Page 9 - 2018 TR Explore White County

EXPLORE WHITE COUNTY • ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT TO THE THREE RIVERS EDITION OF THE ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE
SUNDAY, JULY 29, 2018 9SS
PAINTING THE TOWN New community art project adds beauty to public spaces
BY CODY GRAVES / SPECIAL SECTIONS WRITER
e streets of Searcy have been filling with color recently. A project has been created to bring new life to the city’s public spaces.
Searcy’s ink ART Project was started last year to promote the city, improve its quality of life, increase tourism and encourage relocation through the power of art.
“Art is all around us,” said Mat Faulkner, director of the Think ART Project. “We’re just excited to get it going and draw awareness and excitement in Searcy as well.”
e ink ART Project recently completed its first mural on the side of the Quattlebaum Music building in downtown Searcy. e mural, created by artist Tara Peacock of Bald Knob, highlights song titles and lyrics of Arkansas musicians. Faulkner said the mural has become a popular destination for sightseers and area photographers.
“I come from a musical family, and Quattlebaum Music has been around for a long time, so I just want- ed to take inspiration from lyrics and typography —
I’m also a graphic designer, so typography is another one of my passions — so I just wanted to combine those two things together,” Peacock said.
Peacock said her design originally included lyrics from a variety of artists, but the review committee pushed for the mural to be focused on Arkansas artists.
“It was a huge project but very rewarding,” she said. “It’s something I get to drive by every day and be proud of.”
The function that the Think ART Project com- mittees serve is to work with the local government, property owners and artists to select sites for potential murals and, once a site is selected, coordinate funds, work with local agencies on code enforcement, and coordinate artists and muralists. Proposals for potential projects can come from anyone, Faulkner said, whether a citizen, an artist or a property owner.
Once a project gets approved, the ink ART
SEE MURAL ON PAGE 10SS
STACI VANDAGRIFF/THREE RIVERS EDITION
A new mural on the side of Quattlebaum Music in Searcy highlights lyrics and titles of songs written by Arkansas musicians.
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