What's Up - Your guide to what's happening in Fayetteville, AR this week!
Issue link: http://www.epageflip.net/i/1294363
LARA JO HIGHTOWER NWA Democrat-Gazette T he Downtown Rogers' celebration of local artists known as Art on the Bricks has persevered despite the threat of covid-19 by re-imagining the event online: Art lovers can now view the featured artists' work via the organization's Facebook page. This month, the theme is "Celebrate Diversity" in partnership with Hispanic Heritage Month. "Art plays an important role in reflecting and influencing the culture of our community," reads a press release about the event. "As Northwest Arkansas experiences rapid demographic changes, we are privileged to become acquainted with new friends and neighbors who bring with them a wide variety of cultures, influences, experiences and heritage from across the globe. The Celebrate Diversity virtual exhibit seeks to serve as a reflection of the artists' cultures and their contributions to the creative economy in Northwest Arkansas." The exhibit will feature the work of 25 artists, including David Gomez. Gomez moved to the Northwest Arkansas area from Mexico in 1997, when, he says, art became a vital means of communication. "I have ADHD and dyslexia, so I gravitated towards this form of language," explains Gomez. Gomez answered some questions about his work and the exhibit for What's Up! Q. The theme for this month's Art on the Bricks is "Celebrate Diversity." Can you tell us about the art that you submitted and how it aligns with this theme? A. The pieces that I submitted use a lot of symbology abstraction. I look for symbols from the native cultures of Mexico and add it to my work. They are subtle so as to not overtake the composition. For example, in the "Solo De Guitarra Purpura" — also known as "The Guitar Player" — I created a composition with the goals of a visual representation of music. In the front of the painting I added numbers in Mayan format. I added these numbers because it speaks to rhythm and counting tempos. I use these symbols for different reasons, but this is just one of the examples of what you see in my artwork. Q. The Northwest Arkansas area grows more and more diverse with each passing year. From an artist's perspective, can you talk 6 What's up! OctOber 4-10, 2020 Four Minutes, Four Questions David Gomez Artist David Gomez has lived in the Northwest arkansas area since 1997, but he's been an artist for as long as he can remember. "I hope people have an opportunity to meet artists and cultures that they may have not been familiar with in the past," he says of the art on the bricks exhibit, celebrate Diversity. "What I love about sharing my artwork is how universal the art language is." (courtesy Images) 4x4 See Gomez Page 38 Go online! Art on the Bricks: Celebrate Diversity See the artwork at facebook.com/ ArtOnTheBricks through Oct. 15.