A friend who moved from Eureka Springs to Bentonville, then back to Eureka said, “Bentonville has the money, Eureka Springs has the soul.” There was plenty of soul on display during the May Festival of the Arts. Not to take anything away from Bentonville, whose billion-dollar museum and high art hotel I’m grateful for, but the differences between the two cities are dramatically clear.
We can’t possibly compete in the big buck arena against Alice and the Walton empire, but what we lack in money, we make up for in a cast of creative characters, for whom dollar signs are clearly not life’s motivator.
Our treasures are our people – artists and progressive thinkers who understand community and what it takes to be fully engaged in our tiny town.
Recently anointed “2016 Arkansas Living Treasure” Eleanor Lux is just one of the jewels in our crown. Zeek Taylor, Mary Springer, Valerie Damon, Doug Stowe, Jean Elderwind, Beth Withey, Peggy Kjelgaard, Sandy Martin, Pat Costner, Jacqui Froelich, Mark Wetzel, Gina Gallina, Bryan Manire, Becky Gillette, KJ Zumwalt, Lucilla Garrett and Ilene Powell are just a handful of the many who actively give back to the community.
Where else in Arkansas, or for that matter the country, could a town of 2,000 successfully take on a corporate giant like SWEPCO or win a landslide anti-discrimination initiative against hate and intolerance?
A new generation of leaders who “get” this town and are putting down roots include young families like the Danoses, Brandts and Schwerins, bringing Zombie Crawls, activism, spirituality, art and food to the table.
Edward and Jana Robison and their multi-talented son, Ethan, are a great gift and creative force in the community. Young individuals like DJ James, Katrina Pumphrey, Mackenzie Doss, Melanie Naumann, the Melonlight kids – Ray, Emma and Maggie – are carrying on our creative traditions.
Thanks to many of these folks, it actually felt like an art festival last month. The CAPC-sponsored “On My Morning Walk” and “Art of Crochet” interactive events in Basin Park were a huge hit. Add a successful Artrageous Parade, drumming in the park, White Street Studio Walk, Books In Bloom, the Artmobile and other private-sector events, and we created something to be proud of.
Congratulation to ESSA for sponsoring the first Plein Air festival, where 60 artists from across the country came for four days of intense painting in and around our beautiful town. The work was outstanding and seeing all the paintings showcased together was a reminder of why we live here and why people want to visit.
Soul – it’s one of the few things you can’t buy at Walmart.