01 Apr 2024 A ‘Total Eclipse of the Art’ planned for Friday

CONWAY — The Conway Downtown Art Walk has announced their April fifth event will be themed “Total Eclipse of the Art.” Held the first Friday of the month, Art Walk brings life and art to the downtown area. From 5-8 pm, visitors downtown will find artists selling and demonstrating art, performances by street musicians, interactive arts activities for kids, and more. 

“When we found out our April event would coincide with the weekend of the eclipse, we couldn’t resist the opportunity to play into the theme! We’ve increased the hands-on arts activities for kids this month, inspired by all things solar system,” said Jennie McNulty, the Art Walk Program Director. 

Another major addition to the April lineup will be an inflatable sculpture designed by UCA artist-in-residence Morton Brown. This project was made possible by Dr. Gayle Seymour, the associate dean of the UCA College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences. After applying for and being awarded a grant from the Arkansas Space Grant Consortium, a NASA pass-through entity, Seymour coordinated with Brown to create a piece that will leave an impression.  

“For this once-in-a-lifetime eclipse event, I knew we needed something larger than life. LUNA the Eclipse Superhero literally beats that vision at 25 ft tall. As a woman POC superhero, she also references NASA’s current Artemis mission, which will land the first woman and first person of color on the Moon,” explained Seymour. 

Art Walk merchandise will be available for purchase, including limited edition t-shirts, tote bags, and stickers. In commemoration of the eclipse, Indi Minett, the graphic designer for Art Walk, has also designed eclipse-themed stickers, prints, and t-shirts. 

“Having a total solar eclipse happen in my own hometown is a truly magical experience. I wanted to create a design that captured that magical feeling, while also including some of the things that make Conway special to me,” Minett said. 

To find out more about “Total Eclipse of the Art” and the 2024 Art Walk season, head to creativeinstitutear.org/artwalk.