Celebration of wildlife
Playful animals appearing on walls around town
Paintings of playful animals are springing up on buildings around the downtown area.
Main Street Siloam Springs has commissioned a series of three mural paintings by Fayetteville artist Jason Jones. The first painting, a river otter sporting headphones on the side of Siloam Flowers and Gifts, was completed in early October.
Jones completed the second painting, a friendly deer who will greet children as they arrive at Ability Tree, last week. He will be be starting a new mural at an undisclosed location this week weather permitting.
The murals were commissioned through a grant from Main Street Arkansas and the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program, according to Kelsey Howard, director of Main Street Siloam Springs. They represent the charming wildlife that can be found throughout The Natural State, she said.
“We are lucky to live in a town with so much green space, and this new mural is yet another fun celebration of the wildlife around us,” Howard said.
The deer painting completed
last week celebrates the many deer that roam throughout Siloam Springs, and was inspired by photographs of Doug — the town’s most famous deer. The mural was commissioned and the design was approved before Doug was removed by Arkansas Game and Fish officials last month, Howard said.
For the many people that loved Doug, the painting will probably bring back happy memories and allow him to still be a part of their lives. However, the painting also represents all the deer in town, Howard said.
“Deer are such an iconic and serene part of the landscape (in Siloam Springs),” she said.
While working on his painting last week, Jones said that he likes to add fun details to his paintings to make them appeal to children.
The paintings are also very engaging for all generations, with a charming sense of nostalgia and amusing juxtapositions between the wildlife, and the details such as the deer’s collar or the otter’s headphones.
Howard said that Jones was chosen for the project because his whimsical and expressive style. He has created more than 100 murals in Northwest Arkansas in homes, businesses and public spaces such as the University of Arkansas, according to his website, www.artistjasonjones.com.
Howard is hopeful the public art breeds community and a sense of public pride. The murals will give families something to talk about and take pictures of, she said.
They will also encourage people to meet each other, and make memories downtown.
“I see this as a great extension of our town and Main Street’s commitment to public art,” said Howard.
“This isn’t just a spontaneous decision to put a cute animal on a building. It’s a very intentional step that represents a larger ideal and commitment to promote public art in our town.”