A public hearing for Southwest Arkansas Arts Council (SWAAC) was held in downtown Hope at the Chamber of Commerce Office today. The purpose of the hearing was to allow the public to ask questions of and pose ideas to visiting artists Paul Hester, from Texas, and David Griggs, from Colorado; these two artists were in Hope from 1996 to 2000 for the art project at the train depot. They are back in Hope to work on a new public art project sponsored by SWAAC. They spent the day in Hope touring to assess needs, assets, and potential of public spaces and concluded with the hearing. The room was full of interested citizens and the ideas were plentiful. Some of the suggestions were for some creative projects related to a pocket park, interactive public venues, and communal spaces for the public. A few suggestions were made to possibly engage the local children to see where their interests lie. Rodney Steele, Vice President of SWAAC and Committee Head of this project, shared with participants that this project was still very early in the process and more conversations would come, but that's part of what makes this process enjoyable. "What excites me about public art are the possibilities," said Steele. "Public art has the ability to inspire people and change lives. I look forward to see what this project does for Hope."
To get more info about SWAAC and the public art project, visit http://swa-artscouncil.squarespace.com/about.
Stay tuned to SWARK.Today for updates on this public art project from SWAAC.
David and Paul
Rodney introducing David and Paul
