 |
| The Cedar Grove Bluegrass Band. |
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| Ashley Jane Laird talks about the place and people around the mural site. |
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| Dave giving his remarks. |
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| Sam Blackmon and Jordan Karpe. |
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| The mural with about a week left before completion. |
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
Arkadelphia Mural Celebration
It was a bit cooler than we had expected, but the rain let up, sun came out, and our mural celebration / dedication went off without a hitch. A crowd of sixty plus gathered at the base of mural to listen to the Cedar Grove Bluegrass Band before Project Coordinator Farrell Ford began the program.
Speakers included mayor Charles Hollingshead, mural apprentice Jordan Karpe, Group Living Executive Director Jane Lucas, design team members Mariela and Natalie Crockett, mural assistant Ashley Jane Laird, and then yours truly.
An explanation was in order, since many were asking whether the mural was finished. The answer no, not yet. I like to schedule the mural celebration a week or so before the mural is finished. Why? Because I like the mural team to have uninterrupted time at the end of the project to finish things up and do the detailed work without worrying about speeches and such. After all the talking, it was time to enjoy home baked cookies and lemonade while the band played on.
Friday, October 5, 2012
Arkadelphia Mural Celebration
Join us for a ....
Celebration of the new
Arkadelphia Community Mural
Sunday, October 7th
2:00 - 4:00 pm
705 Main Street
Arkadelphia, Arkansas
TV story about the Arkadelphia mural project
KARK Channel 4 News story on the Arkadelphia mural.
http://arkansasmatters.com/fulltext?nxd_id=593132
http://arkansasmatters.com/fulltext?nxd_id=593132
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
Arkadelphia - painting begins
After five intensive weeks of research and design, Arkadelphians began painting their new mural on Main Street. It was overcast with intermittent rain, but that didn't keep folks away.
There is something transformative about lending a hand to a civic project like this. Its scale, its seductive color, and its potential as a new embodiment of the town's spirit inspires people (many of whom hadn't heard about the project until they drove by and saw us painting) to want to say 'I helped' and be able to point to the very spot they painted.
We begin by blocking in large areas of color in the background, so the mural initially resembles an abstract painting made up of interlocking geometric shapes. Later, figures and other elements of the composition will be projected and painted in on top of the background colors. Community painting is also an opportunity for people not involved with the design process to learn about the project, talk about its subject, and visit with friends and fellow streetside critics.
I've always been interested in how this public activity seems to enable and encourage a kind of civic interaction that can be hard to come by these days. It used to be that residents of small town or neighborhood would have many opportunities to bump into each other - at the bank, post office, and library to name a few. But with the advent of new computer technology, we no longer need to go to these places, we can do all our errands from home - alone.
So a big mural like this presents a forum and point of reference for striking up a conversation about the weather, the economy, the government and what it all means. By making it look fun, ala Tom Sawyer, we also get a lot of people to paint and thereby make their mark into their community's unfolding story.
There is something transformative about lending a hand to a civic project like this. Its scale, its seductive color, and its potential as a new embodiment of the town's spirit inspires people (many of whom hadn't heard about the project until they drove by and saw us painting) to want to say 'I helped' and be able to point to the very spot they painted.
We begin by blocking in large areas of color in the background, so the mural initially resembles an abstract painting made up of interlocking geometric shapes. Later, figures and other elements of the composition will be projected and painted in on top of the background colors. Community painting is also an opportunity for people not involved with the design process to learn about the project, talk about its subject, and visit with friends and fellow streetside critics.
So a big mural like this presents a forum and point of reference for striking up a conversation about the weather, the economy, the government and what it all means. By making it look fun, ala Tom Sawyer, we also get a lot of people to paint and thereby make their mark into their community's unfolding story.
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| Original sketch by Norman Rockwell of Tom Sawyer laughing while others do the painting. |
Monday, September 24, 2012
Shadows of Arkadelphia
In preparation for transferring the mural design, we rehearsed with the digital projector. As we worked out the angles and proportions, everyone was invited to shadow play. A great night, it was like an improvised community dance parade. Here's a glimpse. (Thanks to Jordan and Ashley for shooting many of these photos.)
Thursday, September 20, 2012
"Painting a City's Portrait: Work begins on Arkadelphia mural"
from the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
by Wayne Bryan
September 19, 2012
by Wayne Bryan
September 19, 2012
ARKADELPHIA — Dozens of Arkadelphia
residents gathered under cloudy skies and an intermittent mist to be
part of the city’s history on Saturday. Elementary school children painted alongside their friends, mothers
and grandmothers. City officials joined newcomers and groups of
teenagers to place the first colors in a municipal mural on the side of
the Honeycomb Restaurant on Main Street.
“The people are putting in the background colors in sections that we
have drawn in,” said Dave Loewenstein, a nationally recognized muralist
from Lawrence, Kan. “They are painting from the ground up. For safety reasons, we are not
going to let them get on a lift and paint up higher. Later, Jordan, Ashley and I will be
painting the different designs and figures.” The city “won” the project from the Mid-America Arts Alliance in
Kansas City, Mo., said Farrell Ford, a Clark County artist and interim
executive director of the Clark County Arts and Humanities Council. She said the arts alliance, along with the Arkansas Arts Council,
announced a large grant for a mural in an Arkansas city and invited
communities to submit proposals for their cities.
“Five cities applied, but only one city could be picked, and Arkadelphia is that city,” Ford said. The muralist and his assistants for the project, Topeka, Kan., artist Ashley Laird, along with a mural apprentice, Jordan Karpe of Little Rock, arrived in Arkadelphia in August and toured the community. “This was really my first opportunity to spend any time in Arkansas,” Loewenstein said. “I have been struck by the beauty of the area. It is an oasis of nature in the middle of the United States. It seems there are not a lot of people in this part of the state, but plenty of mountains, rivers and trees — lots of trees.”
The design for the city’s mural has been created by the artist based on the comments from people who have been meeting weekly to discuss what kind of painting would make the right portrait for the city, Ford said. “As many as 50 people took part in those meetings at one time or another, but a group of about 20 kept coming back,” Ford said. “They got into it, going to the library and finding out more about the history of the area and figuring out what might best represent us.” The artist said the 20 Arkadelphia residents who took part were the most democratic of groups. “They selected themselves, by always showing up and getting involved,” Loewenstein said. “It is not a committee; it's a team. The members ranged in age from 8 years old to someone who was 84, I believe. We are visitors here, listening and learning and not as familiar with the history of this place, so we rely on local people to help us understand what is important.”
As he often does before painting a mural in a town, Loewenstein walked around the city, once following the Feaster Trail into the woods to find the historic overlook some call the Desoto Bluff that overlooks the Ouachita River north of the city. The bluff was mentioned in some of the first reports from explorers of the region, after Arkansas became part of the United States in the Louisiana Purchase. The regular discussions, about what scenes and symbols best caught the spirit of Arkadelphia, could become heated at times. Loewenstein said the depth of feelings and the variety of ideas expressed make the creative process of designing the mural fun. “There were different points of view, but we worked it out together,” he said.
The team selected the theme of education, calling it a “strong part of the city’s culture and economy.” Ford, who has helped coordinate the project from the beginning, agrees with the mural being centered on education. “The first thing you think of is the two colleges (Henderson State University and Ouachita Baptist University),” she said. “I am not sure we could have survived without education and the students. Things are different in town when they show up each year.”
Loewenstein said the mural should reflect a sense of Arkadelphia — its place, its industry, people and aspirations. However, the artist said the project will have a poetic feel, “without a lot of who, what and where.” The phrase created to guide the project was “The Journey From a Dream to the Promise.”
The artist said the left side of the design includes a young man sitting on a porch holding a pine seedling, symbolizing potential. “Reaching out to the young man is an allegorical figure representing the past and present mentors and teachers who have guided Arkadelphia’s young people,” Loewenstein said as he pointed out some of the elements of the mural’s design. “With the other hand, she gestures toward Arkadelphia’s Promise.” The Promise is a community effort that will aid every Arkadelphia High School graduate go to college, if accepted under the program’s criteria. At the other end of the mural, the young man, with a diploma in hand, hands off the seedling to a little girl who begins her journey.
Other elements of the blockwide painting include the bluff along the Ouachita; pottery decorations from the Caddo people, who lived in the area before Europeans came; a honeycomb, a reference to the Group Living restaurant where the mural is painted; and the salt kettle that is kept in front of the Clark County Courthouse. The volunteer painters were invited so the community could become part of the project. “We have had people working on really big shapes and blocks of colors,” Loewenstein said. “We want people to feel ownership of the wall. It is theirs.”
Tamara Adams of Arkadelphia brought her daughters Sierra, 15; Tanner, 12; and Xander, 9, to paint on the wall after going to the Clark County Fair. “I’m friends with a member of the local arts guild, and the 4-H has been involved in the project, and it looked like fun,” Adams said. “I brought the kids here to paint so they could be a part of history. I think it will be here a long time.”
When the weather cooperates, Loewenstein said, residents will be able to paint some more on the mural, while his team adds the detailed elements. He said the mural should be finished by mid-October if there is enough good weather.
 |
Scott Holbrook and Betty Gentry apply color to the municipal mural being created in Arkadelphia. Clark County residents were invited to paint the background of the artwork that will cover one wall of the Honeycomb Restaurant on Main Street. Photo by Wayne Bryan |
“Five cities applied, but only one city could be picked, and Arkadelphia is that city,” Ford said. The muralist and his assistants for the project, Topeka, Kan., artist Ashley Laird, along with a mural apprentice, Jordan Karpe of Little Rock, arrived in Arkadelphia in August and toured the community. “This was really my first opportunity to spend any time in Arkansas,” Loewenstein said. “I have been struck by the beauty of the area. It is an oasis of nature in the middle of the United States. It seems there are not a lot of people in this part of the state, but plenty of mountains, rivers and trees — lots of trees.”
The design for the city’s mural has been created by the artist based on the comments from people who have been meeting weekly to discuss what kind of painting would make the right portrait for the city, Ford said. “As many as 50 people took part in those meetings at one time or another, but a group of about 20 kept coming back,” Ford said. “They got into it, going to the library and finding out more about the history of the area and figuring out what might best represent us.” The artist said the 20 Arkadelphia residents who took part were the most democratic of groups. “They selected themselves, by always showing up and getting involved,” Loewenstein said. “It is not a committee; it's a team. The members ranged in age from 8 years old to someone who was 84, I believe. We are visitors here, listening and learning and not as familiar with the history of this place, so we rely on local people to help us understand what is important.”
As he often does before painting a mural in a town, Loewenstein walked around the city, once following the Feaster Trail into the woods to find the historic overlook some call the Desoto Bluff that overlooks the Ouachita River north of the city. The bluff was mentioned in some of the first reports from explorers of the region, after Arkansas became part of the United States in the Louisiana Purchase. The regular discussions, about what scenes and symbols best caught the spirit of Arkadelphia, could become heated at times. Loewenstein said the depth of feelings and the variety of ideas expressed make the creative process of designing the mural fun. “There were different points of view, but we worked it out together,” he said.
The team selected the theme of education, calling it a “strong part of the city’s culture and economy.” Ford, who has helped coordinate the project from the beginning, agrees with the mural being centered on education. “The first thing you think of is the two colleges (Henderson State University and Ouachita Baptist University),” she said. “I am not sure we could have survived without education and the students. Things are different in town when they show up each year.”
Loewenstein said the mural should reflect a sense of Arkadelphia — its place, its industry, people and aspirations. However, the artist said the project will have a poetic feel, “without a lot of who, what and where.” The phrase created to guide the project was “The Journey From a Dream to the Promise.”
The artist said the left side of the design includes a young man sitting on a porch holding a pine seedling, symbolizing potential. “Reaching out to the young man is an allegorical figure representing the past and present mentors and teachers who have guided Arkadelphia’s young people,” Loewenstein said as he pointed out some of the elements of the mural’s design. “With the other hand, she gestures toward Arkadelphia’s Promise.” The Promise is a community effort that will aid every Arkadelphia High School graduate go to college, if accepted under the program’s criteria. At the other end of the mural, the young man, with a diploma in hand, hands off the seedling to a little girl who begins her journey.
Other elements of the blockwide painting include the bluff along the Ouachita; pottery decorations from the Caddo people, who lived in the area before Europeans came; a honeycomb, a reference to the Group Living restaurant where the mural is painted; and the salt kettle that is kept in front of the Clark County Courthouse. The volunteer painters were invited so the community could become part of the project. “We have had people working on really big shapes and blocks of colors,” Loewenstein said. “We want people to feel ownership of the wall. It is theirs.”
Tamara Adams of Arkadelphia brought her daughters Sierra, 15; Tanner, 12; and Xander, 9, to paint on the wall after going to the Clark County Fair. “I’m friends with a member of the local arts guild, and the 4-H has been involved in the project, and it looked like fun,” Adams said. “I brought the kids here to paint so they could be a part of history. I think it will be here a long time.”
When the weather cooperates, Loewenstein said, residents will be able to paint some more on the mural, while his team adds the detailed elements. He said the mural should be finished by mid-October if there is enough good weather.
Staff writer Wayne Bryan can be reached at (501) 244-4460 or wbryan@arkansasonline.com.
Saturday, September 15, 2012
Arkadelphia - The Mural Design
Below is a description of the Arkadelphia mural design as it was presented to and approved by the mural Design Team and Clark County Arts and Humanities Council. This is intended to give an overall sense of the concept and to identify specific images within the design. Some parts of the design may modified slightly during the painting process.
The main theme for the mural is Education. Within that theme, we have been guided by the phrase, 'The journey from a dream to The Promise.'
The architecture or infrastructure of the composition is built from the combined ideas of an arch, a bridge, and a porch / stage. Framing the arch at the upper left and right are soaring pine trees reaching up to the sky with a Cockaded Woodpecker on the left (an endangered species protected by the Ross Foundation) and a majestic Blue Heron on the right commonly seen in the area’s rivers and lakes.
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| Mural Design Team reviewing the final design. |
The main theme for the mural is Education. Within that theme, we have been guided by the phrase, 'The journey from a dream to The Promise.'
The architecture or infrastructure of the composition is built from the combined ideas of an arch, a bridge, and a porch / stage. Framing the arch at the upper left and right are soaring pine trees reaching up to the sky with a Cockaded Woodpecker on the left (an endangered species protected by the Ross Foundation) and a majestic Blue Heron on the right commonly seen in the area’s rivers and lakes.
At the base of
the arch is a series of panels that from left to right represent:
1) The heart of a
pine tree, revealing its history and symbolizing ours
2) Caddo pottery
decoration
3) Honeycomb as a
reference to Group Living where the mural will be
painted
4) A beehive as
another reference to Group Living
5) Caddo pottery
decoration
6) The salt kettle in front of the courthouse and a molecular diagram of salt
Within the arch
is a tableau that celebrates Arkadelphia’s leadership in education.
Beginning at the
far left, a young man sits on the porch holding a pine tree seedling
(symbolizing his potential) while gazing into his uncertain future and toward
aspirations of Ouachita, Henderson, and early educational leaders Julius Rosenwald and Booker T. Washington, who set the ground work for Peake School
and thousands of others like it in the 1920’s and 30’s.
Beyond those
aspirations, he sees a dynamic allegorical figure that represents the many past
and present mentors and teachers who have helped guide Arkadelphia’s young
people. As she is conjured up and made real by the designer and apprentice on
the steps, she extends her hand as an invitation to the young man and gestures
toward the Arkadelphia Promise, which is illuminated under the lantern she
carries.
The kick-off
ceremony for the Promise at Arkadelphia High School, accompanied by fireworks
and music, completes the educational dream of the young man who we see again at
the far right. In one hand he carries his diploma and with the other he passes
along the symbolic pine seedling to a new student who will soon begin her own
journey.
This story is
enhanced with specific references to Arkadelphia and Clark County. Along the length of the porch are
references to important institutions and architecture including Caddo
dwellings, Hill’s Café, Peake School, a church, the public library, and the
high school stadium.
At center left, a
fiddle player sits on the porch and plays the folk tune that is the story of
the mural. His music resonates throughout and reminds us that we need to
actively maintain a community of giving teachers and mentors who can lead the
way for Arkadelphia’s young people.
At the center
right, we see a group from our mural design team engaged in the process that
has led us here. They have
given their time to do what the fiddle player symbolizes – telling the story of this community’s
commitment to giving each person the tools and resources they need to be able
to reach their full potential.
In the center
above and behind the figure for education, is an iconic view of the Ouachita
River from The Bluff. Looking out from its edge are the explorers Hunter and
Dunbar who were the first to map this region. In the background just below The
Bluff, the rings of a giant tree (inspired by the Ross Foundation’s remarkable
lobby) connect the story from dream to promise. Within those rings we see the
confluence of the Caddo and Ouachita Rivers.
To the right and
left of The Bluff, are panels with decorations inspired by designs on the old
Arkadelphia High School. Within these panels will be included quotes from
Arkadelphia’s great poet and humanitarian John Allen Adams. And at the very top
center, an illuminated letter A for Arkadelphia is carried forward by doves of
peace.
Sunday, September 9, 2012
Arkadelphia - Searching for The Bluff
DeSoto Bluff, as it's known locally, is named for the famed Spanish explorer / conquistador even though evidence of his actually stepping foot there is hard to find. Much more likely is that members of the Caddo Tribe and the explorers Hunter and Dunbar took in the majestic view and surveyed the landscape from its peak. Nevertheless, the bluff which overlooks the Ouachita River valley is embedded in the story of this place and is one of the most picturesque sites in Arkadelphia. With an afternoon off, we decided to go find it, the only problem being that we didn't have any idea about how to get there.
The best clue we had was that Feaster Trail would soon be extended to connect with the Bluff. We knew where Feaster Trail was so we followed it to its end and then began our search. After almost giving up, I spotted what appeared to be an overgrown path leading into the Kudzu draped woods. Why not. We took the path up and up along a steep embankment while being devoured by hungry mosquitos.
It was so steep at one point that an improvised climbing rope tied to a tree had been placed to assist novices like us. Eventually we reached a plateau and saw ahead of us an opening in the trees...the Bluff, we thought... Almost.
Feeling victorious we made our way home, but not before Ashley suggested we try the one other lead to the Bluff we'd heard about. This one involved cutting down a barely noticeable dirt road just south of the Carmart. The gate was open so in we went (thank you for all-wheel drive).
When we reached the end of the road and saw the iconic view of the river below us and the Ouachita mountains spreading out across the horizon, it became clear that the bluff we had climbed to earlier wasn't The Bluff but just a clearing in the forest far below our current vantage point. Here, was the beloved place of many a local painter and high school sweetheart. Mission accomplished.
The best clue we had was that Feaster Trail would soon be extended to connect with the Bluff. We knew where Feaster Trail was so we followed it to its end and then began our search. After almost giving up, I spotted what appeared to be an overgrown path leading into the Kudzu draped woods. Why not. We took the path up and up along a steep embankment while being devoured by hungry mosquitos.
It was so steep at one point that an improvised climbing rope tied to a tree had been placed to assist novices like us. Eventually we reached a plateau and saw ahead of us an opening in the trees...the Bluff, we thought... Almost.
Feeling victorious we made our way home, but not before Ashley suggested we try the one other lead to the Bluff we'd heard about. This one involved cutting down a barely noticeable dirt road just south of the Carmart. The gate was open so in we went (thank you for all-wheel drive).
Saturday, September 8, 2012
Arkadelphia - The Design Team
At the end of our community meetings we asked people, who 1) had a strong interest in further participation and 2) could commit to attending up to five future meetings, to become part of our design team. Usually this process leads to a team of about 10-20 people.
It's their job to work with us muralists to do further research, develop a theme, and help shape the content of the mural design. It's hard work. In addition to having to reveal the source of your nickname in one of our regular go-arounds, the design team has to make difficult choices about not only what should go in the mural but the much larger amount of material that will be set aside for future projects.
Like sculptors, film editors, or poets who painstakingly carve away material in order to clarify their vision, sometimes images and ideas that seem perfect for the mural are edited out of the final design because they don't fit the larger story. Each of us are faced with either letting go of things we hoped would be included or seeing them folded into the composition in new ways.
Because people have to talk to each other and eventually compromise when they work in groups, our design workshops focus on collaborative strategies for developing mural ideas. Here in Arkadelphia, we did two projects. The first is what I call a 'word picture.' In groups of three, the design team developed one list of ideas and concepts, and another list of things / people/ places / and stuff.
Next they worked to fit those written ideas into a rectangle on a large sheet of paper with proportions similar to our mural. The more important an idea was, the larger it would be written. And if something needed to be in more than one place in the mural, it would be written multiple times. In a very rudimentary way, this exercise gave everyone a chance to begin to design the mural as they envisioned it. It also made clear how difficult it is to compose and fit all of the things suggested into one image.
For the second workshop, I gave a short talk and slide presentation about visual metaphors especially ones we had encountered in our research. Among them were bridges, porches, and arches. Then I asked the groups to imagine and draw a metaphorical bridge for Arkadelphia with special consideration for:
What it is made of?
What it connects?
What's underneath?
Who built it and who or what uses it?
How much can it hold?
What threatens it?
After an hour or so, each group presented their bridge drawing to the rest of the design team, explaining their intent, where they felt they had succeeded, and what was still missing. The results were remarkable. Here are a couple.
After our third design team meeting, with a studio overflowing with drawings, photographs, and other research material, it was time for us muralists to begin incorporating these ideas into a preliminary draft of the design.
It's their job to work with us muralists to do further research, develop a theme, and help shape the content of the mural design. It's hard work. In addition to having to reveal the source of your nickname in one of our regular go-arounds, the design team has to make difficult choices about not only what should go in the mural but the much larger amount of material that will be set aside for future projects.
Like sculptors, film editors, or poets who painstakingly carve away material in order to clarify their vision, sometimes images and ideas that seem perfect for the mural are edited out of the final design because they don't fit the larger story. Each of us are faced with either letting go of things we hoped would be included or seeing them folded into the composition in new ways.
Because people have to talk to each other and eventually compromise when they work in groups, our design workshops focus on collaborative strategies for developing mural ideas. Here in Arkadelphia, we did two projects. The first is what I call a 'word picture.' In groups of three, the design team developed one list of ideas and concepts, and another list of things / people/ places / and stuff.
Next they worked to fit those written ideas into a rectangle on a large sheet of paper with proportions similar to our mural. The more important an idea was, the larger it would be written. And if something needed to be in more than one place in the mural, it would be written multiple times. In a very rudimentary way, this exercise gave everyone a chance to begin to design the mural as they envisioned it. It also made clear how difficult it is to compose and fit all of the things suggested into one image.
For the second workshop, I gave a short talk and slide presentation about visual metaphors especially ones we had encountered in our research. Among them were bridges, porches, and arches. Then I asked the groups to imagine and draw a metaphorical bridge for Arkadelphia with special consideration for:
What it is made of?
What it connects?
What's underneath?
Who built it and who or what uses it?
How much can it hold?
What threatens it?
After an hour or so, each group presented their bridge drawing to the rest of the design team, explaining their intent, where they felt they had succeeded, and what was still missing. The results were remarkable. Here are a couple.
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
Mid-America Mural Project featured on NPR blog
Check out the new National Public Radio project "Participation Nation." Our mural project in Arkadelphia is featured in a recent post.
www.npr.org/blogs/participationnation/2012/08/19/159203258/painting-the-town-in-arkadelphia-ark
www.npr.org/blogs/participationnation/2012/08/19/159203258/painting-the-town-in-arkadelphia-ark
Friday, August 17, 2012
Wall chosen for Arkadelphia's mural
We are excited to announce the location for Arkadelphia's mural. The wall is located on the west side of the Honeycomb Restaurant at 705 Main Street. It's probably the largest and most prominent wall downtown. It will provide great uninterrupted sight lines and a delicious place to take our lunch breaks.
The generosity of the folks at Group Living extends to our project as well. In order to insure that the mural will have a good long life, Group Living will be coordinating and providing support for both cleaning and tuck pointing the building. We are grateful to Executive Director Jane Lucas and all of the other folks at Group Living for partnering with us on this project.
 |
| Dave and Group Living Inc. Executive Director Jane Lucas discussing the Honeycomb wall. |
Honeycomb is a component of Group Living Inc., a private,
non-profit organization providing community services to people with
developmental disabilities. Their website says that the organization's purpose is to "help
each individual served reach the highest level of independence possible and
to become an integral part of the community."
The website goes on say that the "Honeycomb Restaurant, a sheltered workshop, exists
for two main purposes: one, providing employment opportunities and
normalization skills for developmentally disabled adults and two, providing
a downtown restaurant with good, affordable food. Approximately
fifteen
clients work at the Honeycomb either full-time or part-time."
The generosity of the folks at Group Living extends to our project as well. In order to insure that the mural will have a good long life, Group Living will be coordinating and providing support for both cleaning and tuck pointing the building. We are grateful to Executive Director Jane Lucas and all of the other folks at Group Living for partnering with us on this project.
Thursday, August 16, 2012
Arkadelphia - Community Meetings
Waltzing into a community you've never been to and introducing yourself as the artist who is going to paint the town mural is risky business. Even when you've been invited, the expectations can be unattainable, especially when its a community's first big mural. And it's understandable, people want to make sure that their ideas are included and that certain important figures or historical events are not overlooked. And occasionally others want to insure that some things from the past or complicated current realities are not committed to paint.
I am well aware of this, and am quick to admit that it's nearly impossible to include everything that is suggested by participants in the final mural. To do so would make something more like a tourist brochure and less like an artwork. Instead I suggest that we aspire to make a mural that is like a visual poem or folksong, with an emphasis on symbol and metaphor, supported by specific references to place, people and history.
Encouraging participation begins with open community meetings. This isn't just to get 'buy-in' (a phrase that sounds suspiciously like a bribe to me), it is because the knowledge and experience of residents are what will shape the content of a mural that is authentic and embraced by them.
This week Jordan, Ashley, and I began this process by leading two community-wide meetings in order to introduce the mural project, give folks an opportunity to visit with us, ask questions, and begin to imagine the mural. Our meetings were held at the Dawson Education Cooperative which occupies a clutch of neatly kept buildings in downtown Arkadelphia.
Dawson is a service organization focused on increasing student achievement across twenty-three districts in Arkansas. Through workshops with teachers, distance learning opportunities, and direct support, Dawson is actively engaged in providing resources to districts beyond what they could provide themselves. Choosing Arkadelphia as their home has added to the community's growing reputation (sometimes referred to as the 'Athens of Arkansas') as place that prides itself on learning and education.
Our meetings were both well attended. We got great initial feedback after I gave a presentation about the mural process and the background of the Mid-America project. The biggest question we heard was, where is it going to be? At the time we'd narrowed the search down to two walls. Later this week we'll reveal which one was chosen. Stay tuned...
I am well aware of this, and am quick to admit that it's nearly impossible to include everything that is suggested by participants in the final mural. To do so would make something more like a tourist brochure and less like an artwork. Instead I suggest that we aspire to make a mural that is like a visual poem or folksong, with an emphasis on symbol and metaphor, supported by specific references to place, people and history.
Encouraging participation begins with open community meetings. This isn't just to get 'buy-in' (a phrase that sounds suspiciously like a bribe to me), it is because the knowledge and experience of residents are what will shape the content of a mural that is authentic and embraced by them.
This week Jordan, Ashley, and I began this process by leading two community-wide meetings in order to introduce the mural project, give folks an opportunity to visit with us, ask questions, and begin to imagine the mural. Our meetings were held at the Dawson Education Cooperative which occupies a clutch of neatly kept buildings in downtown Arkadelphia.
Dawson is a service organization focused on increasing student achievement across twenty-three districts in Arkansas. Through workshops with teachers, distance learning opportunities, and direct support, Dawson is actively engaged in providing resources to districts beyond what they could provide themselves. Choosing Arkadelphia as their home has added to the community's growing reputation (sometimes referred to as the 'Athens of Arkansas') as place that prides itself on learning and education.
Our meetings were both well attended. We got great initial feedback after I gave a presentation about the mural process and the background of the Mid-America project. The biggest question we heard was, where is it going to be? At the time we'd narrowed the search down to two walls. Later this week we'll reveal which one was chosen. Stay tuned...
Monday, August 13, 2012
Our home in Arkadelphia, Arkansas
To get here, we drove through Joplin, MO where we found that our mural from last year has a new info box for visitors who stop by and want to know more about the project. Thanks to the folks at Dixie Printing, visitors can now pick up a beautiful free postcard of the mural that gives details about the project.
Arkadelphia is framed by the confluence of the Caddo and Ouachita rivers, in an area known for a beautiful natural environment and wealth of outdoor recreation opportunities. The region's lush pine forest is one of those attractions and also one of the areas most important economic resources. This is timber land. Spend a couple of minutes downtown and you'll see a convoy of trucks along Route 67 hauling the long tapered pine logs.
Entering Arkadelphia past one of the town's brand new liquor stores (the county went wet only last year) and through the ravine that divides the rival campuses of Henderson State and Ouachita Baptist Universities, we found the address on McNutt Street that would be our home base. Project coordinator Farrell Ford met us there at a beautiful brick house adjacent to the Ouachita campus. The plushly decorated two story colonial, which was a B & B for years, is now on the market, and we muralists are just temporary caretakers. We are grateful for it, especially the porch.
Thursday, August 9, 2012
Meet the Arkadelphia Mural Team
Below are introductions to the three main members of our mural team.
Project Coordinator - Farrell Ford
Mural Assistant - Ashley Laird
Arkansas Mural Apprentice - Jordan Karpe
Jordan, a native of Little Rock, graduated summa cum laude with a BFA from the University of Central Arkansas in Conway in 2011. His senior thesis project was the design and execution of a mural for the Jefferson D. Farris Hall Dormitory. He has worked as a Resident Assistant for the Upward Bound Program and is currently illustrating a collection of essays by Professor Emeritus of Philosophy, Dr. Norbert Schedler.
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