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Q&A

In an Arkansas Town, Music Is Key to a Comeback

A rendering of the Griffin Building in the Murphy Arts District in El Dorado, Ark.

The city of El Dorado, Ark., a two-hour drive south of Little Rock, probably isn’t the first place that comes to mind as an up-and-coming tourist destination, but if Terry Stewart, 71, the former chief executive officer and president of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, has his way, this perception may soon change. As the chief executive officer of El Dorado Festivals & Events, Mr. Stewart is charged with turning the city into the next music and arts hub in the United States.

A $70 million infusion is key to the project: The money comes from a combination of donors, including Murphy Oil Corporation, the Arkansas Economic Development Commission and the Walton Family Foundation. The first phase of the initiative, the $54 million, six-block Murphy Arts District in downtown El Dorado, is making its debut on Sept. 27. The district’s five-day opening celebration will have performances by artists like Brad Paisley, Smokey Robinson, Ludacris and the hip-hop trio Migos.

Below are edited excerpts from an interview with Mr. Stewart.

What exactly is the Murphy Arts District?

It’s essentially a new neighborhood in the center of El Dorado. We’ve repurposed a number of historic buildings to create a cabaret restaurant, a 2,000-seat music hall and an outdoor amphitheater which can seat 10,000 people. There’s also a two-acre play park for children with climbing equipment, slides, a zip line and a water area where there are fountains to run and jump through.

What attractions are planned for the district?

The amphitheater and music hall will be venues for music concerts by both famous and lesser-known artists and also for touring Broadway shows. The cabaret restaurant will host performances by cabaret acts from around the world and also have comedy shows.

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Terry Stewart, the chief executive officer of Ed Dorado Festivals & Events.Credit...Murphy Arts District

The effort to revitalize El Dorado pulled you out of retirement. Why?

I met the principals of the Murphy Arts District, which is a nonprofit organization, when they came to Cleveland to see the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. I started visiting El Dorado every year for the MusicFest and fell in love with the town. I saw how the changes in the oil industry had led to a loss of jobs and left young people with no incentive to settle here, and I wanted to help.

Do you believe arts and entertainment is the best vehicle to achieve this vibrancy?

Absolutely. It’s a formula that’s worked with other towns around the United States — Marfa, in Texas, which is now a center for the visual arts, is an example.

Murphy Arts District is one element of the redevelopment. What’s next?

There’s a $32 million renovation of the Rialto Theater, a 1920s-era vaudeville theater with more than 850 seats. It should be done in the next three years and is being restored to its original state, neon lights and all.

The theater will have music concerts, showings of second-run movies and live HD broadcasts of productions such as performances of the Metropolitan Opera.

El Dorado aside, why do you think small cities in the United States make appealing travel destinations?

Because many retain their historical roots and have their original buildings, charming town squares and picturesque small parks. They’re often a throwback to another era that is increasingly hard to come by these days.

A version of this article appears in print on  , Section TR, Page 2 of the New York edition with the headline: Terry Stewart On His Arts Destination in Arkansas.. Order Reprints | Today’s Paper | Subscribe

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