What's Up - Your guide to what's happening in Fayetteville, AR this week!
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rods used by welders. Stilley, completely self-taught and driven by his beliefs, made his instruments with simple tools, though once he got his hands on an electric router, he began scrawling "True Faith, True Light, Have Faith in God" on each piece. "There was no tradition of vernacular instrument-making that he plugged into," says Cochran, author of, among other things, "Our Own Sweet Sounds, A Celebration of Popular Music in Arkansas" and co-author, with Suzanne McCray, of "Lights! Camera! Arkansas!: From Broncho Billy to Billy Bob Thornton" (which also inspired an Old State House Museum exhibit of the same title). "On the other hand, not only did he not learn from anybody who traditionally did it in that area, he didn't pass it down to anyone. He had no one following him." Because he was working independently from tradition, the instruments are examples not so much of folk art but outsider art, Cochran says. Of course, academic distinctions of the genre his instruments belong to would be lost on Stilley. "He doesn't think of it as art," Cochran says. "He thinks of it as [something] produced in obedience to a divine directive. The fact that he didn't know anything about [making instruments] was immaterial to him. He just started doing it and he figured that the Lord would be pleased." Others were also pleased, including Fayetteville musicians Kelly and Donna Mulhollan, who actually play his instruments in their folk duo Still on the Hill. "There would be no exhibit without Kelly and Donna," Maack says. Kelly Mulhollan's gorgeous 2015 book on Stilley, published by the University of Arkansas Press with photos by Kirk Lanier and an introduction by Cochran, gives the exhibit its name and is a crucial document of Stilley's life and work. Mulhollan first met Stilley in 1995. His wife, Donna, was visiting friends, Nina and Tom Luther, who had been neighbors of the Stilleys in the '70s and had received a guitar from Ed. Donna knew her folk-art-loving husband would appreciate the strange piece. "She ran home to me and said, 'You've got to see this to believe it,'" Kelly recalls. The Mulhollans were smitten. "From the very start, we both felt like we had stumbled into one of the great folk artists of our time," says Kelly who, with Donna, is a guest curator of the Little Rock exhibition. DIRECT FROM THE LONDON STAGE an evening with DIRECT FROM ning An intimate evening in 1963 England with the legendary writer C.S. Lewis. Perfectly portrayed by David Payne. Central United Methodist Church 6 W Dickson Street • Fayetteville, AR SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 25 • 4:00 PM TICKETS: 800.965.9324 or iTickets.com ALSO APPEARING IN CONWAY ON FEBRUARY 24TH. VISIT MIKEBEDFORDPRESENTS.COM FOR MORE INFO. Saturday, February 24 th • 10am-12pm Springdale, AR Jones Center 922 E Emma Ave, Springdale, AR TOUR PREVIEW SHOW! Call for a FREE 2018 catalog at 1-888-845-9582 or fi nd us on the web at www.makingmemoriestours.com It's a great day to make a MEMORY! Let us show you how to take a "WORRY FREE" vacation… The hardest thing you'll have to do is pack! Let us show you how to take a "WORRY FREE" vacation… The hardest thing you'll have to do is pack! ; One Day Discounts - Bigger Than Ever Before ; Drawings for Prizes ; 24 All New Tours to Choose From ; 3 to 14 Day Trips ; USA & International Destinations ; Group Tour Specialists ARTS AWAY! 38 WHAT'S UP! FEBRUARY 11-17, 2018 Stilley Continued From page 37 IMAGINE YOURSELF SUCCESSFUL O9685 10.17H Gary Chaney, CLU® Ark. Ins. Lic. No. 715907 Chaney Insurance Agency 2245 N. Green Acres Rd. Fayetteville, AR 72703 800-286-6204 chaneyagency@sbcglobal.net Gary has represented Kansas City Life for more than 45 years. He started the agency in Fayetteville, Ark., and is a consistent top producer in the life insurance industry. Come join the team! We're waiting for you and it's time for your fresh start. Ready to see yourself successful? Join Chaney Insurance Agency – one of Kansas City Life Insurance Company's leading agencies since 1970 – and help families gain financial security. ere's more: • Exceptional compensation • Management opportunities within two years • Industry-leading product portfolio • Amazing incentive trips