What's Up - Your guide to what's happening in Fayetteville, AR this week!
Issue link: http://www.epageflip.net/i/1439406
"No matter what." In the 1990s, Hart earned a bachelor of fine arts in studio arts, but he "began to worry that none of the big life-size goblin and dragon companies were hiring, plus I saw the emergence of digital technologies in art and design. I wanted to bolster my traditional skills with digital art, so after my studio degree, I began training in graphic software for a stable career in graphic design. "I got to work with major brands such as Nike, Adidas, Puma, Asics, Tapout, etc.," he says, "but my proudest money came from art sales and playing in rock bands — putting something creative out there and being rewarded for it. My life- size Kappa and Troll are among my proudest works." "At first glance, my education may seem eclectic, but it all worked well together for my career in the museum field," Burroughs picks up the story. "I earned a degree in drafting with a focus on architectural design at Kaskaskia College before completing my undergraduate history degree at Eastern Illinois University. Soon after, I attended Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville for my graduate program in public/ nonprofit administration and museum studies. I've been fortunate to have worked for some great museums during my career including The University Museum (SIUE), the Saint Louis Science Center, the Missouri Civil War Museum and Cedarhurst Center for the Arts. "My time at the Rogers Historical Museum made an impression on me, and I'm still proud of leading the expansion and opening the Hailey Building," he adds. "I decided to start consulting after several museums contacted me seeking advice regarding their expansion projects." Burroughs was convinced Hart had an idea that could take flight. "The subject matter is fun, accessible, and interesting, and the success of 'Gardens of Myth' gave us the confidence to pursue building a museum," Burroughs says. "We both brought a great deal to the table with our design experiences, Kendall's art and creativity, and my museum expansion and administration work. We've made incredible progress toward creating this unique museum experience." All that said, two questions seem obvious. Why Northwest Arkansas? And are Burroughs and Hart true believers in Mothman, Sasquatch, the Missouri Monster and the Arkansas Gowrow? Last question first: "I believe in the possibility of these creatures. I also believe many people are genuine in attempting to explain and understand phenomena they don't understand. There's a great deal we still don't know about our own world," says Burroughs. But he sees the museum not as a destination just for true believers in things that go bump in the woods. "This will be the only museum of its kind in the world to offer a comprehensive exploration of myths and legends," Burroughs says. "We want to inspire people to understand how culture has defined legends and the process of myth-making and storytelling. We want to inspire people to be curious, and we want to have conversations with our visitors about legends they may have experienced. And we want to inspire people to appreciate all of the stories that attempt to explain the world around us. "The strength of our exhibits will be in the life-like sculptures that will bring our visitors face to face with legends." Hart agrees on all counts. "To begin, I cannot fully prove they don't exist without securing a massive grant to research our entire planet thoroughly," he says. "And I would point out that our fossil record only represents less than 1/10th of 1% of all species that have ever lived. So, I say we are pleasantly resigned to pondering the mystery! "What I want this museum to bring to people is the universal joy of speaking the language of stories, the wonder of considering the impossible, and the awe of momentarily encountering it." And why is Northwest Arkansas one of their top choices for a location? "I would love to see the museum built in a community that would be proud to be the folklore hub of the world," Hart says. "We are centering the museum in the middle of America as we expect to be an international destination." "We've considered feasibility of the museum in several communities and have narrowed our list to Northwest Arkansas and the St. Louis metro area," Burroughs adds. "Our plans are to establish a presence in one of these communities by first opening in a facility that will provide about 9,000 to 10,000 square feet available for prototyping exhibits and offering educational programming. We are excited about the possibility for the adaptive reuse of a historic building to allow us to continue the design and development of a final concept for a 40,000- to 50,000-square- foot facility on a 10-acre campus with space for exhibits, collections and education." "My ideal museum would be of Italianate, Greek Revival, or Gothic architecture," Hart puts in. "Also, an empty K-Mart will do. The real magic will be on the inside." DECEMBER 26, 2021-JANUARY 1, 2022 WHAT'S UP! 37 PRESIDENT Brent A. Powers EDITOR Becca Martin-Brown 479-872-5054 bmartin@nwadg.com Twitter: NWAbecca REPORTER Lara Hightower 479-365-2913 lhightower@nwadg.com DESIGNER Deb Harvell ! UP WHAT'S ON THE COVER Wes Williams has a list of dream roles he'd like to play, including Tony in "West Side Sto- ry," Frank Jr. in "Catch Me If You Can," Fiyero in "Wicked" and Dmitri in "Anastasia." But, he adds, playing Zack in "An Officer and A Gentleman" "is 100% a dream role! I couldn't have built a role myself that better challeng- es me while showcasing my strengths!" (COURTESY PHOTO/MATTHEW MURPHY FOR MURPHYMADE) What's Up! is a publication of the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. Myth Museum Continued From Page 5 YEAR IN REVIEW UPDATE "Northwest Arkan- sas continues to be at the top of our list as a permanent location," says John Burroughs of the search for a home for the World Myth Museum. "Our initial investors encourage us in this direction, but we are open to other possi- bilities depending on sponsorships, incentives and market support for the project." Since the story on the museum first appeared in these pages in May 2021, Burroughs and his partner, sculptor extraordinaire Kendall Hart, have continued to take Sasquatch-sized steps toward fruition of their dream. "We decided this fall to move from our office to a dedicated studio," Burroughs says. "Our sculp- tures outgrew the office space ahead of sched- ule, and our focus shifted to design development and fabricating new exhibits. With such a wide scope and mission as we move into the third phase of our development, we have planned for our traveling exhibits and an increased online presence to reach a much larger community of supporters than would the temporary galleries at our old location. According to our strategic plan, we'll spend much of next year establishing a presence with our current sculptures and new pieces at special venues and events throughout the Midwest and upper South. "The Arkansas Gowrow and the Missouri Monster continue to take shape as well as several pieces in the design stage such as the Chupacabra and the Piasa Bird," he adds. "We develop exhibit content and educational programming in conjunction with each sculpture. The museum has also been answering demand from clients for special sculptures and will produce commissions and exhibits for other enti- ties and partners as we continue our work." Burroughs says because the museum is incor- porated as an LLC, "we've welcomed some initial investors and will cultivate corporate and private sponsors of the project in 2022." But, he adds, "one of the best ways for people to support the project at this point is to purchase Myth Museum merchandise at our online gift shop by following the 'shop' link on our website at mythmuseum. org. Also as part of our strategic plan, we will establish a nonprofit support group in the near future where individuals can donate funds to support our educational outreach mission." Find out more about the World Myth Museum at mythmuseum.org/museum. Email John Burroughs at john@mythmuseum. org. Email Kendall Hart at kendall@mythmuseum. org.