What's Up - Your guide to what's happening in Fayetteville, AR this week!
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8 WHAT'S UP! JANUARY 10-16, 2021 FEATURE Moment By Moment Nature, connection, music, tech, hope got us through 2020 W hether or not you participate in resolutions, set intentions or relish cracking the spine on that new day planner, the beginning of a new year can still feel like the start of something fresh. It also spurs in many of us conscious reflection on what got us through the previous year and what we'd like to leave behind. In a year that brought unique and unprecedented challenges, I'm looking back in gratitude on the things that got me from day to day — and sometimes from hour to hour. Making the time and effort to keep up book club over Zoom with my three best friends helped me challenge gaps in my own awareness as we read works on the Black experience and bonded over women-led stories ("The Vanishing Half," "Red at the Bone," "The Giver of Stars"). I discovered a plethora of board games for two that brought my partner and I closer together as we flexed our strategy and problem solving skills ("Mansions of Madness," "Villainous," "The Fox in the Forest"). Live-texting with a friend I haven't seen in years while we listened to Taylor Swift's second new album of 2020 ("Evermore") the moment it dropped somehow felt like we were together, sharing a special and intimate hour listening to and analyzing music from an artist we love. Last week, I shared with you some of the best events, things to do, I got to experience thanks to a tireless and robust community of creators. But it was the moments like these that really, truly got me through the year. What about you, my community? In turning our sights to the new year, how about one last look back at the blessings, no matter how small, that brought us comfort, joy or relief during the dumpster fire of 2020. Pia Agrawal Curator of Performing Arts, the Momentary Something new for me in 2020 was art accessible by phone. Meshell Ndegeocello made elements of her existing performance, "The Gospel of James Baldwin," available on-demand through a toll-free hotline, and Autumn Knight is voicing the 1-800-NOT- ZOOM hotline, where audiences are invited to call in any time to hear poetry, songs or monologues from a group of contributing artists. Most recently, I participated in 600 Highwaymen's "A Thousand Ways," which pairs two strangers together for an intimate conversation over the phone. In the midst of large-scale isolation, it was both poignant and refreshing to have a conversation with someone I don't know; I'm having that experience so rarely these days and miss it more than I realized. I was so moved by "A Thousand Ways" that we are hoping to make it accessible to Northwest Arkansas audiences in early 2021 through the Momentary. Serena Barnett Director, Rogers Historical Museum My husband, Todd, and I started taking our dog Quin (a 3-year-old Pembroke Welsh Corgi) out more for longer walks on nice weekend days. One of our favorite places to go is the Lake Atalanta dog park, and then we like to continue on the trail to walk around the lake. We all enjoy being out in nature, but I'm fairly certain Quin is mostly excited to get a chance to meet other dogs and to play in the spring water. Lieven Bertels Director, the Momentary 2020 was an usual year for so many of us. I felt really inspired by young chef and entrepreneur Elliot Hunt who, despite having opened only just before the pandemic hit, has turned his new restaurant Atlas into a haven of hospitality and great culinary taste. I love to cook myself, but I really appreciate the work and experience of a professional chef and their team. Eating at Atlas has been pure joy and a way to experience some normalcy in our current madness. One of the most heartwarming moments this year was when singer- songwriter John Fullbright took the stage for the Momentary's first outdoor Lieven Bertels (Courtesy Photo/Dero Sanford) Serena Barnett Pia Agrawal (Courtesy Photo/Dero Sanford) 2020 IN REVIEW Jocelyn Murphy jmurphy@nwadg.com