A previous art installation by Maser, titled "Maser Motel," located in Las Vegas

A Sept. 1 reception at the University of Arkansas – Fort Smith for an exhibit by an acclaimed street artist will kick off this year’s The Unexpected, the arts initiative coordinated by 64.6 Downtown and curated by JustKids taking place September 2-11 in downtown Fort Smith.

 

An immersive installation by the Irish artist Maser will be on display at the art gallery in Windgate Art & Design, the university’s state-of-the-art visual arts facility located at 535 N. Waldron Rd. The reception will take place at 6 p.m. and is sponsored by the UAFS Foundation and the Chancellor’s Coalition for the Visual Arts (CCVA) at the university. The installation will be open to the public Sept. 1 – Oct. 1.

 

Known as one of Ireland’s leading visual artists in the urban scene, Maser began painting graffiti on the streets of Dublin, where his unique abstracted style established him as one of Ireland’s leading visual artists working in the urban environment. He has painted murals and created installations in countries around Europe, Canada and the United States, as well as creating artwork for notable artists Damien Dempsey and U2.

 

Claire Kolberg, event organizer of The Unexpected, said 64.6 Downtown was “pleased to continue to bring innovative works to Arkansas and to introduce the community to new urban contemporary artists.”

 

“Our private sector donors and building owners made it possible for us to bring art that will surprise in both location and execution,” she said. “Additionally, our continued partnership with UAFS has had a positive impact on the students and community by furthering our commitment to establishing creative spaces in Fort Smith.”

 

Dr. Mary Lackie, vice chancellor for university advancement and executive director of the UAFS Foundation, said the Foundation and the CCVA were “pleased to work with 64.6 Downtown again this year for The Unexpected.”

 

“We love having the chance to invite the community to campus and to give people the opportunity to see what a wonderful facility we have in Windgate Art & Design, thanks to the generous gift from the Windgate Charitable Foundation,” Lackie said. “Hosting an artist installation on campus affords our faculty and students the opportunity to work and engage with an internationally known artist. This is the kind of value-added experience that we want to be able to provide for our students.”

 

64.6 Downtown is a nonprofit committed to creating vibrant artistic spaces in downtown Fort Smith. JustKids is a multidisciplinary dynamic interface that creates large-scale art events, gallery shows and design spaces with a global network of artists, curators, designers and art consultants on an international scale.

 

For more information on The Unexpected, including artist information and building locations, please visit www.unexpectedfs.com. For more information about JustKids, visit www.justkidsofficial.com.

 

For more information about the exhibit or reception, contact Lisa Suggs at lisa.suggs@uafs.edu or 479-788-7031.