The Unexpected

Aug 1, 2015 | People

[title subtitle=”words: Claire Kolberg and Marla Cantrell
Images: Maser/Conor walls – Nick Gibson, Picture of Health wall – Eoin Murphy, Never Too Late To Love wall – Maser”][/title]

Take a look around downtown Fort Smith, Arkansas from the eyes of an artist. There are rows of historic brick buildings that tell the story of another time. But beyond that, their exterior walls look like blank canvases. An artist, intent on creating something extraordinary, couldn’t find a better opportunity.

That’s what business owner and art advocate Steve Clark realized last year when he was brainstorming, trying to come up with something new and fresh to bring to the city. He is friends with an internationally known Street Artist, an Irishman named Maser, who had done work for Steve at one of his businesses, Boardertown Skate Shop, in the Quarry Shopping Center in Fort Smith.

So he talked to Maser, who was just as excited about the possibilities. What they decided was possible was to bring a weeklong mural festival to downtown Fort Smith on September 3 through September 12. Artists will be painting several exterior walls in approximately a ten-square-block area of downtown. The public will be watching, and the buzz is expected to grow as these artists and their fans race to social media to share photos and talk about what’s happening.

Not long after that conversation, the festival had a name, The Unexpected. “I want people to come to Fort Smith and get more than what they expect,” Steve says, explaining the meaning of this title.

To make it happen, Steve formed a committee, 64.6 Downtown (64.6 refers to the number of miles within the city limits), headed by John McIntosh. JustKids, headed by international Street Art curator Charlotte Dutoit, was hired to help execute the plan. She’s overseen outdoor art projects like the art and music festival Life is Beautiful in Las Vegas. It’s such a sought-after event that three-day tickets for the upcoming festival cost nearly six hundred dollars.

Charlotte visited Fort Smith in March. She saw such great potential she had this to say: “All of these artists [we plan to bring] have millions of followers. Soon they will know about your town and how open you are to the art community. The festival could create one of the top outdoor art galleries in the world.”

That’s high praise, and words Steve and his team embrace. They believe in the value of art and its ability to bring people together. They also know when crowds flock to Fort Smith, they will bring their money with them. All of that is good for the city.

The list of artists continues to grow as the festival nears. Maser will be painting, along with other internationally renowned artists from around the world. As of this writing, the lineup is still being finalized, but the roster promises to be A-list.

The festival kicks off September 3 with a gallery show opening at the new Windgate Art & Design building at UA-Fort Smith. The mural artists will begin painting in downtown Fort Smith on Saturday, September 5. The community is encouraged to watch as they get started, and to return as the festival continues through September 12. Additionally, a Plein Air event will be held Saturday, September 12, in Ross Pendergraft Park downtown, which is open to local and regional artists, who will be painting as the mural artists put the finishing touches on their walls.

In addition to the mural festival, poet Malcolm London will perform on September 10 at the Blue Lion. In 2013, Malcolm, an internationally recognized poet and activist, collaborated with Maser on a wall in Chicago, integrating London’s powerful words,”It’s Never Too Late To Love”, with Maser’s trademark type.

Already, the excitement is growing as word spreads. This historic part of town, close to the Arkansas River and a stone’s throw from Judge Isaac Parker’s courthouse, is a prime location for something new and groundbreaking to happen. The organizers of The Unexpected believe this is just the beginning.

Do South Magazine

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