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8 WHAT'S UP! DECEMBER 12-18, 2021 COVER STORY Portable Magic 'Books' tell unique tale at Famous Hardware BECCA MARTIN-BROWN NWA Democrat-Gazette I n the vaults of the Smithsonian, the papers of sculptor, writer and earthworks artist Robert Smithson and his wife, sculptor, filmmaker and artist Nancy Holt, measure 19.1 linear feet. Also included, though, is Smithson's personal library of books, vinyl records and magazines, which comes in at 48.4 linear feet. That's what Smithson accumulated in a short 35 years of life. He died in a plane crash on July 20, 1973, while surveying sites in Texas for a proposed earthwork, the Amarillo Ramp. "Despite his early death, Smithson's writings and artwork had a major impact on many contemporary artists," says the Smithsonian's website, calling him not only a noted sculptor, painter, writer and lecturer but "the pioneer of land and earthworks art," best known for "Spiral Jetty," a coil of rock composed in the colored waters of the shore of the Great Salt Lake in Utah. What captured the imagination of Conrad Bakker, an Urbana, Ill., artist, was not Smithson's art, however, but his books. He wanted to see all of them — some 1,200 — in one place and to "think about books as an extension of one's mind and their culture." Since the Smithsonian wouldn't let him move in, Bakker set out to create his own library of Smithson's collection — but not in printed paper. His "books" are carved and painted sculptures. And they're on show right now in the windows of the Famous Hardware building in Springdale. "Books have always been my favorite form of escape and return — and always connected in some way to my creative life," says Bakker, who was born in Canada, grew up in Florida and has lived in the Midwest since college. Growing up, he says, "I remember being interested in science fiction and fantasy — anything with invented worlds — but I was also enthralled by encyclopedias as literal containers of knowledge. … I was not really exposed to that much visual art or artists growing up, except what I found in books or comics." Bakker started college studying graphic design, but he says he "soon realized that I loved drawing and painting a lot more and changed my Next door, in the building's other windows, multi-modal public artist Jay Walker's "Receiving" is described as "a bright, translucent, multilayered mural [with] beams of brightly patterned color radiating from a point high on the windows, streaking toward a pair of waiting outstretched hands." (NWA Democrat-Gazette/Charlie Kaijo) The Famous Hardware building on Emma Avenue in Springdale has been transformed into the appearance of a 1970s book store going out of business, thanks to Illinois artist Conrad Bakker. (Courtesy Image/Conrad Bakker) FAQ 'Untitled Project: Smithson's Books' & 'Receiving' WHEN — Through Feb. 11 WHERE — The windows of the Famous Hardware Building, 113 W. Emma Ave. in Springdale COST — Free INFO — downtownspringdale.org