The unveiling of the Conway Community Mural will highlight the first Conway ArtsFest at Simon Park downtown on Saturday. The theme of the festival is “Uniting Campus and Community,” and officials from UCA and Hendrix College have worked with community leaders to plan the event, which will highlight arts opportunities in Conway.
The mural is a historically-themed, 26 x 36 foot piece on the south side of Conway City Hall facing Simon Park. It celebrates the relationship between Conway?s educational institutions and the city and is spearheaded by Morton Brown, a UCA alumnus now based in Pittsburgh, who is one of UCA’s College of Fine Arts and Communication?s artists in residence this fall.
The UCA Pinnacle Brass will open the day?s activities at noon. The mural dedication ceremony will take place at 12:30, followed by an afternoon of family-friendly, interactive activities:
1-1:45 p.m. – Hendrix College Theatre Arts and Dance: Anansi Does the Impossible, an interactive performance based on an African folktale, on the Simon Park Lawn;
1-3:45 – UCA Shorts: a Selection of Short Films by UCA Faculty and Students; district court building (west of Simon Park across the railroad tracks);
2-2:45 – Arkansas Shakespeare Theatre: Shakespeare in the Park; a comedic three-man version of Romeo and Juliet; onstage, Simon Park;
4-5 – Chamber Music Concert featuring Cross Town Trio (UCA and Hendrix): Jackie Lamar (UCA), Karen Griebling (Hendrix) and John Krebs (Hendrix); vocal ensemble consisting of Suzanne Banister (UCA and Hendrix) and Joanne McDade (Hendrix), with Carol Anthony (UCA); UCA Pinnacle Brass, at Reves Recital Hall inside the Trieschmann Fine Arts Building at Hendrix College;
5-6 – Reception, Reves Recital Hall inside the Trieschmann Fine Arts Building at Hendrix College.
There will also be sidewalk chalk available for young artists to use throughout the day. A shuttle bus will be available to transport patrons from downtown to the Hendrix campus.
“Conway is a vibrant city, filled with artists and arts educators teaching at our colleges,” said Dr. Rollin Potter, dean of UCA’s College of Fine Arts and Communication. “The ArtsFest is our first organized effort to bring the campuses together to present a series of arts events and forms of recognition. It should be a rewarding day, filled with ways to enjoy Conway’s artists and our community.”
For more information, visit www.artsinconway.com.
