Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Two public art pieces to become permanent
BENTONVILLE — Two leased art pieces on the North Bentonville Trail soon will become permanent displays as the city looks to enhance the tourist experience.
The Advertising and Promotions Commission has agreed to buy two of the three pieces along the trail.
Bentonville has become an arts destination since Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art opened in 2011, said Kalene Griffith, Visit Bentonville president and CEO. The development of public art through out the city may encourage visitors to come back.
Sunkissed and PAC-Man will become part of the city’s landscape, while Ozark Topography may be removed. The commission approved $11,750 of $18,000 left in its public art budget toward the purchases.
Sunkissed, known for its bright orange spokes, will cost $19,000. It sits at a trail intersection and can be seen from North Walton Boulevard. It’s a location identifier and a piece of art, Griffith said. It will be bought over two years — $5,000 this year and $14,000 next year.
PAC-Man, a whimsical, 7-foot figure made of Arkansas stone, will cost $8,000. It’s about 900 feet east of Sunkissed. Prior lease payments give a $5,000 credit, which made the sale price $ 3,000, according to Visit Bentonville documents. A lease payment credit wasn’t available for Sunkissed.
Ozark Topography, a third piece of public art, costs $23,000, which made it too
expensive to buy, Griffith said. Ozark Topography is a multicolored glass sculpture about 450 feet east of Sunkissed.
All three pieces still have $1,250 left on their leases, totalling $3,750.
There’s an option for an individual or group to buy Ozark Topography to keep it on the trail, said Troy Galloway, community and economic development director. Without a buyer it likely will be removed in October.
The three pieces were installed on a one-year contract early last fall. They were the city’s first displays of public art since the Public Art Advisory Committee was formed in 2012. The pieces were selected by that committee and approved by the City Council before being funded by the Advertising and Promotions Commission.
Public art brings many benefits to a community. It can be an element of civic design and a sense of place, promote community connectedness, generate economic benefits and provide a path toward individual enrichment, according to “Four Lenses for Looking at the Value of Public Art in Arlington,” an article from the Arlington, Va., Economic Development Department.
Griffith referred to the article at the Advertising and Promotions Commission meeting Tuesday.
Arlington, Va., has more than 60 permanent public art projects, according to its public arts website.
The Advertising and Promotions Commission will discuss public art and the direction it would like to see it go in the city in more depth during an August meeting that will focus on planning.