A day in the life
Arts and crafts thrive in rustic setting
I watched the sun rise over Cabot during the winding drive up Arkansas 5, past cattle pastures and wooded hillscapes, toward an Arkansas gem called Mountain View. The seat of Stone County is renowned for its arts and crafts, and I was eager to explore the area. When I approached the Ozarks, I could see that the city was aptly named; the untamed scenery is truly beautiful.
9:05 A.M.
I arrived at the Mountain View Art Guild, and guild president Virginia Parsons walked me into the Paintin’ Place, where instructor Ann Snyder greeted me with a hug. Guild members take turns teaching classes, Parsons said, and the day’s class focused on tree and landscape painting.
“I love trees. I love winter trees,” Snyder said, moving her arms to demonstrate the branching patterns of different tree species. Along with nine other students, I selected a photo from Snyder’s binder of tree pictures and pulled out my canvas and acrylic paints.
Before the class, Arjuna Larson, executive director of the Arkansas Craft School, introduced himself and talked about developments at the school, which recently purchased the Cornerstone building on the Courthouse Square.
“I’m always amazed at the number of creative people in this town,” the Colorado native said before departing. “I wouldn’t have believed this town existed if someone told me about it 10 years ago.”
“Then there are those of us whose roots go all the way to the center of the Earth,” Parson quipped. She was raised in Mountain View, she added, and she never realized how unique the city is until she moved away and returned.
We settled into painting, and Parsons chatted with me about the guild’s collaborations with local businesses, schools and the Ozark Folk Center. Like most of the 70 guild members, Parsons is retired. The artists came from all over the country, she said, and some have no formal training, while others have advanced art degrees.
“Artists are kind of a different breed, so it’s so wonderful to be with a group you have something in common with,” she said.
Snyder alternated between working on her own painting and advising students. I had selected a cypress tree scene, and she helped me add color to my focal tree and white highlights to my water. I’m no Monet, but I was pleased with the result.
11:45 A.M.
Snyder treated me to lunch at Charlyn’s Restaurant & Old-Fashioned Soda Fountain, commonly called Cronies, where we dined with Larson and Bud Thurman, who described himself as a full-time volunteer. I was glad Snyder picked the restaurant, because considering the plethora of eateries around the square – such as Kin Folks and PJ’s Rainbow Cafe – I might not have been able to choose!
Cronies was originally a pharmacy with a soda fountain, Snyder said, and the restaurant’s history remains visible in its mosaic-tile floor, vintage candy counter and antique-lined walls. A young couple from Glenwood sat at the bar. They told me they were on their honeymoon and recommended the BLT.
Over sandwiches, Larson told me about his background in arts and crafts, as well as his plans to get people in their teens and 20s interested in the Craft School. In order to attract more young adults in the future, the school should reach out to children today, he said.
“We need to get the young kids involved so that they realize that this is an option; that crafting and arts are something they can do with their lives,” he added.
12:30 P.M.
Snowflakes started to fall as Larson, Snyder and I ventured to the Cornerstone building, where volunteers were preparing the Craft School’s new home. Despite the flurries, sunlight streamed into the large front room, where painting classes will take place. An area to the left has all the furnishings of a retail store, and the first floor also has spaces for pottery, woodworking and glassblowing.
Upstairs, there were more looms than I had ever seen in one place, as well as a room for children’s classes and areas the school plans to rent as studio space. Behind one partition, we found board member Jamie Murawski, covered in spackling paste.
Murawski explained that the school provides a place for modern interpretations of the crafts exhibited at the Folk Center. The new location is the school’s only path to success, he added, because the building will allow for simultaneous class scheduling, as well as events and lectures.
“The thought of being here, doing real painting and listening to the clickity-clack of the weaving — it’s just wonderful,” he said.
After a quick visit next door to browse jewelry, sculptures, jewelry and more at the Arkansas Craft Guild & Gallery, we visited the school’s former home, a one-room schoolhouse. I thought Larson was joking when he told me the new location would prevent wood chips from getting in the pottery and clay dust from dirtying the fiber. But noticing how all the workspaces shouldered together in the facility, I could see why Larson and Murawski were excited about the move.
1:45 P.M.
After I parted ways with Snyder and Larson, I treated myself to a trip to the city park to check out the picturesque stone bridge. I descended the arena’s stone steps, and there it was — a graceful arch spanning Whitewater Creek. I crossed the structure and lingered by the grotto, listening to the babbling water. I could have stayed there for hours, searching for early-blooming flowers between wisps of snow, but I had to get moving. I had an appointment at the Folk Center.