Arkansas’s art renaissance is unfolding across the state with some entities sprouting from new terrain and some refashioned from urban fabric. The building itself, the art within and the interaction between the institution and the community contribute to, and sometimes define, quality of place. The days of elitism are gone, with today’s art institutions functioning as catalysts across cultural, economic and social-equity sectors.
Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art and The Momentary in Bentonville, the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts in Little Rock and the Arts & Science Center for Southeast Arkansas in Pine Bluff exemplify the redevelopment potential that comes with an art institution in the neighborhood. Northwest Arkansas has seen the financial and quality-of-life impact that landed it as No. 7 on Money’s Best Places to Live 2019. Little Rock citizens voted overwhelmingly to support the expansion of the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts, and donors have exceeded the initial fundraising goals, all resounding indicators of devotion to this venerable art institution. Pine Bluff’s Arts & Science Center continues its small but mighty tradition with the renovation and transformation of two historic buildings adjacent to the museum into The ARTSpace on Main and ART WORKS, thereby completing the model block on Main Street in Pine Bluff.
The creative economy, measured through national arts and cultural production data, accounts for about $2.9 billion annually in Arkansas. Additionally, construction and renovation projects pump millions of dollars through local and state economies. Ongoing operations are largely funded by tax revenue and the generosity of individual and foundation donors. But, according to data from the American Alliance of Museums, tax revenues generated by museums and nonprofits are five times greater than all levels of government funding. Art institutions provide an anchor, with money flowing into restaurants, coffee shops, pubs, music venues, festivals, galleries and boutiques.
Economics and quality of life entwine in vibrant communities. According to Kalene Griffith of Visit Bentonville, the arts, cycling and culinary scenes drive tourism and enhance daily life for residents. The free cultural access, healthy environment and family friendliness resonate with visitors who consistently ask about relocating to the area. As an example of growth connected to investments in the arts, Griffith points out that before Crystal Bridges opened, there were two restaurants on the Bentonville square. There are now 16 in downtown, plus food trucks.
The Momentary in Bentonville further enhances regional quality of place with its inviting space for contemporary art. The repurposed former cheese factory is located on a site associated with the history of indigenous peoples. Osage Nation artist Addie Roanhorse was commissioned to create its first artwork.
Pivoting from ancient references to technology, Visit Bentonville’s Digital Public Art Map showcases more than 130 public art pieces, including murals, sculptures and neon. Griffith is a fan of public art as a driver of the experiences that people are seeking, whether on foot, cycling or driving. And there’s plenty of data to suggest that art is an economic driver, as well. In a 2018 University of Arkansas master’s thesis, “The Effects of Crystal Bridges in Downtown Revitalization of Bentonville, Arkansas, in The Last Decade,” Korab Vranovci writes, “The process of revitalization not only brought substantial economic opportunities to the city, but it shaped the city’s culture and its identity.” Even after taking into account Walmart’s headquarters in the city, “… we can conclude that Crystal Bridges is the most influential factor in the revitalization process of Bentonville.”
In Little Rock, the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts will open in 2022. The building design is welcoming and transparent. The renovation features state-of-the-art exhibition and programming space that will allow the museum to reclaim its spot as a leading regional cultural institution while serving as a cultural living room for its neighbors.
Executive director Victoria Ramirez has spoken about the dynamic nature of 21st century museums as community gathering places for inspiration, learning and celebration. This is echoed by tourism industry professionals who recently had a sneak peek at the space and are excited because, according to Gina Gemberling of the Little Rock Convention & Visitors Bureau, the arts are a big part of tourism. Here in Arkansas, both visitors and residents benefit because art is free, accessible and relevant.
Scott Whitely Carter, public affairs and creative economy adviser for Little Rock, emphasizes the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts’ triple impact of economics, equity and culture. The construction project kept people employed during the pandemic recession and, when open in 2022, will lead to job growth in tourism, the arts and associated businesses. According to Carter, equity is a top priority for the museum and for Little Rock Mayor Frank Scott Jr.
The smallest of the ventures mentioned here is mighty in terms of social equity impact and, in full disclosure, is dear to this author’s heart, as I worked there for almost a decade. Leaders at the Arts & Science Center in Pine Bluff transformed an adjacent historic building purchased in 1999 to house costumes and scenery into today’s ARTSpace on Main. This adaptive reuse created 11,000 square feet of flexible space serving the community with art classes, an art gallery and a sales venue for regional artists, as well as a pottery studio, dance/yoga studio and outside ART Yard. Additional creative endeavors are supported in the culinary arts area, tinkering makerspace, and wood, scenery and costume shops.
Arts & Science Center programming has long focused on the intersection of art and technology through exhibitions, classes, workshops, summer camps and after-school programs. The new ARTSpace in-cludes a computer lab for learning coding, animation game development, and AutoCAD classes for students. Executive Director Rachel Miller described the overarching theme of Arts x 3 as an investment in the community through relevant programming, workshops and exhibitions.
The ARTSpace on Main is also home to the Pine Bluff Advertising & Promotion Commission’s visitors center. Executive Director Sheri Storie indicated that the visitors center is perfectly situated for walk-in traffic, hosting bus tours and sharing regional history due to the new library across the street, and the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff Economic Research and Development Center next door.
Further exemplifying art institutions as catalysts for economic and social change, local heritage tourism was originally sparked in the main museum as part of the Cultural Crossroads series. Miller brought together scholars of regional cultures and Jimmy Cunningham, executive director of the Delta Rhythm & Bayous Alliance, to participate each year. The Runaway Blues is an exhibition currently in the visitors center that draws on Cunningham’s encyclopedic knowledge of local blues and African American history. The exhibition interprets the forceful action runaways undertook to gain liberty. Exploding stereotypes of the enslaved as passive recipients of emancipation, the exhibit features artists’ depictions of freedom seekers from Jefferson County and the Delta Lowlands. National tourism trends prove that travelers are seeking the truth even if painful, rather than glossing over the facts.
A former auto parts store adjacent to The ARTSpace on Main will soon open as the ART WORKS. This space features a black box theater and studio apartments for artist residencies. The theater, named for late beloved theater advocate Adam B. Robinson Jr., accommodates 65 people. Apartments include living accommodations and studio space for artists to advance their own work while also working with local schools and the community.
To become forces of revitalization, art institutions first need funding. Miller credits the Windgate Foundation, the Kline Family Foundation, the Adam B. Robinson Jr. Endowment and Mid-American Arts Alliance for contributions to the renovation. She also credits the foresight of those who came before. Over the years, HVAC, new roofing and other maintenance kept the buildings that would become Pine Bluff’s arts spaces from collapse, demolition or fire — the fate of so many other buildings that were once part of the city’s stunning inventory of historic buildings.
The adaptive reuse of The ARTSpace on Main represents the expanded role of today’s accredited museums to include not only art collections and relevant programming, but also to support the social fiber of a community. Critically important to ARTSpace and ART WORKS is the idea that this reimagining is, “Not just on Main Street but it is a building interacting with Main Street,” Miller said. It was also a top priority to save the historic building. AMR Architects was selected for its vision for reuse and adaptation. Jonathan Opitz, one of the project’s architects, said it was vital to “breathe life into existing buildings [that make up] the urban fabric.”
When the American Alliance of Museums made its re-accreditation site visit to the Arts & Science Center in 2016, they asked, “What would happen if this museum ceased to exist?” The positive community outcry led to an accreditation letter proclaiming the Arts & Science Center to be “… an example of a small and mighty museum serving its community with profound impact.” From the dollars that pass through a community to the aesthetics of new or renovated buildings, these art institutions serve heart and soul while advancing the quality of life from the Ozarks to the Delta.
Lenore Shoults, Ph.D., is a creative economy advocate and adviser for Arkansas for the Arts.
