Page 10 - 2018 TR Explore White County

10SS SUNDAY, JULY 29, 2018
ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT TO THE THREE RIVERS EDITION OF THE ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE • EXPLORE WHITE COUNTY
MURAL
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Project sends out requests for proposals from artists, which can include amateurs and professionals. From there, a commit- tee does a blind review of applications, and an applicant is chosen.
To fund each mural, Faulkner said, the committee will take private donations, hold fundraiser events, crowd-source, and seek out grant opportunities and corporate sponsorships. Once the funds are available, the artists can produce the mural themselves or work with a muralist if the project is too large.
While the mural is being worked on, there will be an educational event for the public where people can meet the artist and learn the meaning behind the artwork and the process.
After the project is completed, there will be a celebration,and a plaque will be mounted to commemorate the project.
Faulkner said the mural project took inspiration from Fort Smith’s Unexpected art project and cities like Chicago and Philadelphia, which embrace and celebrate art in public spaces.
Another project that was recently
completed was at the Searcy Event Center basketball courts. Searcy artist Angela Turney, president of the Searcy Arts Council, designed one of the basketball- court murals and worked with local elementary school students to complete the paintings. She said the children were very enthusiastic about the project.
“It was exciting,” Turney said. “Just to see the kids’ faces light up and feel that they are working with an artist is kinda cool.”
Turney said she believes the Think ART Project is important and that the new murals are making people smile.
Downtown, the project has created Art Alley. This alleyway was cleaned up to make it safer, and overhead lighting has been added. Each first Friday of the month, artists will be painting in the alley. Faulkner said there will be live music, and visitors can watch the murals being created.
“It is awesome to see so many talent- ed people come together in a public way and have their talents shown and put on display for the community at large,” he said.
In the future, Faulkner said, he hopes other forms of art can be created, such
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Artist Casey McLeod paints a mural in Searcy’s new Art Alley downtown. This alley will be filled with different murals, and the first Friday of each month, guests can watch the painting live.
as sculptures, water features, lighting features and more. He said the murals were the best way to start the project because they can be completed faster and are less expensive. He said now that the
ball is rolling on the Think ART Project, he hopes it will gain more support from the community.
“I don’t see this slowing down anytime soon,” he said.