Wow. That was the first word out of my mouth when I stepped into Griffin First Financial Music Hall in downtown El Dorado. I've never seen anything that even resembles the exhibition of art that was on display there. I'm still shaking my head in wonder.
The night before the exhibition's formal opening on Feb. 1, Vertis and I were there for a preview of AstroZone, described as "an interactive art exhibition, which is a unique collaboration between Crystal Bridges and Murphy Arts District and represents the first time Crystal Bridges has curated an off-site exhibition with a partner organization."
That partnership has delivered an artistic home run.
Our visit started with a reception in Griffin Restaurant, which has performances called Thursday Night Live along with other entertainment presentations and serves simply wonderful food on a nightly basis.
The Griffin building is so large that a full-size restaurant with a large kitchen and stage can operate in front of the main auditorium. The mezzanine has a big balcony and meeting rooms that overlook First Financial Music Hall.
The building is part of Phase One of El Dorado Festivals and Events Inc. In Phase Two, Murphy Arts District will also include an art museum, which will occupy the four-story McWilliams Building across the street, a hotel called the Haywood that will open in May, and the renovation and restoration of El Dorado's crown jewel, the Rialto Theater, into a Broadway touring production destination.
After about an hour into the reception, we were directed to the north windows. We looked outside where a huge inflatable piece of art--40 feet tall and 20 feet wide--was glowing with throbbing background music and moving with a dozen choreographed dancers inside. You could only see them from their knees down as they danced.
It was on the grassy area across the street from the Griffin. As we were ushered into the waiting area in front of First Financial Music Hall, we could hardly wait to see the rest of the exhibit.
Because of First Financial Music Hall's large size and arched ceiling without interior posts to block views, it is a perfect place for this art exhibition.
The Griffin building was constructed in the mid-1920s with the flood of money that washed over south Arkansas during the oil boom. Still, I find it remarkable that this huge building with its intricate steel arches could be constructed in a small Southern town. Originally it was the showroom, offices and garage for the El Dorado dealership of Ford Motor Company. The open space in First Financial Music Hall will seat 2,200.
But just what is AstroZone? If I had to describe it, I would do so in terms of sound, size, color, lighting, and texture. All are blended in the massive pieces of inflatable art that hang from the ceiling or stretch upward 20 to 30 feet along walls, or seem to slink around the floor. More than anything else, it is an encompassing work that blends together and touches all of the senses.
I was especially intrigued with the varied textures felt as you touched the pieces, and in the same area there were individuals clothed in skin-tight multicolored bodysuits.
Chicago-based artist Claire Helen Ashley, originally from Scotland, explains: "This site-specific immersive installation of painted inflatable sculptures draws upon the artist's futuristic visions of extra-terrestrial life from alien landscapes. The exhibition takes inspiration from myriad sources including bio-luminescent organisms, Aurora Borealis, 3D printed motions habitats, cocoons, asteroids, sci-fi, invertebrates, jellyfish blooms, Star Trek episodes, astrological charts, weather balloons, Kraftwerk's "The Robots," psychotropic drugs, disco, Laser Tag, tropical foliage, Saturday Night Fever, Bee Gees' "Night Fever," beach balls, self-help books, rock climbing holds, dinosaur eggs, fossils, space suits, the primordial ooze, and the myth of the Garden of Eden."
If that doesn't pique your interest, nothing will.
If you are an educator, AstroZone is something you and your students shouldn't miss. A visit to the exhibit is guaranteed to expand a student's imagination and provide a learning experience that will stay with them as they are involved in future multidisciplinary activities.
To schedule a group visit, contact Gay Bechtelheimer at [email protected]. Gay, who is also a talented artist, has already lined up 6,000 students to visit the exhibit. The enthusiasm she has for the exhibition will make you anxious to immerse yourself in the pleasure of what a talented artist with imagination can do for your senses.
It seems trite for me, a non-artist, to describe the exhibition, but what comes to mind is a quote from Michelin Guide to Restaurants. There are restaurants that Michelin describes as "worth a journey," and I can confidently say AstroZone is certainly worth a journey.
The exhibition is open from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday through April 4. Admission is free.
Email Richard Mason at [email protected].
Editorial on 02/16/2020