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LEE HIGHWAY NEWS

Cowboy Cafe: A Lee Highway Placemaking Project

6/26/2020

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Picture
Jim Barnes (R) and Cowboy Cafe co-owners I ARLNow
Before Jim Barnes and his partners became owners of Cowboy Café, they were regulars at the Lee Highway legacy business. Growing up in Arlington, Barnes and his friends would make visits after school, and later, after opening Lost Dog Cafe, would stop by Cowboy Café after closing down for the evening. Upon learning that their friends, and then Cowboy Café owners, Zac and Matt  
​Culbertson were selling the business, Barnes and his partners decided to purchase the beloved Café in 2011. Because they recognized the special history of this dive bar (one of the last ones in Arlington), they didn’t change much, in fact they still have many of the same employees that worked there before they owned it. 

As with the rest of Arlington businesses, Cowboy Café closed its doors in March. However, with the passing of Temporary Outdoor Seating Area (TOSA) permits, the owners have been able to welcome customers to their new outdoor seating area, formerly known as Cowboy Café’s parking lot. “Arlington’s restaurants have made huge sacrifices to protect the health and safety our community. TOSAs are a way to help our small businesses welcome back diners and patrons consistent with state directives and public health guidance." said County Board Member, Katie Cristol. "We’re grateful for their partnership and all they do to make our Arlington, and Lee Highway, a special place” 

The outdoor seating has been a successful addition to Cowboy Cafe. So much so, in fact, that it has inspired Barnes to move forward with an idea he had a few years ago - to transform the area into a welcoming and visually intriguing outdoor space for the Arlington community. 
For the last few years, Barnes and his wife have been living in both Arlington and Fort Lauderdale, FL and have spent a great deal of time in his wife’s native country of Panama as well as the city of Miami. “They take walls and spaces that you’d think couldn’t be converted from something plain and turn it into something beautiful” 
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​said Barnes, speaking about murals in the two cities and Panama. “The art has brought business, beauty, and positivity into the communities.” A few years ago, when visiting Miami’s Wynwood Walls, Barnes had the idea to create a mural on Cowboy Café’s empty parking lot brick wall. The idea has been just an idea since then, but, ironically, the COVID-19 shutdown and subsequent TOSA have allowed him to finally move forward and turn his idea into reality. 

In recent weeks, Barnes and LHA have been working to put together a team of other Lee Highway businesses - Dominion Electric, Potomac Paint, and Esoarc Architects – to take on the project of creating an outdoor space and mural at Cowboy Café (those interested in following the process can visit LHA's Placemaking Page). Soon after, artist and Arlington native, MasPaz, was commissioned to create the mural. The mural design, inspired by MasPaz’ recent work with Arlington Arts’ Words to Art program, is called “Community.” 
Picture
©CindyKanePhotography
Wednesday, June 24 marked the beginning of the project coming to life. MasPaz, accompanied by an assistant, set up a projection of the mural design on the empty brick wall and began to ​​paint. Each day, the mural comes a little more alive, with passersby seeing the additions of vibrant colors and depictions of nature and community. 

Follow Along to See What's Next:
Next week LHA will reveal the finished mural and explore the design process with Pamela Gillen, retail architect from Esocarc Architecture, Matt Rowan, lighting expert and designer with Dominion Lighting, and design manager Beth Boggs from Potomac Paint! ​

Connect with Our Sponsors

Dominion Lighting
Matt Rowan, VP Residential Lighting
mrowan@dominionelectric.com
www.dominionlighting.com
Potomac Paint
Beth Boggs, Design Manager
​bboggs@potomacpaint.com
www.potomacpaint.com
Esoarc Architects
Pamela Gillen, Founding Principal
pgillen@esoarc.com
www.esoarc.com
 Cindy Kane Photography
Cindy Kane, Owner & Photographer
celliskane@gmail.com  www.cindykanephotography.com
LHA's Placemaking Salon
Ginger Brown, Executive Director
ginger.brown@leehighwayalliance.com
www.leehighwayalliance.com
Arlington Arts
​
Jim Byers, Marketing Director
Jbyers@arlingtonva.us
www.arts.arlingtonva.us
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LEE HIGHWAY ALLIANCE
4532 Lee Highway, Suite 519
​​Arlington, VA 22207 
​(703) 261-4744
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