Marketing bestowals and May projections

The City Advertising and Promotion Commission approved funding for Nuits Rosé Eureka Springs – $250; Books in Bloom – $1650.25; Springtime in the Ozarks – $1040. CAPC commissioners agreed at the Feb. 8 meeting to include the Eureka Springs Multi-Sport event in ads promoting the city, but declined to provide funding.

Commissioners had already approved $15,000 in a line item in the 2017 budget for the May Festival of the Arts. Sandy Martin, representing the Arts Council, presented commissioners with details about the highlighted events of MFoA and how allocated funds would be spent. She said one event in Basin Park would be “The Four Seasons Project” in which four mobiles 14-18 ft. tall will be constructed. There will also be an interactive interpretive dance on opening night. The second weekend there will be mobile-making classes.

Commissioner Terry McClung said if the CAPC pays for the structures, the city should retain them afterward or at least get part of the sale price. Executive Director Mike Maloney pointed out the city owns “The Sphere,” an MFoA project from not long ago, and it needs repairs which the city must pay for. McClung was steadfast the concept should be explored.

Commissioner Susan Harman agreed the mobiles should be around for tourists. Eureka Springs promotes itself as a tourist town, and the structures would be opportunities for visitors to take photos of interesting places in town.

Martin said another MFoA event will be a locally written, produced and performed play called Dance of Delight put on by the Five and Dime Drama Collective. It will be a multi-media performance at the Auditorium.

The third major event will be the debut of “A Eurekan Experience,” an augmented reality experience using an easily downloadable app developed by photographer Edward Robison. Martin said the app is downloaded onto a mobile device and by pointing the device toward, for example, Grotto Spring, one would see characters act out a scene from a play. The scene adaptations are based on “magical, mystical, ‘airy’ spirits from The Tempest,” according to Martin’s handout. She said the app would remain active for one year, so visitors will get a unique “Made in Eureka” experience. She added that it would be important to make sure tourists know about the app.

Martin listed other activities that will occur during the MFoA, and acknowledged the CAPC for support of the month-long event and claimed the festival “has tremendous amount of publicity legs.”