Cutwell 4 Kids to partner on LR mural with free virtual workshop next month

LITTLE ROCK — The Arkansas Arts Council has teamed up with nonprofit organizations Downtown Little Rock Partnership and Cutwell 4 Kids of Hot Springs to create a mural in downtown Little Rock as part of a free, virtual workshop, followed by a community paint day in June, a news release said.

Artist Anthony Tidwell, a 2019 Governor’s Arts Award winner and founder of Cutwell 4 Kids, will lead the free, virtual workshop from 10 a.m. to noon Monday, June 6, on the process of making a mural, the release said.

Tidwell will lead participants through equipment, design and application.

“Young creatives’ brush strokes matter, and with the proper guidance and support, those brush strokes could be viewed by thousands,” Tidwell said in the release.

The designs created by the workshop attendees will then be presented to Downtown Little Rock Partnership, “which graciously donated the mural space at Eighth and Main streets for a community-built mural,” the release said.

The mural design chosen will come to life during a daylong community event from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, June 11. Tidwell will lead the unity mural on site with hands-on teaching, so that participants get an opportunity to learn the ends and outs of mural painting. All volunteers are welcome, it said.

“Our state’s arts scene is thriving, and people are hungry for more public art, especially murals. These works of art are contributing to vibrant downtowns,” Stacy Hurst, secretary of the Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism, said in the release. “With this mural project, I was delighted to see so many entities working together to give residents and tourists yet another wonderful reason to enjoy downtown Little Rock.”

“The Arkansas Arts Council is thrilled to provide opportunities to the growing arts community in Arkansas. We hope to develop more partnerships to better share the arts in Arkansas,” Patrick Ralston, director of the Arkansas Arts Council, said in the release.

“Public art has the power to transform spaces and impact communities. We’re thrilled to help introduce emerging artists to this art form and education the next generation of muralists,” Gabe Holstrom, executive director of Downtown Little Rock Partnership, said in the release.