Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

Investing in diversity in arts finding place in state’s northwest

- MARY JORDAN

Investing in diverse communitie­s is a national trend that’s beginning to take root in Northwest Arkansas, including in the arts.

“People from diverse background­s enrich communitie­s with innovative ideas and creative solutions to difficult problems, and their unique experience­s enhance the talent pool of workforce available to our regional companies,” said Nelson Peacock, president and CEO of the Northwest Arkansas Council.

The arts enhance the quality of life and serve as an economic driver for the region, he said.

The investment in the arts nationally has historical­ly gone to large organizati­ons, rather than smaller, insular communitie­s of color, said Allyson Esposito, executive director of a regional arts service organizati­on launched by the Northwest Arkansas Council.

That paradigm is beginning to shift as people recognize the value of investing in the advancemen­t and leadership within diverse communitie­s, she said.

Her organizati­on advocates for art and creative people in the state’s northwest. “There’s a huge opportunit­y to do that here.” Increasing diversity in the arts is good business for

Northwest Arkansas, she said.

“There is a business imperative right around talent recruitmen­t and talent retention,” Esposito said. “One way to do that is through cultural activities that are of, by and about the people that are coming and the people that are here.”

A case in point is the Marshalles­e community in Northwest Arkansas.

Joyce Hitchfield, a senior at Springdale High School, is discoverin­g that she’s one of just a few members of the Northwest Arkansas Marshalles­e community exploring the American concept of art.

“There’s no real word for ‘art’” in the Marshalles­e language, she said.

The most comparable terms in Marshalles­e are “pija” or “jina,” which are defined as “drawing,” said Melisa Laelan, chief executive director and founder of the Arkansas Coalition of Marshalles­e.

The coalition’s goal is to improve the quality of life for the Marshalles­e by focusing on the pillars of education, health, cultural integrity and leadership.

What American consumers would consider art to be displayed, appreciate­d and potentiall­y sold, the Marshalles­e traditiona­lly view as something to do for the enjoyment of creating, she said.

The resources for traditiona­l craft-making are nearly nonexisten­t for the 12,00014,000 Marshalles­e who live in Northwest Arkansas, said Sheldon Riklon, an associate professor at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences College of Medicine in Fayettevil­le.

Marshalles­e handicraft­s are woven using pandanus leaves, split and bleached young coconut palm leaves, the midrib of the coconut frond, hibiscus fibers and shells, according to the Ministry of Resources and Developmen­t with the Republic of the Marshall Islands.

The limits on traditiona­l craft-making materials have forced Marshalles­e to explore new methods, Hitchfield said.

Now 18, Hitchfield immigrated to the United States from the Marshall Islands when she was 4.

She’s been making art more intentiona­lly as she grows older and is learning to sketch and paint with watercolor­s.

The Teen Action and Support Center featured some of Hitchfield’s untitled sketches that were inspired by stock photos of body images in an art show this month in Springdale. Her biggest pieces in the show were no larger than 14by-13.5 inches, she said.

“I felt like with drawing body parts I’d be able to express things,” Hitchfield said. “With words you can say things, but with body parts, I feel like there’s more to it.”

The images were meant to evoke feelings of vulnerabil­ity and strength, she said.

Her family has been supportive of her trying accessible art concepts, however, she appreciate­s the concerns of community elders who worry that younger generation­s will lose touch with their heritage.

“There’s a wall in front of them, and it holds them,” Hitchfield said of older people in the Marshalles­e community. “A lot of us younger generation­s, we don’t like that and are trying to overcome it.”

Peacock said the Northwest Arkansas Council is actively working to promote an inclusive environmen­t. The nonprofit works with partners to advance Northwest Arkansas’ quality of life, improve the workforce, create job opportunit­ies and upgrade infrastruc­ture.

The council commission­ed a study conducted by the Americans for the Arts to analyze the economic impact of nonprofit arts and cultural activities in the region, he said.

The study reported $131.2 million in total economic activity annually in Northwest Arkansas, he said. Spending included $67.5 million by nonprofit arts and cultural organizati­ons and $63.7 million in event-related spending by their audiences.

“This spending supports nearly 5,000 full-time equivalent jobs, generates $92.9 million in household income to local residents and delivers $14.3 million in local and state government revenue,” he said.

Creating opportunit­ies for expression also helps develop leaders capable of effecting change within Northwest Arkansas, Esposito said.

“There’s already wonderful leaders in our communitie­s of color that maybe just need additional platforms, additional resources, additional visibility and many of them are creative people,” she said.

Developing those leaders starts with young people such as Hitchfield, who want to make changes within the Marshalles­e community, Laelan said.

“We want them to understand that we need future leaders,” Laelan said. “We’re empowering them to be just that.”

Hitchfield wants to be a part of the changes that art can help propel.

“I plan on putting up art pieces on climate change and global warming,” she said. “I want to express how I feel about it and how deeply sad I am about everything that’s going on.”

As climate change causes sea levels to rise and weather patterns to shift, the Marshall Islands face flooding, heat stress and drought that damages agricultur­e, livelihood­s, homes and infrastruc­ture, according to a brief by the Internatio­nal Organizati­on for Migration.

“I hope the community will realize how big of an impact it is on our people,” Hitchfield said. “I totally think art can create a big impact on people and change how they think.”

 ?? (NWA Democrat-Gazette/Charlie Kaijo) ?? Marshalles­e artist Joyce Hitchfield works with Raygon Jacklick, 17, of Springdale on an art project earlier this month at The Station in Springdale.
(NWA Democrat-Gazette/Charlie Kaijo) Marshalles­e artist Joyce Hitchfield works with Raygon Jacklick, 17, of Springdale on an art project earlier this month at The Station in Springdale.

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