Bill Solleder, 47

Low Key Arts

Who is Bill Solleder?

I was born and raised on Chicago’s northwest side in a mostly Polish neighborhood where I walked to and from school and home for lunch. I was a baby brother to Freddie until my sister, Jennifer, was born when I was 6. I studied College Prep at Gordon Technical High School before attending Southern Illinois University where I received a B.S. in Radio-Television. Soon after graduation from SIU, I returned to Chicago to pursue a career in music. I spent a little more than a decade writing, recording and performing music around the world. In 2003, I relocated to Hot Springs with Shea Childs to raise our daughters, Elizabeth and Luna Mae. Shortly after settling into our new home, I founded the nonprofit arts organization, Low Key Arts, where I am currently executive director. Under my leadership and powered by the best volunteers in Hot Springs, Low Key Arts produces Arkansas Shorts — A Night of Short Film, The Valley of the Vapors Independent Music Festival, Hot Water Hills Weekend, and KUHS 97.9 Community Radio. In addition to my work with Low Key Arts, I volunteer with the Hot Springs Documentary Film Institute and the Park Avenue Community Association.

What one experience in your life really defined you?

Watching the miraculous home births of both of my daughters are the most amazing experiences I have ever been a part of.

What do you love about Hot Springs?

Hot Springs is a place of endless potential where dreams don’t come easy, but are possible if you are willing to work for them.

What do you enjoy doing for fun and relaxation?

Socializing, eating, music and an occasional Netflix binge.

Tell us something few people know about you.

I backpacked, hitched rides, rode busses and jumped trains across Central and Southern Mexico back in 1996.

Where do you see Hot Springs five years from now?

In the year 2020, five years from today, Hot Springs will be celebrated for its forward thinking renovation to historic downtown.