30 Jun 2024 Artist of the Month: Joel Boyd

By Colleen Holt

The new mural on the Central Fire Station in Conway started with the spark of an idea and blazed into yet another beautiful piece of public art for the city.

Artist Joel Boyd of Little Rock said the mural is titled “Fire Fighter” and is approximately 500 square feet of color and dramatic design. Work for the mural’s design began in March, and the actual painting was done between mid-April and mid-May.

A full-time artist, Boyd submitted an application to a request to be considered for one of Conway’s public art projects. The City of Conway and the Conway Public Art Advisory Committee selected the projects and the artists for each of the projects.

“I believe the initial spark of a vision for this project started with the mayor, Bart Castleberry,” Boyd said. “The mayor was a firefighter and fire chief for 20 years. I believe he has seen fire station murals in other cities and thought it would be a great addition to the downtown Conway public art collection.”  In preparing to complete the mural, Boyd studied the texture and design of the building, its location and the amount of space in which he had to paint.

“This was quite a challenging project, as the brick wall had multiple vertical windows and protruding features. I knew the design could not have too much detail, so I started thinking about using the color of fire to act as the main feature of the design. I really wanted to illustrate the drama and intensity of fire while showcasing the bravery and hard work of the firefighter,” he said.

The mural is on an east-facing wall, which is just perfect for an early morning viewing. “I knew the yellows and oranges of fire would be stunning as a large painting. When I saw the painting of the fire the morning after I had painted it, I knew I had made the right choice,” he said. “As you come down the street, the intensity of the bright colors of the mural lit by the morning sun looks almost as brilliant as fire itself.”

Interestingly, Boyd did the majority of the painting with his paint sprayer, adding finer details with a brush. “I typically use exterior acrylic paint along with high-quality acrylic colors with exceptional lightfastness. Outdoor murals see lots of light and weather and need to be able to withstand constant exposure to those elements. I almost always coat my mural paintings with an exterior varnish to protect the artwork and allow it to last as long as possible,” he said.

In about 2017, Boyd was approached by a business owner in Rector (Clay County) about painting a mural on a building she and her father owned on Main Street. 

“They had received a historic preservation grant to bring the building back to its original glory, and she wanted a mural to be a part of the finishing touches to the project,” he said. “I had never done a mural before and really didn’t know what all was involved, but I took on the challenge and soon realized the incredible impact public art has on a space and a community.”

Since then, Boyd has done 21 public and private art murals in cities as diverse as Little Rock, West Memphis, Hope and two cities in Missouri. So far in 2024, Boyd has worked on three murals. His mural “City Dreamers” at West Sixth and Spring Streets in Little Rock is featured in the City of Little Rock Mural Tour.

“I have been a part of mural projects that pay tribute to historical figures and unique local history. I once had a visitor to one of my murals break down in tears because the depiction of the farmer in my painting reminded her of her dad when he would drive their old red tractor many years ago. She had not planned to see my mural that day, she was just stopping in at the local pharmacy,” Boyd said. “I think it is moments like this that illustrate the unique experience of public art, but perhaps more importantly, the impact of a mural painted by a local artist who understands the history of the place and its people. Murals bring art to our everyday lives and enrich the experience of being in the spaces or our own community. I think the future is bright for public art. I really never had plans to become a mural painter, but murals came to me.”