Picturing the past: Lecture series brings Bell paintings to life

The paintings of John Bell Jr. are more than just images of historic structures. “Bell was a lifelong artist, painting many landscapes, but in the early 1990s he began painting landmarks in Fort Smith and other Arkansas cities, and these paintings are his most wellknown,” says Julie Moncrief, director of development for the Fort Smith Regional Art Museum, which holds more than 50 of his original works of art in its collection. “Bell emphasized in interviews that these paintings were not meant simply to be architectural renderings, but they were meant to show the community life that took place because of the structures’ existence.”

Now those images are being brought to life in a series of discussions about the history they depict.

“Landmark Lessons are an opportunity for us to learn those stories — of the buildings and the early activities surrounding them, as well as an update on the structures and their activities today,” Moncrief explains.

The lectures start sunday with “The Marshal Series,” featuring four paintings centered around the marshals heading out and coming back from Indian Territory to the courthouse and jail — the infamous “Hell on the Border” — that is now the Fort Smith National Historic Site. Speakers will be Cody Faber, park ranger, and Bill Black, who served as superintendent of the site from 1992 to 2012 and helped Bell with his research.

“Bell’s paintings are important for us because we don’t have photographs of these scenes,” Faber says. “We only have snapshots of a couple of deputy marshals in the field. The paintings are a tremendous resource that enable us to have a perspective

of our history — in color! His research was extensive.”

“Receiving the family gift of John Bell Jr.’s art and career artifacts has been the most significant happening in RAM’s 74-year history,” Moncrief says. “The obligations we now have include the task

of the conservation and preservation of more than 50 original works of art, Bell’s studio items, personal items, photographs and correspondence — all in all, more than 100 items. On top of that is the sharing of this gift, which is also our opportunity: Museums function to create cohesiveness in a community, and now RAM will share the story of our own native son whose life is an inspiration and whose art helps us know and appreciate our past.”

(Courtesy images) “The Hayride,” 2005 by John Bell Jr., will be one of the featured paintings at the Landmark Lessons program May 15 titled “Garrison Avenue Bridge.” “So many of the landmarks, painted in their turn-of-the-century appearance through extensive research, are still standing today,” says spokeswoman Julie Moncrief. “And the special thing about them is the activity Bell portrayed around them: in all, people are coming and going, riding streetcars, or horses, holding hands, crossing the street to go into the church, holding a parade. They are so rich, that Landmark Lessons will help bring our community together to enjoy viewing them and also to learn about the history depicted in them. They are so packed with factual history, it’s just an opportunity we can’t pass up.”

Visitor numbers “exploded” during FSRAM’s first four-month exhibition of artwork by John Bell Jr. “Many people knew of Bell’s art, but they expressed surprise when learning about his physical challenges caused by cerebral palsy,” says Julie Moncrief. “That is, of course the way, he wanted it: He wanted to be judged by his art alone.” This piece, “Into the Territory,” is part of “The Marshal Series” being discussed at 2 p.m. Sunday.

FSRAM, celebrating its 75th anniversary in 2023, received more than 100 artworks and artifacts from the family of John Bell Jr. in 2021 and the intellectual property rights to all Bell’s works. The art museum created the John Bell Jr. Legacy Project, whose mission is to preserve, protect and educate about the art and life of Bell. This piece is “Back to the Fort,” another in “The Marshal Series.”

“Justice on the Border,” 2007 by John Bell Jr., is part of “The Marshal Series” of four paintings that will be viewed and discussed at the first “Landmark Lessons” program at 2 p.m. Sunday at the Fort Smith Regional Art Museum.