What's Up - Your guide to what's happening in Fayetteville, AR this week!
Issue link: http://www.epageflip.net/i/1281647
8 WHAT'S UP! AUGUST 23-29, 2020 FEATURE Ogle Outdoors JOCELYN MURPHY NWA Democrat-Gazette T he inside of the Momentary is in a state of transition as the contemporary arts space in Bentonville prepares for its next temporary exhibition, "Nick Cave: Until," opening next month. But Public Relations Manager Emily Neuman wants to remind the community that the Momentary has a lot more going on than just the temporary exhibitions inside its doors. "We really wanted to make sure that anyone who visited the Momentary still had plenty to discover and enjoy," Neuman says. And that outlook presented the perfect opportunity to expand the venue's outdoor programming. Over the past few weeks, the Momentary has ramped up its efforts to increase awareness of its outdoor arts, culinary and active offerings during these "weird and trying times." "We're still at one-third capacity, but we've seen a lot of people just take that extra time to explore, or stepping off the trail being curious about the new artwork," Neuman shares, "which I think is nice because even during this time, it allows us to be what our intent was for the space. "It's a community gathering space. And gathering obviously looks a little different now than it did back when we opened. But I think it's still nice to see people feeling comfortable exploring the space and engaging with ourselves and other elements of the community that are nearby." Kaitlin Maestas, assistant curator at the Momentary, was brought on to the arts center's team in the fall of 2018. She reveals that the curatorial team had already begun thinking about how to activate the outdoor spaces of the Momentary, and Maestas was tasked with conceptualizing what that could look like in the venue's first year. After the onset of the coronavirus, there was a real motivation to bring people together outside, so the outdoor programming became even more of a focal point for the curators. "Even before the pandemic, we had already started. We have Tavares Strachan's 'You Belong Here' and that was installed right before we opened in February; and we had the 'RRRolling Stones 2.0,' which are those 3D-printed concrete seats," Maestas cites. "It's a natural space for people to congregate." "Neon is a democratic medium, it's recognizable and used all over the world as a material favored (commercially) to convey messages to people walking by on the street," artist Tavares Strachan says of his site- specific "You Belong Here" sculpture that has become a quintessential part of the Momentary's ethos and visual exterior. "Aesthetically, the lights are also appealing; it transitions the sculpture into a 24-hour object," he adds of the work, which simultaneously serves as question and answer to the viewer, he reveals. "If you see that sculpture and think, 'No, I don't belong here,' the next logical question is 'Why?'" The artists, too, "belong here" as the curatorial team pursues ways to "allow artists to claim space and tell stories on our campus," Maestas shares. A very easy and logical choice for one such engagement opportunity, she says, was the original flag pole from the Momentary's factory days. The Momentary Flag Project seemed like an ideal platform to open up conversation around identity and symbolism as a rotating series of artists create an original flag that will hang from the venue's historic flag pole. Momentary art expands beyond its walls The Momentary in Bentonville has added myriad arts and engagement opportunities to its outdoor spaces while inside, the exhibition galleries prepare for the next temporary show. (Courtesy Photo/the Momentary, Photo by Ironside Photography / Stephen Ironside) FAQ The Momentary WHEN — Tuesday-Sunday 10 a.m.-7 p.m. WHERE — 507 S.E. E St. in Bentonville COST — Free INFO — themomentary.org, 367-7500