Can you describe what The Unexpected does and how you and Steve Clark were able to get things started?
In 2015, Steve Clark founded a nonprofit, 64.6 Downtown, to act as a catalyst for economic development in downtown Fort Smith by inspiring and engaging the community and strategic partners through art, arts education and place-making, as well as the promotion of attractive amenities to accelerate the development of diverse commerce. Named for the number of square miles of the city at the time of its founding, 64.6 Downtown acts as a change agent within the community, working with the city, individuals and businesses to move downtown Fort Smith into an economically viable and artistically diverse community. Initiatives include Garrison Commons Park, transforming a burned-out lot into a public gathering space; Gateway Park, turning an abandoned building and underused greenspace into a welcoming plaza and park; Propelling Downtown Forward Master Plan, recipient of the 2017 Arkansas Chapter of the American Planning Association: Achievement in Comprehensive Plan Development Award; and The Unexpected, bringing urban and contemporary art, speakers and art education to Arkansas. The first Unexpected was held in 2015 and it was born out of a desire to bring what was happening in major metropolitan areas across the globe to Fort Smith. We were fortunate enough to have developed relationships with artists who worked in this scene and learn from them what it meant from the artist’s perspective to bring art of this scale to communities, and then became interested in how the model could be applied to Fort Smith and how that might affect the community — to see unexpected art in an unexpected place. The first year we had seven artists and a student-led mural team from University of Arkansas Fort Smith, resulting in 11 artworks.
At what moment in the process did you realize that you had more than just a good idea, and that it was really starting to gain traction?
The first year we knew we had a good idea, but we had to convince the community. Through focused engagement with key stakeholders, we were able to sway them to support the project financially and through the use of their buildings. We were fortunate as they trusted us to complete the project with a level of quality and excellence brought by the best artists in the genre, booked through our curatorial partner Justkids. This community buy-in propelled the project’s success and enabled us to return year after year, allowing us to grow our footprint. From the iconic grain silos painted in 2016 by Guido Van Helten to our most recent partnership in fall 2020 with Bentonville’s OZ Art, bringing 13 murals to nine cities across the state, our expansion globally through our social media following further proves success. Our intention, always, was to bring the outside in, to a place the world might never look otherwise. Now we have a platform for Arkansas as an artistic and artist-friendly state where artists want to paint and create. And this is a benefit to the economy because we know the arts have major economic impact. I’m proud, too, of the local artists and artisans who provided their craft and expertise for our projects, who now have a national and international platform of their own as a result of developing relationships with visiting artists and making connections through our programs.
How much of the success of The Unexpected events do you think relied on the public being astonished and amazed at what had taken place in the context, either the surprise of the location — like an alley or a feed mill — or the scale because some pieces are over 80 feet tall?
With a name like The Unexpected, it’s an opportunity, but also a challenge, to bring a fresh approach to a tiring “mural festival” scene. We want our programs to inspire and catalyze not just for the sake of throwing up murals. Our footprint is intentional, bringing awareness to spaces that are underused or forgotten, considering the elements of the overall downtown master plan to enhance accessible and safe pedestrian activity, as well as the encouragement of infill of empty spaces. Each year we review our current footprint against available canvases and meet with our curator to review both established and up-and-coming artists who are innovating in the contemporary art world. We work with the team to see how we can produce something new and unique to the program. By offering a diverse lineup of canvases, we can accomplish this; I think it’s beneficial to the artists, too, that they have the creative freedom to conceive something original and exciting. So, while yes, what the outcome looks to be is sexy, exciting and astonishing, there are months and months of planning that go into just one of the multiple artworks we execute in The Unexpected week.
Based on the initial event that took place in 2015, did you recognize the power paint has to transform how residents and visitors feel about large blank elevations? Did you know then the powerful impact the murals and installations would have on downtown development?
We were very aware that we would have supporters and critics of the project. The nature of the project was to provoke — to challenge the perceptions that Fort Smith had of itself and outsiders had of Arkansas. There was another layer of challenging Fort Smith to take another look at itself, to grasp that just because things have always been the way they are doesn’t mean they need to stay that way, and further, to understand that there can be multiple uses for spaces — that the only solution isn’t to tear down and build new.
Do you have a quantifiable way to measure the true impact The Unexpected has had in the revitalization efforts in downtown Fort Smith?
The Unexpected is free and unticketed, so counting participants is not possible. We measure success via our social media reach and being picked up by major art magazines and blogs like Juxtapoz, designboom, My Modern Met, Widewalls and Colossal, to name a few. It’s important to us that Arkansas and Fort Smith are viewed as art- and artist-friendly communities, and it’s a great compliment that the world has taken notice.
What do you think the biggest surprise has been as you’ve continued to see the mural and installation portfolio grow in Fort Smith? Has there been an experience that has happened that would have been hard to imagine taking place in downtown Fort Smith before 2015?
It’s been exciting to see the local art and culture scene grow since 2015 and to see how our program has evolved in response to that. Artists have emerged, events have formed and we are humbled to be a part of this movement in Fort Smith. In 2019, we brought French artist Alexandre Bavard and his interpretive dance performance, “Bulky.” We partnered with Western Arkansas Ballet. Bavard taught the dancers the choreography in four days, and we premiered the performance — along with site-responsive sculptures created on-site, lighting designed by Bavard and music composed by Bavard the last Saturday of The Unexpected 2019 — to a full house. It was the first time the dance premiered in the United States. It was a proud moment to bring artwork that merged genres into a complete immersive experience that felt thrilling and distinctly unique.
Along with the installations and murals, The Unexpected has also hosted performances, panels, speakers and bands all over town in various venues. Was it always your mission to show guests the potential of spaces? Did the organization always see the art and events as ways to spotlight and feature what is possible with the existing building stock in downtown Fort Smith?
A great example of showing people the potential of spaces and inspiring possibility is our 10,000-square-foot takeover of the New Theatre in 2017 with legendary artist and original B-Boy Doze Green. Built in 1911, the theater played host to live talent including Shirly Temple and Will Rogers. In the 1930s, it was transformed into a single-screen movie theater. Unfortunately, the theater closed and was essentially abandoned in the 1980s when malls and multiscreen movieplexes came into fashion. We had an opportunity to reintroduce this forgotten space to the community in a way that was accessible and aspirational. Doze Green completed his 360-degree takeover with a variety of mediums, including mural, neon, graffiti and animation, along with his curated selection of music played by the Fort Smith Symphony on opening night. Here, we were able to appeal to a multigenerational audience, some who had lived in Fort Smith their entire lives and never knew the space existed, as well as individuals who remembered the last movie they saw in the theater before it closed. It was special to know we’d deepened the community’s connection to its past while advancing its future.
How do you see The Unexpected evolving in the future? What, if any, opportunities have come out of the pandemic? Outdoor art that isn’t inside galleries was still very accessible and beneficial to the public; did this change the momentum or direction of The Unexpected?
In 2019, we decided to revisit what our programs would look like and planned (and later postponed due to COVID-19) a series of pop-up events for 2020 focused more intimately on social issues affecting the Fort Smith community; for example, mental health. In fall 2020 we were thrilled to partner with OZ Art out of Bentonville to bring a socially distanced program called ARkanvas (ARkanvas.com). The event focused on bringing quality artworks across the state while maintaining CDC distancing guidelines. It provided a shared experience through art while affording a sense of unity during a difficult time of socially distancing and sheltering in place. We plan to continue our social initiatives in 2021 and will continue to assess how we can make the greatest impact for arts and economic development.
What advice would you have for anyone reading this that is looking for a way to generate momentum, excitement and redevelopment in their city or town?
Art in public spaces has a lot of momentum in our region. My caution to anyone looking to bring large-scale artworks to their community is to understand that you get what you pay for. The art we bring is an investment, and we fund the project appropriately to ensure we bring the quality artists and artworks that The Unexpected is known for. I would rather have fewer but better quality artworks than a saturation of mediocre pieces that won’t stand the test of time. Not every artist is a muralist, so take into consideration the artist’s portfolio and previous experience. Finally, do an internal needs assessment. What do you hope to achieve with the event? What kind of canvases and spaces do you have in your city? And what existing organizations and events can maximize momentum?
