecans. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; stir into oat mixture. Fold in chips. Cover and chill for 2 hours. Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto greased baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.

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