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CB to You Mobile Art Lab: Siloam Springs

Festival
Siloam Springs Public Library
FREE
This event has passed
Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art will be closed Monday, May 13, to prepare for the visit of Antiques Roadshow. We will return to normal hours of operation Wednesday, May 15.
CB to You Mobile Art Lab

Energizing Community Through Art!

Siloam Springs, the CB to You Mobile Art Lab is coming to your neighborhood!

Join us this September at the Siloam Springs Public Library for four days of creativity and conversation focused on energizing communities through art. Each day of the visit will feature different activities and artists, as well as pop-up performances throughout the evening and weekend.

From artmaking and Storycircles to artist talks and live studio demonstrations, this traveling celebration of creativity promises to bring a little bit of inspired fun to everyone. Each stop will culminate in a free outdoor concert and community art showcase.

Join us in celebrating your hometown by creating art, stories, and memories together!

Free, no registration required.

Activity Schedule-at-a-glance

 

Wednesday, Sep 1

Artist: Trinity Kai

2 – 6 PM: Drop-in Studio and Artist Demos

Artmaking: Clay

Thursday, Sep 2

Artist: Lakisha Harper Bradley

2 – 6 PM: Drop-in Studio and Artist Demos

Artmaking: Acrylics

4 – 6 PM: Pop-up Performance w/Craig Colorusso

5 – 6 PM: Storytelling w/Doug Shields, Ozark Poets and Writers Collective

Friday, Sep 3

Artist: Junli Song

2 – 6 PM: Drop-in Studio and Artist Demos

Artmaking: Printmaking

5 -6 PM: Storytelling w/Open Mouth Reading Series

Saturday, Sep 4

Artist: Ziba Rajabi

11 AM – 4 PM: Drop-in Studio and Artist Demos

Artmaking: Printmaking

12 – 2 PM: Pop-up Performance w/Papa Rap

2 PM: Storytelling w/Na’Tosha De’Von, Poetic Justice: Speak Your Jewel!

5 PM: Live Music at the amphitheater w/ 1 Oz Jig, presented by Music Moves

Activity Details

 

Wednesday, September 1

Activities from 2 to 6 PM

Artist of the Day: Trinity Kai

Trinity creates work using her own personal narrative and examines systems of discrimination that exist within society. She creates through self-portraiture, written language, and materiality to share her experiences and bring viewers into conversations that can be reflective and transformational.

Trinity will be at the library from 2 to 6 PM and will be introducing guests to an art activity involving air-dry clay at 3 PM. The demonstration will be an exploration of clay and how it behaves through negative and positive carving of clay. Following the art activity, Trinity will lead an artist discussion at 5:15 PM inspired by her own experiences with community, belonging, and resilience. Before you go, don’t forget to grab your free take-home art kit!

Kai Trinity
Thursday, September 2

Activities from 2 to 6 PM

Artist of the Day: Lakisha Harper Bradley

Lakisha is a Social Practice Artist, Executive Director and Founder of MY-T-BY-DESIGN Therapeutic Art Studios located in Fayetteville, Arkansas. She uses a variety of painting mediums and uses art-making as a way to experience and release euphoric emotions.

Inspired by Lakisha’s art practice, CB to You guest artists will be at the library from 2 – 6 PM and will be introducing guests to a therapeutic art studio experience involving acrylic paint throughout the day. Following the art activity, we’ll host discussions inspired by experiences of community, belonging, and resilience.

Don’t forget to pick up your free art kit to take home!

Lakisha Bradley
Guitarist Craig Colorusso
Guitarist Craig Colorusso

An extra pop-up performance will be given by artist Craig Colorusso! Craig will perform Ladybug Cathedral at the library from 4 to 6 PM! Using a bowed guitar, Craig’s Ladybug Cathedral is a long, slow, and deliberate performance that invites listeners to just listen and let the sound wash over them. Craig is a sound-based artist whose explorative work extends beyond sound and utilizes light and sculpture. In the past five years, Colorusso has combined his interests in the permanent and semi-permanent works: Sound Swings, Moon Pod, Covered Bridge ONE, and The Tunnel.

Artist Doug Shields

After the artist hours, an artist from the Ozark Poets and Writers Collective will be our featured storyteller from 5 to 6 PM to cap off the night! The OPWC is a non-profit organization devoted to the joys of the spoken and written word and is based in Fayetteville, AR. They support and promote community involvement by providing various opportunities for poets and other community members.

Their featured poet, Doug Shields, will share readings of their own work while guiding a storytelling circle, encouraging guests through activity prompts and storytelling to participate in writing and sharing stories about their experiences in their own communities. Don’t forget to pick up a free art kit to take home before you go!

Doug hosts and produces the radio show and podcast Poetize with Doug Shields, which plays on KPSQ 97.3 in Fayetteville and on major podcast apps. They hold a Ph.D. in physics with research in spiral galaxies, and are the author of the short story book Benjamin Golden Devilhorns.

Friday, September 3

Activities from 2 to 6 PM

Artist of the Day: Junli Song

Junli is a storyteller and uses visual narratives to explore the cultural ambiguities of being Chinese American. Her work reveals how identity is fluid as inherited stories and traditions are continually evolving. Junli will be at the library from 2 – 6 PM and will be introducing guests to a printmaking activity throughout the day. Following the art activity, Junli will lead an artist discussion inspired by her own experiences with community, belonging, and resilience.

After the artist hours, an artist from the Open Mouth Reading Series will be our featured storyteller from 5 to 6 PM to cap off the night! Open Mouth Reading Series is a community-based literary organization located in Fayetteville, Arkansas. They have partnered with local organizations to bring engaging and creative events, programming, experiences, exchanges, content, and dialogues to Northwest Arkansas. OM hosts monthly readings and writing workshops as well as many other writing and engagement opportunities for poets and community members. Their featured poets will share readings of their own work while guiding a storytelling circle, encouraging guests through activity prompts and storytelling to participate in writing and sharing stories about their experiences in their own communities.

And of course, don’t forget to grab a free art kit to take home with you!

Junli Song
Saturday, September 4

Activities from 11 AM – 5 PM

Artist of the Day: Ziba Rajabi

On Saturday, we have a day full of artists and performances! Kicking off the fun-filled day will be our artist-of-the-day, Ziba Rajabi! Ziba will be at the library from 11 AM to 4 PM, and will be introducing guests to a printmaking influenced activity that involves a collagraph demonstration using cardboard, acrylic paint, and foam sheets. Following the art activity, Ziba will lead an artist discussion inspired by her own experiences with community, belonging, and resilience.

Ziba is an Iranian artist whose primary practice is focused on painting, drawing, and fiber-based installation. Her work focuses on merging past memories of her native land, Tehran, and her current life here in Arkansas through abstract forms. You can see more of her work at the temporary exhibition Crystal Bridges at 10.

Ziba Rajabi
Papa Rap and the Fun Love Drum Circle

An extra pop-up performance by Papa Rap and the fun love drum circle will be held from 12-2 PM! Papa Rap will be performing alongside Bongo Luigi Vazquez and together they will teach everyone about different drum rhythms and cultures through reading stories, hands-on activities, singing and dancing!

Papa Rap, also known as Al Lopez, is a Puerto Rican musician who connects communities through music-making and performances. The goal of his music is to encourage understanding and togetherness through educational and fun lyricism.

At 2 PM, an artist from the Poetic Justice: Speak Your Jewel! will be our featured storyteller of the day! Their featured poet, Na’Tosha De’Von, is an MFA actor and published poet. Today, Na’Tosha will share readings of her own work while guiding a storytelling circle, encouraging guests through activity prompts and storytelling to participate in writing and sharing stories about their experiences in their own communities.

Na’Tosha has published and traveled her poetry in the Southern region. Believing that the premise of her art is to focus and heal, Na’Tosha uses her words to inspire and fight for positive change.

Poetic Justice: Speak Your Jewel! is sponsored by the local nonprofit organization Light House Solutions. Speak your Jewel is a diverse group of Social Artists within the NWA area. They come from all different walks of life to spark courage and participation within the community. Their artists are known for activating their jewels through dance, poetry, singing, painting and acting to deliver the power of their stories. Their mission is to help people believe humanity and divinity are one within us and their mantra is: You must never suffocate the genius that lies within you.

For the finale of the tour, CB to You invites you to a live music gathering at the amphitheater at 5 PM by 1 Oz. Jig, presented in collaboration with Music Moves.

Clap, jump, dance, and let loose with the charismatic Fayetteville band, 1 Oz. Jig. Led by singer/songwriter Jeff Kearney, the group is a self-described “backwoods funk” band presenting music that “puts the ‘fun’ back in ‘funk.’” This group has won several awards in the past few years as Best Funk Band and Singer/Songwriter of the Year.

Don’t forget to pick up a free art kit to take home with you!

Artist Na'Tosha De'Von

About CB to You

 

The CB to You Mobile Art Lab is a traveling pop-up art experience energizing the power of community through art. Featuring regional artists from across Northwest Arkansas, the art lab will be visiting local libraries and festivals around the region to bring artmaking, music, storytelling, and more. Find out more about the program, see a full schedule of stops, and get to know our guest artists here!

The CB to You Mobile Art Lab is presented in partnership with Ziba Rijabi, Markeith Woods, Lakisha Harper Bradley, Trinity Kai, Tay Butler, and Junli Song. Pop-up performances will be performed by Papa Rap’s the fun love drum line, Craig Colorusso’s Lady Bug Cathedral Sessions, and Music Moves. Story sharing events are presented with Ozark Poets and Writers Collective, Open Mouth Reading Series, and Poetic Justice: Speak Your Jewel!