New murals unveiled at Bella Vista Public Library
Members of the Bella Vista Arts Council are excited to unveil two new murals on the exterior of the Bella Vista Public Library that were designed to integrate with the garden areas surrounding the building.
The event is set for 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 5, at the Bella Vista Public Library, 11 Dickens Place in Bella Vista.
In October 2022, board members sought regional muralists to submit designs focusing on nature themes and a spring color palette of bright rich colors.
Bella Vista resident Graham Edwards was selected for two projects. Edwards has created many murals throughout Northwest Arkansas. At the Bella Vista Public Library, the “Voice of the Garden” mural is installed on the west facing wall as you enter the garden area on the right side of the building. The “Flying Jewel” hummingbird mural is located on the north side of the building and to the left of the front entrance.
“Voice of the Garden” and “Flying Jewel” are two murals that showcase two important workers of The Natural State, a bee and a hummingbird, said Edwards. With the magnitude of attractions to see in Arkansas, it can be easy to forget the smallest among us who make this region so beautiful.
“The bee is perched upon the Arkansas state flower, an apple blossom, pollinating the surrounding flowers ensuring their growth for the season. The hummingbird is one of the most unique birds Arkansas is able to accommodate and in the mural is seen hovering and gathering nectar from a honeysuckle,” he said.
“They, too, are pollinators, ensuring a diverse ecosystem for other animals to live on, though they themselves like to be left alone. However, when a group of hummingbirds are together it is called a charm. Their speed and agility are unlike other birds, flying backward and upside down making them a spectacle in any garden they inhabit,” he said.
Poet James Russell Lowell once said, “Books are the bees which carry the quickening pollen from one to another mind.” The Arts Council board members felt this submission was well suited for our “gem in the woods” library and garden areas.
In addition to these two new works of art, library patrons and visitors can enjoy four more public art installations outside the building, also commissioned by members of the Arts Council, including the six “FireFlys’ installation by Tom Flynn that light up at dusk; “Mantis” by Alex Cogbill and Paul Siebenthal, a 3D sculpture in the plaza garden area; and “Wheels in Motion” by Stevie Stevens, a 2D mosaic sculpture along the parking area entry.
Don’t miss the mural inside the library as well, painted in the children’s area by local artist Paige Dirksen.