THE IDLE C L ASS SPACES & PLACES 2020
VOTE
ALL registered voters in Arkansas are eligible to vote by mail. Check “absent on Election Day” or “illness/disability on your request form.
DATES TO REMEMBER OCT
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recommended deadline to mail ballot vote by mail ballot request deadline
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OCT-NOV
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GENERAL ELECTION
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Letter from the PUBLISHER
our pal Chad Maupin featuring my late great bulldog, Ruben.
Kody Ford Founder + Publisher
We beat the coronavirus! Sort of. We took the summer off, and now we’re back with the Summer Issue. In the Fall. We managed to pull this one off by the skin of our teeth at a time when many publications have had to fold. So that’s a feat. We couldn’t have done it without our faithful advertisers and our supporters who bought Idle Class swag designed by
So how’s your 2020 been? If you’re like me, you’ve been eating the anxiety away and doing an embarrassing amount of online shopping (but look damn good). Perhaps you’ve put on your COVID 19, if you will, which calls for ordering new pants with an elastic waistband. During these strange times, I’ve been impressed by the amount of constitutional scholars who have come out of the woodwork regarding mask mandates. I had no idea we had so many people wellversed in civil liberties around the country. Maybe next these brave patriots will storm state legislatures to take on the scourge of Big Government pants edicts. But truly, I’ve been impressed by resilience in the face of adversity. People standing up
Three fabulous theatre-makers used their expertise and resources to create the Curbside Theatre project, bringing dramatic arts straight to the community’s doorsteps. Diverse visual artists collaborated on murals around Northwest Arkansas for the first annual Sprayetteville public art festival. We have all had to learn how to adapt during this pandemic. Whether it’s figuring out how to wear a mask without fogging up glasses, fundraising to keep our small businesses alive or finding the next adventure during unemployment debacles, we have all been challenged, encouraged and frankly, exhausted. The only neat thing about a worldwide pandemic is that it reminds us that we are never truly alone, even on the loneliest
As for The Idle Class, we aren’t out of the woods yet. Times were tough for independent publications prior to the sheer madness of 2020, and now they are even tougher. Fret not. The last few years haven’t exactly been smooth sailing, but we’ve always kept our heads above water. In the coming months, we plan to convert to a nonprofit model to gain more stability through grant funding and the guidance of a board of directors. It’s worked for many top-tier publications, so we’ll give it a shot. Then you can sign up for our OnlyFans — I mean, Patreon. (But for real, if the economy tanks more, I may be selling feet pics online so hit me up.) But stay strong out there, because the year ain’t over. Supersize those fries. Shop that J Crew clearance sale. Treat yourself.
Letter from the Editor
Why hello again—it’s been a while, friend. Doing an issue about innovative architecture and the great outdoors this year may seem a tad ironic, considering many of us are spending our time indoors staring at the same walls every day. Last year we encouraged you to spend time outdoors with your loved ones, capturing the beauty of our dear state in your camera lenses and hearts. This year, amidst these quarantined times, we're highlighting more wonderful artistic wizardry happening around the Natural State.
against government brutality and systemic racism. Organizations coming to help the homeless and others in need through food banks, mask making and rent assistance. Communities tightening at the core rather than fraying at the edges. These are the actions we need in times like this.
days. Want to virtually hang out with Kat Wilson? Now you can by #Geokatting on pages 14 and 15. Get inspired to lengthen Mother Earth’s life cycle with sustainable fashion advice from Emily “Onemanband” Smith on page 17.
The magazine is a small representation of the power of community. Without the support and talents of our friends and family within the art world and outside of it, we simply wouldn’t exist. It’s been a really amazing ride so far, and it wouldn’t be a true Arkansas journey without tripping over some rocks every now and then (or am I the only uncoordinated one here?). We have only scratched the surface of public art throughout the state, but use this issue as your field guide to discover new art around Arkansas. Take notes, doodle, dogear it. Add it as the centerpiece to your new, impulsive-quarantine-purchased coffee table (happens to the best of us). Send it to the friend you haven’t seen since March and share the connection. From my living room fort to yours, Julia
Julia Trupp Friendly Neighborhood Editor
SPACES &
PLACES 2020 FOUNDER + PUBLISHER
CONTRIBUTORS
Kody Ford
Summer El-Shahawy Laurie Marshall Chad Maupin Emily Smith Craig Wynn
THE TEAM
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Julia Trupp
ASSOCIATE EDITOR Jenny Vos
PHOTOGRAPHY
DESIGNER
Tom Harris Architectural Photography Daniel Moody Kat Wilson
Lane Kendall
MOMENTS OF POWER / PAGE 10 Trisha Guting’s collaboration with Kat Wilson on the Warrior Women series continues to make an impact and empower women.
FIND US WELL AND HOLD FAST / PAGE 13
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Three established theatre-makers join together to bring the magic of performance to the community’s doorsteps.
GOT THAT FASHION FEELING / PAGE 17
Northwest Arkansas-based visual artist and stylist extraordinaire Emily “Onemanband” Smith discusses the importance and relevance of sustainability in today’s fashion industry.
ARCHITECTS WE LOVE / PAGE 20
We talked with The Momentary’s lead architect Calli Verkamp, The Dancing Architect Brandon Bibby, and Ozark Modern’s Lucky McMahon about thoughtful architecture, trials and tribulations in the field, and what’s to come.
PAINT THE TOWN / PAGE 24 Mural art acts as a visual call-to-action. During a time of pandemic unease and civil unrest, various local artists united this summer to decorate the state with original public art, as well as raise awareness for the Black Lives Matter movement.
Fall & Winter 2020 HOT SPRINGS September Exhibit: Works by Tony Saladino and Stephen Selzer Justus Fine Art Gallery Reception: 5–9 p.m. Sept. 4 justusfineart.com The September exhibit at Justus Fine Art Gallery will feature a selection of new expressive abstract paintings by Tony Saladino. The exhibit will also introduce work by Stephen Selzer and showcase work by Robert Fogel, Robyn Horn, Dolores Justus, Sammy Peters, Sandra Sell, Gene Sparling and others. The show will open with a reception from 5 to 9 p.m. Friday, September 4. Due to COVID-19 precautions, no refreshments will be served during the opening. Attendees are asked to wear masks and to maintain recommended social distancing. Owned by artist Dolores Justus, Justus Fine Art Gallery offers a wide range of original art including sculpture, paintings, ceramics, photography and more by recognized artists. Opening receptions are held in conjunction with the Hot Springs Gallery Walk held from 5 to 9 p.m. on the first Friday of every month in downtown Hot Springs. Hours are 10 a.m.–5 p.m., Wednesday through Saturday and by appointment. Justus Fine Art Gallery is located at 827 A Central Avenue in Hot Springs.
Arts & The Park Sept. 25–Oct. 4 Arts & The Park, the 10-day celebration of the arts held each spring in Hot Springs has been rescheduled for September 25 - October 3 with outdoor and virtual offerings. Arts & The Park is hosted by the Hot Springs Area Cultural Alliance as part of the organization’s mission to celebrate the arts and culture of the Hot Springs area. Previous Arts and the Park festivals have included live performances, workshops, children's events, and exhibitions, however, due to coronavirus concerns, the 2020 events had to be rethought in order ensure the safety of presenters and attendees. Event schedule details can be found at hotspringsarts.org. 6 | The Idle Class
EVENTS LITTLE ROCK One Night in Miami film debut Oct. 1–4 arkansascinemasociety.org Regina King’s directorial film debut “One Night in Miami” captivated the crowd at the 77th annual Venice International Film Festival then took Toronto by storm at TIFF. Now, the fictionalized account of a 1964 meeting of icons Muhammad Ali, Malcolm X, Sam Cooke, and Jim Brown is coming to Little Rock. King directs a knockout cast which includes Leslie Odom Jr., Eli Goree, Kingsley Ben-Adir, and Aldis Hodge. FILMLAND is being held this year at the MP Outdoor Cinema, a 180 car drive-in movietheater. Tickets are not yet on sale, but will be available on the ACS website. ACS Memberships include advance notice of ticket sales and discounts on all tickets.
FAYETTEVILLE The Shape of Our World Art Ventures at Faulkner Performing Arts Center Aug. 21–Oct. 23 Artventures-nwa.org Our world is centered by the diversity of organisms that populate it; those that fit together through attributes that complement like yin and yang, hard and soft, short and tall, red and green. The Shape of Our World presents a diverse and complementary group of artists who create connections in the exhibition that ultimately center and balance each other. Featuring the works of Maryam Amirvaghefi, Eric Andre, Cheri Bohn, Beth Burgess, Shelby Fleming, Tom Flynn and Martin Morales, The Shape of Our World will be on display through Oct. 23 at the Faulkner Performing Arts Center in Fayetteville. Tickets can be purchased at artventures-nwa.org.
BENTONVILLE Scott Silven’s The Journey Sept. 29–Oct. 18 TheMomentary.org Using breathtaking visuals and immersive sound, The Journey, a new virtual experience by Scott Silven, will premiere at the Momentary at the end of September. The Journey is set amongst the landscape of Silven's childhood, where he shares a long forgotten story that reveals mysteries of the mind and unlocks the secret of his glorious Scottish homeland. Through extraordinary illusions and feats of imagination, the audience is invited to discover the path that connects them to Silven's past, their own present and a collective future. "It has been a pleasure to work with Scott Silven, a true master of his craft," said Lieven Bertels, director of the Momentary. "The Momentary was built to embrace the conversations of the current moment. Scott has found a new and engaging way to explore the ideas of home, place and connection in this moment, and we are excited to introduce him to our community in this way.” Ticket and show information can be found on the Momentary’s website.
Ansel Adams In Our Time Sept. 19, 2020–Jan. 3, 2021 CrystalBridges.org For more than 50 years, Ansel Adams captured the breathtaking beauty of the United States in stunning black-and-white photographs. Visitors will experience more than 100 of Adams’ most iconic works like never before. Experience national parks, the American Southwest, the desert and wilderness through the eyes of Ansel Adams and 24 of his contemporary successors including Mark Klett, Trevor Paglen, Catherine Opie, Will Wilson, Abelardo Morell, Victoria Sambunaris and Binh Danh, whose modernday environmental concerns point directly to Adams’ legacy. In addition to admiring the photographs themselves, explore the history and production of pre-digital photography through this unique exhibition.
SCOTT SILVEN’S THE JOURNEY SEPT. 29 - OCT. 18 THEMOMENTARY.ORG
SEPTEMBER EXHIBIT: WORKS BY TONY SALADINO AND STEPHEN SELZER JUSTUS FINE ART GALLERY RECEPTION: 5-9 P.M. SEPT. 4 JUSTUSFINEART.COM
ARTS & THE PARK SEPT. 25 - OCT. 4 HOTSPRINGSARTS.ORG
Spaces & Places | 7
Thank You To all the kind and generous souls who boosted their wardrobe with a slick new shirt or selflessly gave financial support to the magazine, thank you. Thank you for your years of support, love, excitement, intrigue, craft, talent and encouragement. We’ve aimed to keep this magazine free and accessible for everyone, and with your help, it will stay that way. And maybe we will make more cool apparel for our true fans to close out the year, who knows? Superstar thank you to Chad Maupin of BigBot Design for his immense talent and helpful execution of our rockin’ ringer tees, featuring our founder and publisher’s beloved pup, Ruben. From all of us at The Idle Class, cheers to you! • Aarash Tamijani
• Dusty Higgins
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• Elaine Jackson
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• Jess Watsky
• Pam Schock
• Case Dighero
• Joe and Suzi Schlecte
• Rachel Lynett
• Cassidy McCants
• John Kelley
• Rachel Miller
• Chad Gurley
• Joshua Travis
• Rick and Dee Trupp
• Chelsie Martin
• Julia Terry
• Robert Curtis
• Cheryl Kellar
• Katie Leopard
• Robert Gordon
• Chris King
• Katrinka Booth
• Samantha Brandeberry
• Cindi Zimmerman
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• Daniella Napolitano
• Keleigh Button
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• David Hamilton
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• Stefanie Bright
• Demara Titzer
• Lane Kendall
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• Derrick Mears
• Lauren McCormick
• Todd Porter
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• Wendy Love Edge
FEMALE FILMMAKERS TRIUMPH IN MALE-SATURATED INDUSTRY WORDS / KODY FORD PHOTO / DANIEL NANSEL If you can’t see it, you can’t be it. That’s the motto Arkansas Cinema Society executive director Kathryn Tucker has for expanding their educational programming to reach underserved communities. In recent years the number of female filmmakers has been on the rise, but women are still vastly underrepresented in the industry. Tucker, a member of the Director’s Guild of America, wants to open the door for young women to follow in the footsteps of director Kathryn Bigelow, producer Gale Ann Hurd and cinematographer Rachel Morrison. ACS has sought to raise the profile of filmmaking in the state. Co-founder and director Jeff Nichols (MUD, Loving) has hosted local roundtable discussions and screenings with friends and fellow industry professionals including Adam Driver and Joel Edgerton. Tucker has been the boots on the ground, creating programming to allow a generation of Arkansans to grow up with filmmaking as an achievable goal rather than a distant dream. The Filmmaking Lab for Teen Girls came from an article Tucker read about a similar program hosted by Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine Productions. ACS reached out to the company about franchising, but Hello Sunshine said they weren’t quite ready for it. So Tucker recruited high school teacher Rachel Norris to help her create their own unique curriculum and reached out to the executive director of The Women’s Foundation of Arkansas, who gave them a grant. The Filmmaking Lab for Teen Girls is now in its second year, and Tucker believes it is essential to providing education and inspiration for young girls.
“Since many of these [filmmaking] crafts are so male-dominated, girls do not have role models to look to,” Tucker said. “I know from experience, but when you are the only female on a set of 40 men, and you are trying to learn a craft like cinematography, or lighting, or gripping, it’s not the most comfortable learning environment. By having the lab be entirely female, we give girls an opportunity to learn traditionally male-dominated crafts in a very supportive, comfortable environment because it's a level playing field.” A simple application was opened to the general public. They chose participants based on their interest in film and prioritized girls who had little to no access to film careers in their communities. While COVID-19 caused some changes in format, much of the curriculum and process stayed the same during the second year, which took place during four weeks in July. The faculty of film professionals took lab members through the entire process of filmmaking, from story idea, to pitch, screenwriting, pre-production, production, editing, sound design, music composition and credits. They invited working filmmakers to give masterclasses on each of their respective crafts. This year, because of COVID-19, they were able to invite filmmakers from all over the country to participate via Zoom— including screenwriter Lucy Alibar (Beasts of the Southern Wild, Troop Zero, Where the Crawdads Sing), make-up artist Alexis Walker (The Voice, Grown Ups, Just Go With It), production designer Melisa Myers, editor and Arkansas Native Lizzy Calhoun, to name a few. Screenwriter Graham Gordy, director
Josh Miller, cinematographer Gabe Mayhan, composer Amos Cochran, lighting technician Brian Johnson, sound designer Stuck On On, editor Mike Mckinnis and VFX artist and editor Les Galusha also held masterclasses for the lab via Zoom. They had one socially distant and safe production day with professional Arkansas filmmakers mentoring the girls in small groups, offering them hands-on training in directing, producing, cinematography, sound recording and art direction. Mentors included director Jen Gerber, producer Kathryn Tucker, cinematographer Gabe Mayhan, art director Zach Turner, lighting tech Brian Johnson, sound mixer Amy Sandefur and script supervisor Hannah Whitney. Despite the challenges of distance learning, Tucker is pleased with the results. “The girls are all amazing to get to know and be around,” she said. “I felt the teen girl in me come back to life a bit. The films that the girls have made have also been incredible—and last year alone four of our lab participants ended up going to college for film. Our numbers are still small, but our impact on those we are able to reach has been pretty powerful it seems. Most importantly, both years, the girls were all from different high schools so they didn’t know one another before the lab. It takes collaborators to make films and arming these girls with one another so they can help each other make movies is one of my favorite byproducts of the lab.” //ARKANSASCINEMASOCIETY.ORG
MOMENTS OF
POWER Trisha Guting’s collaboration with Kat Wilson on the Warrior Women series continues to make an impact and empower women.
WORDS / SUMMER EL-SHAHAWY PHOTO / KAT WILSON In a male-dominated world, work dedicated to female empowerment is a wonderful respite from ever-dejecting statistics. Fortunately, Trisha Guting and Kat Wilson created Warrior Women, a portrait series that honors and testifies to the strength women possess. In this collaboration, Guting designed the attire and Wilson photographed the subjects. The results are beautiful photos that encourage and celebrate the strength of women. The project began two years ago, and was in part a reaction to incidents of "Fayetteville Famous" white male artists preying on women in the community. Guting said she firmly believes that the local creative scene needs to speak out against these predators, making sure to not victim-blame women and invalidate their experiences. Guting and Wilson were also inspired by the women in their own lives and the frustration of not always being able to protect them. The two wanted a space that welcomed these Warriors. “We can invite them into our creative spaces where we feel the most brave and the most free,” Guting said. “We can document it and share those moments of power.” Guting said the collaboration only took a simple knock on her studio door. “Kat asked if I could make her look like a mash-up between Queen Elizabeth the First and Tina Turner from Beyond Thunderdome,” Guting said. “Of course I could, no questions asked. Her self-portrait was published in The Idle Class, actually, in all its glory. It was such an exciting and natural collaboration we had to keep it going.” In her designs for the Warriors’ armor, Guting said she is sure to learn each Warrior’s story and discusses moments in their life when 10 | The Idle Class
they felt vulnerable but stood up for themselves anyway. She then repurposes clothing, images and items from that time to create unique armor for each Warrior. In addition, Guting is a selfproclaimed “trash artist,” meaning she commits to a sustainable art practice by using 80 percent post-consumer materials including bottle caps, plastic bags and CDs. Guting said female empowerment is part of her DNA. Her grandmother’s village in the Philippines was referred to as “Malacampa” (The Bad Camp), because of how fiercely it was defended against an attempted Spanish invasion. She also told the story of Gabriela Silang, a revolutionary who led the movement for Filipino independence after her husband was assassinated and is now a national heroine. “My mother taught me I could do anything, not in spite of being a woman, but because of it,” Guting said. “Even my dad says, ‘You don’t tell Trisha what to do.’” Guting said this series is important to society, especially at this time. “When we look at the culture of our country right now, we see so many women standing up, speaking up and leveling up,” Guting said. “Warrior Women helps honor this energy. We seek a future where portraits like these are the norm: they hang in museums, city halls, and the White House, telling the story of how we chose to drive our own destinies.”
// @OUTOFHANDCOLLECTIVE // @KATWILSONARTIST
QUARANTINE CREATIVES:
WORDS / KODY FORD A few years ago, Phillip Rex Huddleston, and his friend, writer Jesse Holcomb, stopped in Harrison for some antiquing. There, he saw these porcelain Avon figurines and joked about creating a board game for Edith Wharton’s novel The Age of Innocence. His mind kicked into gear and by the time they left the store, Huddleston had devised most of the game mechanics and was set on creating the thing. He bought all the figurines they had (and Holcomb later found the complete collection for him elsewhere). Although the figurines are no longer a part of the game (due to copyright considerations), each one sits atop Huddleston’s bookshelf and watches him devise the game throughout quarantine. The board game takes place at the beginning of the novel, during the 15-minute intermission of the opera Faust. Players compete for an invitation to Regina Beaufort’s annual ball. Using their unique qualities of beauty, heritage, wealth, and wit, moving about various locations within the opera house to gain reputation points. To win, some players may want to encounter as many companions as possible. Some players may want to spread 12 | The Idle Class
rumors about others to bring about their downfall. Some may rely on incidents and items to grow in power. Many of Huddleston’s friends have helped with the inner workings of the game, including four players from his Dungeons & Dragons group who assisted in interpreting strategy and mechanics. Huddleston looks forward to beta-testing the game with his D&D group in the future. For the artwork of the player characters, he asked several people to pose for illustrations. “Designing the cards, characters, and board are some of the most wonderful parts of creating a game,” Huddleston says. “I highly recommend game design for creatives (especially with all this time on our hands) as it’s very therapeutic and meditative.” Given the social nature of a multiplayer game, quarantine has slowed Huddleston’s progress, but not dampened his spirits.
“As I continued to design the game during quarantine, I realized I was not going to be able to playtest any time soon,” he says. “There was something kind of tragic about creating a communal game while in isolation. I loaded the files of artwork and spreadsheets of effects onto a hard drive — all waiting to be printed, played, and picked apart.” In July, after moving from his former home— the Garland House, where he held many arts events including some with The Idle Class— Huddleston came across his Avon figurines and placed them above his living room shelf. “They are a daily reminder,” he says, “that quarantine and social distancing will end one day, that we’ll be surrounded by loved ones with so much to share, and that I’ll force them all to stop their revelling to read the convoluted rules of The Age of Innocence: The Board Game.”
FIND US WELL AND HOLD FAST Three established theatre-makers join together to bring the magic of performance to the community’s doorsteps.
WORDS / SUMMER EL-SHAHAWY These days, seemingly endless Zoom calls and emails that hope to “find us well” have us all holding fast to our sanity. Luckily Laura Shatkus, Kholoud Sawaf and Mischa Hutchings aren’t sending us another email— these talented women are bringing theatre right to our doorsteps. “Hold Fast” is the title of the traveling theatre piece developed by Shatkus, Sawaf, and Hutchings. It was born out of the three asking themselves, “What do people need during this pandemic?” As a result, the story centers around astronauts in isolation as the United States enters the fourth month of quarantine and social distancing due to COVID-19. The production team used an approach from Tectonic Theater Project’s Moment Work to develop the play. The technique breaks down a play into a moment-bymoment process. “It assumes that anything onstage can be split into small moments that create the narrative using any element,” Sawaf said. “It
could be a costume, a sound, or the text, and each of these components have totally equal weight as a piece of the narrative.” This particular artistic process in combination with the act of taking theatre to their audience has resulted in both audience and creative accessibility. After making theatre mobile, the group realized a traditional building wasn’t accessible, not only during a pandemic, but in everyday life. “Traditional buildingas don’t take into account transportation, childcare, or demographics,” Hutchings said. “Being able to take this show to someone’s lawn means we’re able to perform where it is most needed.” The co-creators had fundraising in place to pay artists for their work and offer their traveling show for free. To make requesting a performance as equitable as possible, they created a Google form where potential audience members described themselves
and the challenges they had reaching theatre. When all was said and done, the Hold Fast team performed a whopping 30 shows in July, sometimes multiple times a day. For the most part, the shows stayed within Fayetteville and lasted about 35 minutes to accommodate actors’ needs for public restrooms and other logistics. Shatkus said that the way Hold Fast has been performed has revolutionized theatre. “We are actively doing the work to make theatre accessible,” Shatkus said. “We’re artists; we are just scrappy, ambitious idiots setting an example.” Shatkus, Sawaf, and Hutchings, as well as other creatives, have been working for free. Their endeavors are supported by on-going tax-deductible donations through Fractured Atlas. // DONATE fundraising.fracturedatlas.org/arkansasstaged Spaces & Places | 13
ART FOR EVERYONE Voted Best Art Gallery 2019 in“Best of Northwest Arkansas”
THE SHAPE OF OUR WORLD
Frame Fayetteville
800 North College Avenue Fayetteville, AR 72701 479.422.7170
Photo Credit: Jeannie Hulen
Framing fine art, photography, momentos & more.
Through October 23, 2020
Art Ventures@FaulknerPAC
www.artventures-nwa.org
contact@artventuresnwa.org
FILMLAND 2020
DRIVE-IN + DIGITAL EXPERIENCE OCTOBER 1 - 4, 2020
In order to have an in-person event and stay connected to our community, FILMLAND 2020 will be a Drive-In Film Festival at MP Outdoor Cinema, 6700 Allied Way in Little Rock, Ark. We’ll have local food trucks each night along with other movie concessions available for purchase.The FILMLAND Drive-In will host 4 nights of films followed by a Q&A with the filmmakers.
ACS MEMBERSHIPS NOW ONLY $50! FILMLAND 2020 will also have a Digital Experience for FILMLAND: ARKANSAS and post-screening Q&As. Our brand-new digital platform has native Apple TV, Roku, and Android TV apps and an option to screen cast from computers and mobile devices. FILMLAND 2020 Digital Experience is only accessible with an ACS Membership and is included with your membership fee.
for more information: FILMLAND.ORG
16 | The Idle Class
GOT THAT
FASHION
FEELING Northwest Arkansas-based visual artist and stylist extraordinaire Emily “Onemanband” Smith discusses the importance and relevance of sustainability in today’s fashion industry. WORDS + STYLING / EMILY SMITH MODEL / MILKDADD PHOTOS / KAT WILSON
The United States imports a lot of apparel, and nearly all of it ends up in landfills within a couple of years. The modern textile industry uses 5,000 gallons of water to manufacture a cotton T-shirt and pair of jeans, and the statistics get worse from there. In the industry of fast, throwaway fashion, the ends simply do not justify the means. [ENTER STAGE LEFT: the star of our show, SUSTAINABLE FASHION] Sustainability in fashion is not a new concept. Heck, I've personally been perched high atop my soapbox, preachin' and singin' its praises since the late 1990s when fast fashion (wear it twice, then throw it away) first emerged. Buying something quickly and cheaply at a chain store may seem like a good idea at the time, but it's a lot like throwing water on a Gremlin. You know better, but you do it anyway, and soon enough, it is all out Gremlin Armageddon. We all know the story. We are quite literally burying ourselves in our own overconsumption. I simply cannot reference a movie from 1984 without discussing the brilliance that is vintage clothing. Vintage is rare and therefore, far more difficult to obtain, making it more desirable overall, whether to wear or collect, it gets better—and even rarer—with age. You can almost smell the quality, craftsmanship, and intended longevity. Yes, vintage clothing is still out there, waiting to be rescued and loved and reutilized. Other quality secondhand pieces that are not necessarily vintage are also ripe for the picking at retailers who specialize in used apparel, such as the Goodwill Industries of NWA, having many accessible locations in Bentonville, Siloam Springs, Rogers, Springdale, Bella Vista and Fayetteville. Regardless of how you construct your wardrobe, consider the validity of your purchase: is it necessary? How long do I plan to keep the item? When you do buy, choose quality over quantity, have your garments mended when need be and trade clothes with friends when you're
Spaces & Places | 17
ready to move on. All of these small choices can make a huge difference supporting more sustainable fashion and textile practices and, in doing so, create a healthier environment. [ENTER STAGE RIGHT: FASHIONABLE DRAMA] The wardrobe I chose for this beautiful editorial spread is 100 percent recycled, reused and sustainable. Each individual piece tells its own unique story, every handmade necklace has a whispered past. After all, the architecture of style has never existed in a single storefront, brand name, or designer extraordinaire. Rather, true style is an amalgamation of all the right parts coming together at the right time to create a feeling, a mood, a drama. From the pinstriped 1970s cotton overalls, to the hot pink 1950s can-can slip, I wanted to paint a picture of the possibility that sustainability provides. // ONEMANBAND.GALLERY 18 | The Idle Class
PHOTO / DANIEL MOODY INTERVIEW / JULIA M. TRUPP PHOTOGRAPHER / TOM HARRIS ARCHITECTURAL PHOTOGRAPHY
What was your inspiration and process like for The Momentary? At the Momentary, our inspiration came largely from the existing building and the history of the site. WKA and the owner approached the project committed to the adaptive reuse process and all that comes along with that. We started by visiting the building, with the owner and our consultants, and investigating every room with this question: “What qualities of this space can be adapted for an outstanding arts experience?” At times, the answers surprised everyone. We were excited by the notion that the Momentary would be unlike a traditional art museum in every way. Its unpretentious structure scaffolds the work of the artists without competing with it. There is no hushed silence associated with a traditional gallery or museum. The Momentary’s mission will never be finished and we expect the environment to evolve over time as well. In addition to finding inspiration in the history of the building, we also looked farther back at the history of the site. The land of the Momentary was once Osage hunting land, and in recognition of that the Momentary presents its oldest history as part of its newest additions. Wheeler Kearns worked directly with Addie Roanhorse, a mixed-media artist and resident of the Osage Nation reservation in Eastern Oklahoma, to integrate her graphic designs into the building. Roanhorse’s designs appear as frit onto glass elements in the building’s loading dock or ‘container’, the entryway, and tower. At the loading dock, the design is transformed into a gradient that makes the addition appear to ‘float’ in place. At the entry, the design is more graphic and is meant to welcome visitors into the entry. At 20 | The Idle Class
the tower scrim, the design uses four different opacities as the tower rises and allows for video projection. Roanhorse’s designs are inspired by traditional Osage weaving patterns and pay homage to the history of the land around the Momentary.
AGE: 30 PRONOUNS: She/Her/Hers HOMETOWN: Charleston, AR
As a woman, what's it like to work in a male-dominated industry? Are there any specific challenges?
EDUCATION: University of
When I chose to go into Architecture it did not occur to me that I might be at a disadvantage as a woman. I have been lucky to work at a firm that values diversity. At Wheeler Kearns, one-third of our shareholders are women and minorities, and half of our employees are women. I know that this is not the standard for the industry as only about 20% of licensed architects are women. As an industry, we must do better than that.
TITLE: Project Architect
As I am sure any woman in architecture or construction can attest, I am very often the only woman at the table. While it is something that I have gotten used to, more representation and diversity will only improve the process and the result and it is something we must constantly, actively, work towards.
When did you realize architecture and design was a passion of yours? I have always been intrigued by design and construction. In addition to his job as an Air Traffic Controller, my dad worked in construction and built many homes for our relatives and neighbors in Charleston, AR,including the home that I grew up in. Throughout my childhood I paid many visits to these construction sites on the weekends and loved seeing how the houses would transform from drawing to reality.
Arkansas Fay Jones School of Architecture + Design FIRM: Wheeler Kearns LOCATION: Chicago, IL
As I was finishing high school, I considered both Architecture and Engineering. I remember visiting the Fay Jones Architecture School with my mom and seeing all the models and drawings displayed on the walls. At that moment I instantly made my choice. I realize now that I had no idea what I was really getting myself into. I did not know what a job in the architecture and design profession looked like, I hadn’t known an architect during my childhood. But I knew that I enjoyed the coursework and liked that it constantly challenged me. It wasn’t until after my third year in school that I hit my stride and realized that I was in the right career; I was doing something that I really enjoyed and could maybe be good at. I am still working hard to get better at what I do and to help people create spaces that they feel ownership of, that feel inviting for the community. I have learned so much from my colleagues at Wheeler Kearns. Architecture still constantly challenges me, and I think that is why I enjoy it so much. Every project is a new challenge that requires a fresh perspective.
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Personally, I was also very honored to be able to work on something that is going to have a positive impact on my home state and my home region. The Momentary is a project that my family is going to be able to visit and specifically benefit from and I was honored to be a small part of the process.
Project Team
Client: Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art Contractor: Flintco Civil Engineer: McClelland Engineers Landscape Architect: Howell & Vancuren Structural Engineer: Thornton Tomasetti MEP/FP and IT Engineer: McGuire Engineers Lighting Consultant: Lux Populi Theatre Designer: Schuler Shook Acoustic and AV Design: Threshold Acoustics Kitchen Design: Edge Associates Interiors / Branding / Signage: FODA Artist: Addie Roanhorse (glass frit patterns)
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30 :AGE She/Her/Hers :PRONOUNS Memphis, TN + :HOMETOWN Mountain Home, AR :EDUCATION University of Arkansas Fay Jones School of Architecture + Design Project Architect :TITLE Ozark Modern :FIRM Fayetteville, AR :LOCATION
Lucky McMahon graduated from the University of Arkansas with her Bachelor of Architecture degree in 2013. Now, McMahon works as a Project Architect at Ozark Modern. Between her time at the firm, working as a board commissioner for the Fayetteville Housing Authority and raising a vizsla and two kittens with her wife at home, McMahon has managed to stay busy and involved with the community amidst this year’s pandemic. The Idle Class chatted with McMahon about thoughtful architecture and her experiences as a woman in a male-dominated field.
What led you to architecture? Has that always been your interest?
What have you been working on during quarantine times?
I grew up in a small, rural town, and there were no architects as far as I knew. Architects are professionals, like lawyers and doctors, but most people don’t interact with them. I wasn’t really aware of the profession growing up.
I’m designing two restaurants, a pocket neighborhood, and a couple houses; we [Ozark Modern] also have several projects under construction and a couple that just finished. We have been surprisingly busy during quarantine!
It’s hard to say exactly what led me to architecture; I think it was more a slow triangulation of a multitude of interests. Architecture is one of the most broad-minded professions that, in my case, combines many of my life-long interests: from poetry, literature, photography, art, drawing, and representation, all the way to building science, environmentalism, geometry and technical problem-solving.
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One of the restaurants is in a cool, historic brick building in downtown Rogers. We’re really trying to accentuate the character of the building shell by removing the acoustic tile ceilings, plaster and drywall to reveal the original steel structure, tin ceiling and exposed masonry walls. The interior of the restaurant will have giant skylights and a custom steel wine rack that weaves throughout the space. It’s going to be very dramatic and textural.
How can thoughtful architecture and design change a space or place? Architecture and design give shape to every facet of our lives—from where we work, to live, to learn and play. Unfortunately, most of the built environment is thoughtlessly made. With enough empathy and imagination, architecture can surpass the “default” to become a space of activation and enrichment.
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AGE: 30 PRONOUNS: He/Him/His HOMETOWN: El Dorado, AR EDUCATION: University of Arkansas Fay Jones School of Architecture + Design Brandon Bibby uses a journal filled with written thoughts, stories and experiences to guide his design—an atypical approach to the design process. “It’s a habit I picked TITLE: Architectural up as a choreographer that has found its way into my architectural design process,” Designer/Intern Architect he says. From there, he will hand-sketch or use the Sketchup app to conceptualize FIRM: Witsell Evans Rasco the overall rendering. The Idle Class chatted with Bibby about being The Dancing Architects/Planners Architect and what piqued his interest in architecture and design. LOCATION: Little Rock, AR What led you to architecture? Has that always been your interest? My roots are in the performing arts. Floating between music, martial arts, and dance I developed a fascination with the complexities of movement, rhythm, and sound. I had an interest in pursuing professional dance but chose to seek a different career path. When trying to figure out what I wanted in a career, I kept going back to the opportunities aided by my mom. A single mother with two kids and an aging mother living in a twobedroom house. There may not be much to it physically, but that house is rich in pride and full of stories which is what inspired me to be an architect.
Tell us more about being the Dancing Architect! Do you find that your work overlaps, or do you keep the crafts separate? How long have you been dancing? Choreography and architecture as disciplines share principles of design. Both manipulate space in order to compose and define physical relationships. Each is capable of directing bodies to visualize rhythms and narratives. I intentionally search for the overlaps so that over time the distinction between the practice of architecture and the art of dance dissolves in my work. It’s about the experience of space crafted for and by the body.
As a Black artist, what has been your experience working in a white dominated industry? Any specific challenges you have overcome? Fourteen-percent of Americans are black. The Black experience consists of being in constant awareness of white privilege. The architectural industry is no anomaly to the system. Two-percent of licensed Architects in America are black. Less than 2,500 Black Americans are in positions of authority to influence design and construction in America’s 35,000 cities and towns plagued by discriminatory urban planning and design practices. The challenge is being in a profession that has historically aided in perpetuating systemic racism and often being the only one in the room who has experienced it.
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PAINT THE TOWN Mural art acts as a visual call-to-action. During a time of pandemic unease and civil unrest, various local artists united this summer to decorate the state with original public art and raise awareness for the Black Lives Matter movement. WORDS / LAURIE MARSHALL Mural art is a relative newcomer here in Northwest Arkansas, but globally, it’s possible to draw a pretty straight line from images of animals etched onto cave walls over 40,000 years ago to the tagging, stenciling and poster bombing that emerged in the United States in the 1970s and 80s when, fed up with marginalization and injustice in their communities, young people began to demand attention in a way that was highly visible and that didn’t require an improbable conversation with their city councilperson. Those voices continue to speak out in 2020 through the No Justice, No Peace mural in Fayetteville. Designed and coordinated by artist Sharon Killian, the mural was part of the Fayetteville in Living Color event organized by University of Arkansas students Taliyah Brooks and Markus Ballangee. The event was held on June 20 and attended by over 300 people. According to Killian, the event was focused on encouraging unity in the community and social equality for all people while bringing awareness to the Black Lives Matter movement. Proceeds were donated to NWA African American Heritage Association. Killian, who also serves as president of Art Ventures in Fayetteville, engaged artists with different cultural backgrounds to create a mural that spoke with one voice—a task she admits was not easy to achieve, especially given the diversity of styles and mediums local artists embrace. Diversity was important to Killian as she chose artists because, as she explains, “art is created in its various forms to speak truth in the myriad perspectives that we embody, and can make [an] impact both inside and outside of our communities.” Artists who joined Killian in the creation of the mural were Morgan Bame, Hannah Newsom Doyle, Octavio Logo, Joelle Storet and Jody Travis Thompson. Killian, like other Black artists and artists of color, brings her very personal perspective to the work she does, not just because she wants to tell those stories, but because she literally cannot not do so. “From the perspective of my Black eyes,” explains Killian, “this extreme pressure is one that people like me have lived [with] all of their lives [. . .] Black people don’t get to put that pressure aside when it gets too intense. Unity in feeling extreme pressure about racial disparity and injustice is an important way of bringing people together to make change. Art is always in the mix.”
In designing the mural, Killian represented the history of Black people in Northwest Arkansas. She referenced images of Black youth from Fayetteville whose lineages date back to the 1800s and portrayed students who attended the Henderson School, the first school for African Americans in Fayetteville. The Black man featured is Willie Tillman, who was killed by a Fayetteville police officer in May 2016. The piece reminds us that throughout history, and still today, there are people in Northwest Arkansas who are treated unjustly because of their skin color, and we don’t have to let it continue. “What we are dealing with in this country and in the Western world,” Killian points out, “is a system of white supremacy that from generation to generation continues to work to maintain hold on a universal lie. This is a choice.” // NWAHERITAGE.ORG
“Art is created in its various forms to speak truth in the myriad perspectives that we embody, and can make [an] impact both inside and outside of our communities.”
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arkansas PUBLIC ART R E PA I N T H AT E Graffiti is old as time, and offensive messages have been with us almost as long. Over the past few years, racists have become emboldened and left hateful slurs on walls across America. Fayetteville resident Olivia Trimble decided to take a stand against this. Back in 2016, Trimble, a sign painter by trade, saw that someone had painted the n-word on the old city hospital (now the site of the upcoming Fayetteville Public Library expansion). Trimble became angry and decided to paint over it with the phrase, “Love Always Wins.” The response was overwhelming, she said, so she started an organization called Repaint Hate. Trimble thinks art can play a huge role in achieving social justice through messaging, community engagement and direct action. “Art can draw people into tough conversations in a non-threatening way," she said."It uses multiple senses to convey a message through 26 | The Idle Class
By Kody Ford
beauty that can be a gateway for thought, and, hopefully, positive action towards a greater good.”
“Art can draw people into tough conversations in a non-threatening way." Since Repaint Hate began Trimble has covered six pieces of hate speech, but only her piece “Love Unites Us” has been kept long-term. Currently, she is staying busy with her day jobs—working on a mural on the old Farmer’s Coop on Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard in Fayetteville; a sign restoration; a few quilt murals; and a residency at Meadow Creek, a 400-acre nonprofit retreat and learning center in Fox, dedicated to enriching and sustaining rural communities this winter. Still, when the call comes she always makes time to Repaint Hate.
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FAYETTEVILLE •
TigerSasha + Marcus Ford
B-Unlimited
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Jessica Jones
Dickson street bookstore
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Eugene sargent + Octavio logo
Fenix gallery on the square
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EATS + X3mex
free geek off township
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Brick avenue lofts
LITTLE ROCK H T 7 N O E C PEA WORDS + PHOTOS / CRAIG WYNN
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A self-organized collection of street artists have transformed an obscure section of 7th Street that passes under a pair of railway bridges into an enormous outdoor gallery filled with art themed around social justice. The paintings intermix depictions of national civil rights movements with those from Little Rock. Martin Luther King, Jr. can be seen next to Daisy Bates; Bradley Berkshire’s name is listed near Breonna Taylor. It quilts together a larger narrative about inequality while paying tribute to some of those who devoted their lives to greater social equity. The artists of 7th Street represent a diverse cross-section of Little Rock in age, heritage, gender and artistic discipline. Some of them have been doing street art for decades, while others have recently transitioned from more traditional media.
Although efforts on the 7th Street Murals began in 2015 for an annual event called Peace Week, the majority of the works covering the quarter mile of wall space have been produced since X3mex painted a mural of George Floyd earlier this year. The Floyd mural quickly spread across social media and drew more and more people to 7th street. The murals have become a rallying point for activists in Little Rock. In June a demonstration of students, educators and persons of solidarity marched from the state Capitol to the murals, drawing over a thousand people into the urban canyon. Since then, this once neglected space has seen a steady stream of visitors, along with more artists and more murals being put up. Community volunteers have responded through donating money and supplies to the artists as well as by clearing vegetation and litter.
Support the 7th Street Mural Project Cashapp: ($7thstmuralproject) or Venmo: (@PaintBucketLR).
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4 7th street artists 1. Nicole + Eats 2. Talia 3. kevin kresse 4. matt bivens + Allen Human + X3mex 5. X3Mex + Jermaine gibson 6. Hamid 7. x3mex
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More Sights To See • Thrive Center Artists
West helena • Giuseppe percivati
Hot Springs • MIlkdadd Southern
Blonde + Co / Little rock
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