Some people see Eureka Springs' steep stairways as they are and say, "Why???"
Raven Derge and Steve (Yip) Vorbeck saw the community's longest and steepest stairway as it was and said, "Why not make it beautiful?"
FAQ
Ribbon Cutting
Cash & Boardman Mural
WHEN — 5:30 p.m. May 29
WHERE — On the stairs between North Main Street and Center Street close to New Delhi Cafe in Eureka Springs
COST — Free
INFO — Visit the Up Project page on Facebook
And they did.
"It went almost freakishly well," Derge says with a laugh.
The idea started when Derge and Vorbeck were both looking at an Internet story about the 10 "most stunning" stairways in the world and, texting back and forth, they determined they could do something just as stunning in Eureka Springs. They agreed they needed a great design, permission and a stairway, and thanks to two Eureka Springs High School artists, the City Council and the Historic District Commission, they soon had all three elements ready to go.
Winning student designers Kennedy Cash and Kyla Boardman created separate designs for a rainbow tree and a waterfall, and professional muralist Doug Myerscough merged them into something that would work for a stairway. He then created a paint-by-number outline on the steps between North Main Street and Center Street so volunteers could paint the mural.
"All you had to do was put the green on the green and the blue on the blue," Derge says. "We were done in one day. Then a few of us went back and did the shading and the details."
Derge, who is proprietor of the Norberta Philbrook Gallery and Practical Magic Art Supply, got the acrylic paint from Golden Artist Colors at cost, and the same company has created a custom clear coat that will be applied on the next perfectly rainless, not-too-humid, not-too-cold, not-too-hot day. Because professional acrylics were used, Derge says there's no big rush, and the company's "huge discount" on the specially formulated clear coat means the $1,000 cost of the mural is already paid in full.
The "Cash and Boardman Mural," named to honor the student designers, will open officially at a ribbon cutting at 5:30 p.m. May 29. The next undertaking for the Up Project has not yet been determined, but Derge promises there will be one.
-- Becca Martin-Brown
NAN What's Up on 05/22/2015