Murals unveiled at library
The Bella Vista Arts Council hosted an unveiling of two outdoor murals at the Bella Vista Public Library on Thursday, April 5.
Demara Titzer, president of the arts council, said the two murals, created by artist Graham Edwards of Bella Vista, are part of a public art initiative and the council’s seventh art installation.
The two murals have a “pollinators” theme. On the west side near the garden, a mural featuring a honeybee on an apple blossom, the Arkansas state flower, is titled “Voice of the Garden.” On the front of the library to the left of the entrance, a hummingbird mural is titled “Flying Jewel.”
Mayor John D. Flynn said he is excited and impressed with the growing art collection in the city.
“It’s amazing how the arts council has grown,” he said. “It’s been beyond my wildest imagination.”
He said the new murals fit well with the atmosphere at the library.
Edwards said he moved to Bella Vista five years ago from Oklahoma City after painting a mural in Rogers.
“I love Bella Vista. I’m a champion for it everywhere I go. I’m super happy I’ve been chosen to be part of the art scene here,” he said.
He explained the murals were painted completely with spray paints, with the exception of a few details that were done by hand. He said there are many different tips for spray paints that are made specifically for murals. Also, the spray paints he uses are UV resistant, he said. Spray paint allows him to paint in colder weather than other types of paint would, he said, and it also dries almost immediately, allowing him to put on additional coats very quickly. He said he aims for these two murals to last 1,000 days in the elements, however, there is a mural he painted in Bentonville that still looks brand new after five years, he said.
According to a press release, “Poet James Russell Lowell once said, ‘Books are the bees which carry the quickening pollen from one to another mind.’ The Arts Council board members felt this submission was well suited for our ‘gem in the woods’ library and garden areas.”