Expect The Unexpected

It all started over a cup of coffee.

Last September, John McIntosh with Red Cat Productions was having coffee with Steve Clark while they discussed changes they'd like to see in Fort Smith. Somewhere in the conversation, McIntosh asked, "How cool would it be to see Fort Smith become an unexpected city of murals?" And nearly one year to the day after that cup of coffee, the Unexpected Mural Festival started last night, with a street-art gallery show at the new Windgate Art and Design building on the University of Arkansas Fort Smith campus.

"Fort Smith has been all about history. We sort of want to change that," says McIntosh. "We want to talk about the future -- we need music venues, we need public art, we need reasons for millennials to come visit -- so what this is is really economic development. We're trying to create reasons for people to come downtown."

Millennials may still be on the fence, but seven international street artists saw a reason to come to downtown Fort Smith. Through Sept. 12, these seven artists will simultaneously be creating wall murals within a seven-block radius across the city. The festival fits with the idea that Fort Smith is a walkable city, so organizers wanted to keep all the murals within walking distance.

Like many mid-size towns in Arkansas, Fort Smith has been involved in a revitalization movement since the 1990s. Most of the prominent buildings on Garrison Avenue, the "main drag" in downtown, have had a facelift if not a full renovation. McIntosh says he believes the festival will create momentum, encouraging private developers to invest in downtown because they see big things are happening.

"I don't think it's a stretch to say everyone in that international art scene has never heard of Fort Smith," McIntosh says. "Now they can look at us and go, 'I think that's a town that welcomes public art.' It's something bigger than just a picture on a wall. It's uplifting for the community and for the building owners."

After the festival's inception, McIntosh and Clark knew they would need an organization behind the idea to give it weight. 64.6 Downtown (named for the 64.6 square miles that make up Fort Smith) was formed early this year as a nonprofit to revitalize and beautify downtown. The next step was finding a curator to bring in the artists. Charlotte Dutoit, owner of the JustKids artist network, worked with the group to find artists that would fit the style and personality of the festival and the city.

The final schedule includes well-known names throughout the global street art community. The public is invited to watch and take pictures as artists Vhils, D*FACE, Askew, Ana María, Maser, Roa and Bicicleta Sem Freio create their murals in the coming days. Festival organizers also collaborated with the UAFS design program to create a class in which the students will participate in planning and creating their own mural during the festival.

"This is an incredible opportunity to get to interact with these international artists," says Jessica Medeiros, a sophomore studio art student in the mural class. "Painting is hands-on anyway, but this is painting on a huge scale. You have to work around the texture of the building -- it's not such a controlled environment as the classroom. It's been eye-opening, for sure."

McIntosh says there are other buildings and nonprofits already asking to become part of the festival for next year. He says the festival has immense potential to become an annual event, not just for murals, but for any form of public art, because he believes downtown is on the comeback.

"We wanted to claim our own space within the art space in Arkansas," says Claire Kolberg, the festival organizer for 64.6 Downtown. "Because of Crystal Bridges, we have the opportunity for people to really take notice of things happening in Arkansas. With this festival, [Fort Smith] is poised to become the largest outdoor art gallery in the state."

NAN What's Up on 09/04/2015