What's Up - Your guide to what's happening in Fayetteville, AR this week!
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BECCA MARTIN-BROWN NWA Democrat-Gazette J ohn Bell Jr. is arguably Fort Smith's most famous artist. Fans recognize his romantic images of iconic structures across the River Valley, in Eureka Springs and around the state. And many know that Bell faced challenges that his contemporaries did not: He was bound to a wheelchair by cerebral palsy. What the new exhibit at the Fort Smith Regional Art Museum will recognize is not just Bell's legacy as an artist but as an advocate for the rights of individuals with disabilities. "I became intimate with Bell's art back in January of 2018 when RAM produced a retrospective exhibition of his work," says Lou Meluso, the museum's executive director. "I also got to meet many of the artist's family and friends who gave me a more complete picture of the man. While I knew both John and his wife were wheelchair- bound, I didn't fully understand until recently the prejudice he faced trying to find work due to his being physically challenged or how hard he worked to champion accessibility to public buildings, parks and restaurants for others that use wheelchairs." The list of Bell's accomplishments in that area is a long one, says Meluso. "He lobbied City Hall to have electronic button access to open doors. He helped design picnic tables in state parks and was instrumental in developing wheelchair access to the playground in Creekmore Park. He even designed a wheelchair accessible automobile." The best news for FSRAM is that those designs are now part of the museum's permanent collection. "After Maxine Bell, John's wife, passed away in October 2018, the estate of John Bell Jr., the artwork that remained in Maxine's possession NOVEMBER 21-27, 2021 WHAT'S UP! 5 FAQ 'John Bell Jr.: Coming Home' WHEN — Through Feb. 20; hours are 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Tues- day-Saturday and 1-5 p.m. Sunday WHERE — Fort Smith Regional Art Museum, 1601 Rogers Ave. COST — Free INFO — fsram.org RIVER VALLEY Art And Advocacy FSRAM now the permanent home of John Bell's legacy See FSRAM Page 6 John Bell Jr. worked in oil, water and gouache to create vibrant images of Fort Smith's past, like this one of Garrison Avenue. (Courtesy Images) Fort Smith artist John Bell Jr. always preferred his art remain separated from his disability, although he was an advocate for access for those with disabilities. (File Photo) Artist John Bell's paintings are on show at the Fort Smith Regional Art Museum as part of the opening of the new Sandy and Sandi Sanders Gallery of the Permanent Collection. The Bells traveled often to Eureka Springs, says daughter Lisa. This painting is titled "Light Snow on Mud Street." (Courtesy Image)