Two years ago, Little Rock philanthropist Charlotte Gadberry was traveling with her husband, Jim, when she stumbled upon Spoleto USA, an arts festival that takes over Charleston, South Carolina for 17 days each summer, filling its performance venues with both emerging and renowned artists. The Gadberrys were awed by the support for Spoleto USA, a $19 million per year undertaking, as well as the hundreds of thousands of community members who filled auditoriums, theaters and churches to see the performances.
For Gadberry, happening upon Spoleto USA was more than a happy traveling accident. It was a learning experience and, more importantly, an opportunity. The Gadberrys returned home and she set to work meeting with city and county officials, as well as local arts groups such as the Arkansas Repertory Theatre (The Rep), Arkansas Symphony Orchestra (ASO) and Arkansas Arts Center (AAC). The timing was right — Little Rock had seen the successful launch and growth of a literary festival and a film festival over the years, and a fine arts festival seemed like the perfect complement to those.
Soon, a board of directors had been established with Gadberry at the helm. Renay Dean was named executive director and an advisory board was formed, which included advisory board chairman and artistic director at The Rep, Bob Hupp; executive director of the AAC, Todd Herman; and Philip Mann, music director of the ASO. Now, more than 150 volunteers make up 16 committees, all of which are working to make Gadberry’s vision a reality. The festival, named ACANSA — a Quapaw word meaning ‘Southern place’ — was scheduled for September, and there was a lot of work to be done.
“Bob, Todd and Philip have been involved from the very beginning,” Dean says. “They’re the big picture guys that have helped us look at Spoleto, then look at a blank page here in Arkansas and help us fill in that blank page. They’ve given us advice and direction, and their expertise has been wonderful.”
The goal of ACANSA is to showcase local, state and regional artists at a variety of venues around central Arkansas, creating affordable and accessible arts programming for all who are interested in participating. “Engagement with art gives us all new ways to experience ideas and emotions that broaden and enrich our comprehension of the world,” Bob Hupp says. “There’s also the powerful opportunity to share experiences together, communally, which is increasingly rare today.”
Between September 24-28, ACANSA will offer 26 performances spread out over 17 locations in central Arkansas, including the Mosaic Templars Cultural Center, Central High School, Wildwood Park for the Arts, MacArthur Park, the Clinton Presidential Library and more. “It’s an opportunity for us to not only highlight our arts and artists,” Dean explains, “but it’s also a way for people to experience some of our wonderful venues.”
The events feature a wide range of arts as well, from poets to painters to dancers and marionette puppeteers. The AAC will be displaying the work of Evan Lindquist, Arkansas’ first Artist Laureate. Theatregoers and photography lovers will enjoy a play about the life of Depression-era Arkansas photographer Disfarmer, which will be produced by The Rep and can be seen at the Argenta Community Theater. Dance enthusiasts can catch the Dallas Black Dance Theatre performing at North Little Rock High School.
From the beginning of the planning process, reaching out to new audiences has been a focus for ACANSA. “There are a number of groups that don’t have access to the arts and don’t regularly support them,” Dean says. “We want to expose them to our arts groups. We can provide education across the board, to all groups in our community. So from the very beginning we have had wonderful support from our local arts groups. They are leading our advisory board and all of our programming goes through them before we make a decision. They’ve been outstanding. And they are coordinating with each other to make this happen.”
While most of the events have a general admission price of $20, there are a handful of offerings that are free to the public, including a day at MacArthur Park sponsored by Arkansas Children’s Hospital and the City of Little Rock. Artists will create works of art, musicians will perform, food trucks will line the parking lot, and there will be an entire day of art demonstrations and activities for kids, families and adults, something that AAC executive director Todd Herman is especially excited about.
“Exposure to the arts opens windows into the beauty of the world,” Herman says. “Artists have a way of translating events of our daily lives into something more meaningful and often universal. There’s a reason people have been creating art continuously since the earliest cave paintings. Because of this, the arts have become a vital part of economic development in communities across the nation. A vibrant art scene is a key factor in attracting not only businesses but a talented workforce.”
“We know through economic impact studies that every dollar invested in the performing arts returns more than seven dollars in economic development,” says Philip Mann, who has participated in arts festivals in many different cities. Mann says he hopes to see our community shape and mold the personality of ACANSA over the years into something that is unique to Arkansas, as well as something that will benefit all aspects of the state.
Dean agrees, noting that the many volunteers working to make ACANSA happen hope that the festival will drive tourism dollars and interest to the state. “We want our hotels full and our restaurants full,” she says. “We all know how wonderful Arkansas is. With ACANSA, we hope to share that with people who are visiting from other states who may not understand what we have here. Our quality of life in Arkansas is remarkable. If we can get people who have never been here to see that, it’s a win-win.”
“Healthy arts communities are not competitive, they are collaborative,” Mann continues. “Festivals are wonderful at connecting people and organizations, and we will all benefit from the partnerships, new relationships and renewed artistic collaborations that will make us even more effective in serving our community.”
ACANSA Arts Festival
When: September 24-28, 2014
Where: Various locations around central Arkansas
Tickets + Info: www.AcansaArtsFestival.org
To learn more about ACANSA, and to see a comprehensive lineup of events, click here.