What's Up - Your guide to what's happening in Fayetteville, AR this week!
Issue link: http://www.epageflip.net/i/1490954
"KUAF is the audio curator of the exhibition — meaning we have identified six archived interviews, segments and songs that correspond with six photographs in the exhibition," explains Leigh Wood, KUAF executive director. "Some of the featured audio pieces are of Gov. Bill Clinton, announcing his candidacy for President of the United States in 1991; Daisy Bates, speaking with Sharita Patterson of 'Ozarks at Large' on being recognized by the UA and NWA Communities in 1996; and the only recordings of Sarge and Shirley West, country music artists who toured with Merle Haggard and Tom T. Hall and were an integral part of the neighborhoods in south Fayetteville." In addition to QR codes that allow visitors to the exhibition to hear the KUAF segments, all of the archived audio pieces are available on the station's website at kuaf.com. Wood says it was the perfect partnership. "Andrew Kilgore has chronicled the residents of Fayetteville for 50 years and in doing so, his photographs tell the story of Fayetteville's residents and its history. KUAF has done the same thing over the last three and half decades — recording the stories, voices, experiences, and events of our community. And although radio is ephemeral, this gave KUAF the chance to scour our archives to create a collection of audio pieces that tell the same story of the people, stories and history of where we live. "While we undergo tremendous changes as a community, this collaboration is important in its celebration of the residents of Fayetteville," she goes on. "Andrew's genius is in his ability to capture the true essence of the people he is photographing and being able to view these striking portraits, while also hearing the voices of the people in the photographs, puts you in a time and place with that person. It immerses you in their story. That is what KUAF wanted to lend to this exhibition — the experience of connection through sound and art." In March, the Arkansas Arts Council will also honor Kilgore with the 2023 Governor's Arts Award for Lifetime Achievement, joining the ranks of icons like Charles Banks Wilson and George Dombek. "Andrew Kilgore is a perfect match for the Lifetime Achievement Award category," says program director Cheri Leffew. "At age 82, his black- and-white portrait photography is distinctly recognizable. He was selected for the award because of the exceptional quality of his work, coupled with his focus on photographing groups of people who are frequently overlooked by society." Asked what he hopes comes of the WAC retrospective of his work, Kilgore says: "For myself, I would love to be offered the funding to do another major advocacy project. "For Walton Arts Center, I would love to see a continued emphasis and commitment to doing work with visual artists. "I hope that viewers feel a deep sense of connection and empathy with the people in the pictures." As he says, "I photograph these people because I love them." JANUARY 29-FEBRUARY 4, 2023 WHAT'S UP! 39 COVER STORY Kilgore Continued From Page 9 PRESIDENT Brent A. Powers EDITOR Becca Martin-Brown 479-872-5054 bmartin@nwaonline.com Twitter: NWAbecca REPORTERS Monica Hooper mhooper@nwaonline.com April Wallace awallace@nwaonline.com (479) 770-3746 DESIGNER Deb Harvell ! UP WHAT'S ON THE COVER This photo by Andrew Kilgore, part of the retrospective of his work currently on show at the Walton Arts Center, comes from a project titled "Community Meals (A Reluc- tance to Engage)," photographs of the homeless/jobless in which Kilgore exchanged a $20 bill for the right to take a subject's photograph. (COURTESY IMAGE/ANDREW KILGORE) What's Up! is a publication of the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. "Andrew has given Fayetteville its visual history beginning in the early '70s — capturing the true essence of the times and of its people," says exhibit curator Kathy P. Thompson. This photo of "Fayetteville townfolk" is from 1976. This image is from a collection titled "Saint Francis House 1993." (Courtesy ImageS/ Andrew Kilgore)