At the Arts Center of the Ozarks in Springdale, one might expect classic pairings - Oscar and Felix, Romeo and Juliet, Stella and Stanley.

One might also expect unusual and innovative art - Dillon Chandler’s metal and wire sculptures, hundreds of five-inch by fiveinch paintings on the walls at the same time, an exhibit about the White River that combined video, photographs, oral histories and a fishing boat.

But Eve Smith, director of visual arts at the arts center, has set in motion a whole new kind of partnership within the arts.

Called “Sensory Iconoclasts,” the summer-long event will “pair artists and chefs together, fueling reciprocated inspiration to create a singular experience,” Smith described in a packet for participants.

The idea was born when Smith and Case Dighero, culinary director for Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, teamed up to create food and a painting in support of ACO’s annual 5x5 Soiree. The results, Smith said, also included a discussion at Crystal Bridges on “the intersection between food and art.”

“We’re asking you to pair up like we did,” Smith said Monday to a gathering of “visionaries” that included Brian Hembree of 3 Penny Acre, spoken word artist Houston Hughes, Michael Davis Gutierrez, the stone sculptor who created the hogs scattered around Fayetteville over the past year, textile artist Autumn Brown and actor Jason Suel.

Chefs invited to participate include Jermy Gawthrop of Greenhouse Grill, David Lewis of Brick House Kitchen, Tammy Varney of Meridienne Dessert Salon and Bill Lyle of Ella’s.

Smith and Dighero will be co-curators for the events, which start with food in August and end with an exhibition at the Arts Center of the Ozarksin September.

“Before collaborative meetings, I would like for each of you to get a feel of the artist/chef you are merging with,” Smith told participants. “Look at websites, portfolios, menus and anything that can better familiarize yourself with the person you are creating with. If you already know the person, try to findsomething that you may not have known before.”

When the artist and chef meet, their collaborative talks will be filmed by William Penny III, a student filmmaker. Smith hopes for an outcome resembling Sundance Channel’s “Iconoclasts.”

Then the artists really go to work.

Food inspired by the collaborations will be on the menu in August at participating restaurants.

“Don’t make it unless somebody orders it,” Smith told the chefs adamantly.

“The idea is that this art exists only for that moment in time.”

During the month of September, the visual and performance artists’ work - perhaps along with photos of the dishes created by the chefs - will be on show in the downstairs gallery at the arts center. The chefs will also provide samples of their creations for an opening reception.

What artists like Suel and Hughes will do is a little harder to describe - because they’re not sure yet.

“I am thrilled to have been invited to participate,” said Suel, who is also one of the founders of the Seedling Film Associationand the Offshoot Film Festival in addition to acting and teaching. “When Eve contacted me and asked if I thought performance art and culinary art could integrate I said, ‘Absolutely.’ But really I was thinking ‘I have no idea!’

“After our meeting, I am excited to say that I can definitely see endless possibilities for collaboration with Darwin Beyer (of Meiji in Fayetteville),” he added.

“Our trouble might be in narrowing our focus.”

“I’m equal parts excited and afraid to work on this project,” agreed Hughes, who runs the monthly spoken word/slam poetry show Word Wars. “But that can make for great art - going into a project having no idea how you’re going to do it, and forcing yourself to find a way.

“And the combination ofspoken word poetry and the culinary arts, both things that people too often forget are art or require artistry!

You hear people tell stories every day, you eat food every day, but how often do you hear stories told by someone who specializes in doing so, or eat a meal from someone who is trained to make the best food?

“Having those two overlap, and find inspiration in one another, will hopefully lead to something new and amazing,” he concluded.

NWA Media will follow the project as it moves from concept to conclusion.

“We hope to bring together two concepts to create one interesting paradigm shift,” Dighero said, “seeing, feeling, tasting, experiencing outside the confines of our respective areas of expertise, passion and creativity.”

Northwest Profile, Pages 40 on 05/19/2013