Group Plans Walk of Fame

Arkansans Would Be Highlighted on Fayetteville Sidewalks

— Arkansas celebrities could soon be honored on sidewalks in downtown Fayetteville.

Meeting Information

Fayetteville City Council

When: 6 p.m. today

Where: Room 219, City Administration Building, 113 W. Mountain St.

On The Agenda: A resolution allowing the Arkansas Entertainers Walk of Fame to commemorate famous Arkansans with a series of bronze plaques in downtown Fayetteville

City Council members today will consider letting a nonprofit group establish the Arkansas Entertainers Walk of Fame, a series of bronze plaques that would pay tribute to writers, artists, musicians and actors who have made a name for themselves on the international stage.

“We have a story to tell; it’s just not being told,” said Butch Stone, a longtime concert promoter and band manager from Maumelle who created the nonprofit group.

Plaques could include names and biographical information for Johnny Cash, Billy Bob Thornton, Maya Angelou, John Grisham and other celebrities who were born or raised in Arkansas.

Stone said an induction committee would choose four people to commemorate each year — one each from the music, visual arts, literary arts and film genres. City Council members would have the final say on all inductees.

Plaques are planned first on sidewalks surrounding the old post office building in the center of the square. They would then fill both sides of East Center Street before winding around the square and south on Block Avenue toward Dickson Street.

Stone’s outfit is the same group that came up with a similar idea for Dickson Street in 2010. He said Wednesday it took a while for the walk of fame to achieve nonprofit status. He also said city staff preferred putting the walk on the square rather than Dickson Street.

Stone said his group, which is coordinating efforts with the Fayetteville Arts District, plans to have an induction ceremony and concert each year.

Angelo Amabile, who owns Vetro 1925 Ristorante on Center Street, said he’s all for the idea.

“Anything we can do to make the downtown what it really should be ... is a positive situation,” Amabile said. “This might entice people to open up more shops around the square.”

It will be up to the Arkansas Entertainers Walk of Fame to raise money and purchase each plaque, which Stone estimated at between $1,400 and $2,200 apiece. The city will be responsible for installation and maintenance. Mayor Lioneld Jordan said Wednesday he didn’t have an estimate for how much that would cost.

Jordan said once city staff and the nonprofit group come up with final designs and cost estimates, he’ll bring the proposal back to the council for approval.

“I think it’s really attractive and will actually be something that the people who come to Fayetteville would like to go see,” said Ward 2 Alderman Matthew Petty, who co-sponsored the resolution with Jordan.

Stone said he’d like to see the first plaques installed this summer.

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