Bella Vista Arts Council to dedicate statues
Members of the Bella Vista Arts Council, on behalf of the City of Bella Vista and the Bella Vista Police Department, invite the public to the unveiling of three new public artworks that have been installed at the Bella Vista Public Safety building.
The event will be held at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 3 outside at the main entrance of the Public Safety Building, 2483 Forest Hills Blvd.
“These sculptures emphasize the warm feelings and positive relationship that our community has with the police department. Lady Justice adds a great finishing touch to the court facility,” said Bella Vista Mayor John Flynn. “Our thanks go to Demara Titzer and the Arts Council for all their hard work on this project.”
The ceremony will conclude the two-year project to design and install the statues at the entrance of the building, and will feature speakers including Flynn, Police Chief James Graves and Arts Council President Demara Titzer.
The “Justice for All” bronze installation was created by Fair Grove, Mo. artist James Hall, and includes a police officer, police dog and Lady Justice. The officer was inspired by real life officers and details replicate their actual uniforms, badges and accessories. K9 Huk, one of the three of the department’s K9 unit dogs, was photographed in February 2022 to capture the Belgian Malinois breed’s unique features, stance and vest details. Lady Justice was modeled after the Statue of Liberty while including the traditional blind lady of justice scales and sword details.
Hall was selected after an extensive search because of his proximity to Bella Vista and his resume of statues, including those at Fort Leonard Wood in the Missouri Ozarks, Bass Pro Shops, Tyson Foods, Inc., the Smithsonian Museum, as well as many university and corporate campuses.
“The Arts Council’s goal was to honor the work our officers and K9 units perform to meet the challenges they face as our city continues to experience growth,” said Titzer. “The design focused on conservative themes showing respect for the architecture, the Police Department and the District Court, while also enduring the test of time.”
“These statues to me are a representation of the unending devotion from officers past, present and future to the citizens of Bella Vista. It is the spirit of what we do, passing from generation to generation,” said Graves. “The names will change but the devotion and dedication will remain.”