Naturally Authentic

Artosphere continues connecting art, nature —

“We do these chapel concerts to give people an opportunity to experience not only the architecture of these significant chapels, but because they’re such a link with nature,” shares Jennifer Ross with the Walton Arts Center. “You can sit inside the chapel and experience the music in a totally different way because you’re right in the middle of the forest.”

Last year, it was all about encouraging bicycle use. This year, it’s reducing paper use by half. Presented by the Walton Arts Center, Artosphere — Arkansas’ arts and nature festival — persists in its endeavor to sustainably connect the community to, and through, nature.

“It’s also an access program,” adds Jennifer Ross, director of programming at the WAC. “Many or most of the programs during Artosphere are very low cost or free. We want to make sure everybody has the opportunity to attend really, really high calibre art.”

With a balance of music, children’s and family shows, and artists influenced by the natural world, the eighth year of the festival brings newcomers and familiar faces to venues from Fayetteville to Bella Vista for just over two weeks. Some of the Northwest Arkansas favorites returning this year include dancers/illusionists with MOMIX, the interactive theatrical experience of Compagnia TPO, and of course the Artosphere resident string ensemble, the Dover Quartet.

“I think Northwest Arkansas responds to excellence, so that’s what we’re looking to bring,” Ross says. “Who provided the best performance or the best interpretation of whatever it is they’re doing? I feel like authenticity is something Northwest Arkansas is looking for — artists who are at the top of their game, but [who are also] really true about the work they’re doing.”

Placing performances in nontraditional settings — like along a walking trail or in the chapel ruins at Sassafras Winery — also helps facilitate that authentic experience. Perhaps by linking artists, especially musicians, with nature, the festival can provide a fresh interpretation of the art while imbuing a greater appreciation for the nature around us.

“It’s something we hope people will think about — just the quirkiness of Mother Nature; how what’s going on in her world today is not necessarily what I want going on in my world, but I don’t get to make that choice,” Ross muses. For instance, when Rani Arbo played at the Thorncrown Chapel in Eureka Springs two years ago, “it just poured down rain. But it was really amazing because the rain on the roof of that chapel, the rain against the windows, really contributed to that performance. It was a whole different way of experiencing that artist than I’ve ever seen.”

That interplay between art and nature and the way the audience encounters both is at the core of the Artosphere festival. But just as significant a pillar in the mission of the festival is sustainability. In continuing to find innovative ways to reduce the festival’s environmental impact, the Artosphere app for smartphones will allow organizers to reduce printing needs by half.

“We don’t have to print maps, we don’t have to print all the program notes — all the information is available in the app,” Ross offers. Rather than relying on printed materials, “people can go on the app and get a preview of the artists, they can listen to music, they can watch videos, and they can buy tickets, too.”

Because of the nature of the festival, anything can happen. (Many Arkansans will remember a year not too long ago when it snowed in May!) But the hope is by bringing the community out into the great outdoors, or structures that emphasize its beauty, the two working together will contribute to those meaningful and unexpected moments.

COURTESY PHOTO