The Famous Hardware Building in Downtown Springdale Features a New Art Experience by Oklahoma City’s Factory Obscura.
Downtown Springdale Alliance with funding from the Tyson Family Foundation is once again collaborating with curator Dayton Castleman of Verdant Studio and selected artists to activate the windows at the Famous Hardware building in Downtown Springdale. This time the artists hail from Factory Obscura, an Oklahoma City artist collective formed in 2017 to provide immersive art experiences, build a creative economy, and support arts education in Oklahoma City.
“We look to create platforms that encourage engagement and experimentation,” says Olivia Tyson of the Tyson Family Foundation. “BRAIN TO BRAIN PAPER PLANE” will be experienced entirely through the windows. The three-dimensional, multimedia world created inside the storefronts illustrates how an idea can grow and evolve through the act of creative collaboration. Touch-sensitive sensors will be placed on the window glass, inviting visitors to participate.
“BRAIN TO BRAIN PAPER PLANE” is created by 17 members of the Factory Obscura artist collective, including painters, sculptors, fiber artists, musicians, lighting/tech designers, fabricators, an engineer, and more. Factory Obscura is collaborating with local curator Dayton Castleman, a conceptual artist based in NWA and Director of Visual Thinking at Verdant Studio.
“The real magic of our work is created through the act of collaboration, amongst a group of very diverse artists,” said Kelsey Karper, a Co-Founder and Director of Logistical Creativity at Factory Obscura. “Our team has enjoyed working together to create something new for the Famous Hardware windows in Downtown Springdale and getting to know the creative community there.”
The Famous Hardware Building is located at 113 West Emma Avenue. The installation will take place the week of August 2nd. An opening celebration on the sidewalk will be held Friday, August 13 from 5-8pm. The community is invited to meet the artists of Factory Obscura, with an opportunity to contribute a new element to the storefront installations while enjoying the Outdoor Dining District.
“Art experiences like Factory Obscura strengthen communities at their core by bringing people together for a unique shared experience,” says Jill Dabbs, Executive Director of Downtown Springdale. “The energy these experiences inject into our downtown drive foot traffic, economic development, and curiosity for what's happening next. Public art reflects how much a community is loved. If you haven't experienced Downtown Springdale recently, you are going to love it too.”
The art installation will be in place from August 13 through November 8 with additional special events to be announced. Explanations for the art installations will be translated into Spanish and Marshallese. The Famous Hardware art installations take place throughout the year and make art accessible to the Springdale community and create new experiences for people visiting the downtown.
More information about the BRAIN TO BRAIN PAPER PLANE art experience can be found at https://www.factoryobscura.com/news/downtown-springdale.
