What’s the Performance Art Festival all about? While spotlighting performance art, it seeks to promote dialogue about performance art on an international scale, and hopes to engage a community of performance artists and supporters locally, nationally and internationally.
Now in its second year, the festival is literally a virtual buffet of art. The 4-day festival exemplifies creativity in all its forms including those areas of life not typically associated with art like spiritual creativity. It also offers artists educational opportunities on how to make a living as an artist.
Whether you’re an artist or an avid devotee, you’ll find many events that will appeal to you. Check the list of activities below, and schedule now to attend some of these many festival opportunities:
Thursday, April 12 – Downtown Rogers
Join Inverse for opening night of the festival with performances during Roger’s Downtown Art on the Bricks. Performances will take place in The Grand at 117, the event space currently for sale, located at 117 W. Walnut St, next to Rogers Experimental House. Starting at 6pm, experience work by Erin Peisert (Shanghai, China), Bahar B. Faraz (Sweden), Blair Summers (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma), Amber Eggleton (Fayetteville), Danielle Freakley (Australia), Heather Younger Morton (Fayetteville), Luis Mejico (Chicago, IL), and Amanda Hunt & IV Castellanos (New York, NY). Most works will be durational, throughout the space, until 9pm.
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Friday, April 13 – Downtown Bentonville
Spend the morning exploring the bike trails of Bentonville in search of David Jonathan Knox (Overland Park, Kansas) and his piece “Mirror in Ice”. Come to a special gallery talk with Ayana Evans (New York, NY) from 1-2pm at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art. Performances will continue in the evening, hosted by 21c Museum Hotel Bentonville. Luis Mejico’s “Untitled (Swans)” will exist throughout the evening. In galleries 3 and 4, performances will begin at 6pm with Sarah Hill (New Orleans, Louisiana), 630pm with Anita Araujo (Ijui, Brazil) and Mar Alzamora-Rivera (Panama City, Panama) and 730pm with Ayana Evans (New York, NY). Join the procession from 21c to Meteor Guitar Gallery and be a part of the filming of local artist Kat Wilson’s performance and pilot episode of “The All-Inclusive Show: A Show for Artists But You Can Watch Too,” from 8pm – 10pm.
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Saturday, April 14 – Downtown Fayetteville
Join Inverse for participatory workshop performance ‘Absurd Tasks’ with Butch Merigoni hosted by Local Color Studio Gallery from 12pm – 3pm. “In life, in work, and definitely in creative ventures, doubt and uncertainty are inevitable components. But instead of looking for certainty, why not play with being lost? Why not confront the unknowns without need or obligation?” Comfortable clothing and sneakers recommended. In collaboration with Intersections, a month of art and performance in NWA, Inverse presents Lip Service, a panel on intersectionality, identity, and the arts, from 4pm – 6pm at Stage Eighteen, with special performance by Bahar B. Faraz (Sweden). Panelists include Allison Glenn, Associate Curator, Contemporary Art at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art; Rachel Reynolds, Managing Director of The Artist’s Laboratory Theatre; Octavio Logo, local artist from around the world; and Inverse performance artists Sarah Hill (New Orleans, LA),and Ayana Evans (NYC). Moderators will be local artists and community organizers Ashley Byers (FEAST Gallery) and Amber Eggleton (Mega Mart). The festival will continue with evening performances at the University of Arkansas’ Art & Design District, located at 705 S. Hill Ave. Shawn Escarciga (New York, NY) will perform at 7pm and Jessica Elaine Blinkhorn (Atlanta, GA) will perform at 8:00pm.
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Sunday, April 15 – Downtown Springdale
Inverse will conclude the festival in collaboration with the Teen Action Support Center in Springdale, with events hosted at the Station, located at 610 B E. Emma St. Beginning at 1pm, Sarah Hill (New Orleans, Louisiana) will offer a workshop assessing risk, followed by a performance by University of the Ozarks student, Ana Sofía Camargo (Panama City, Panama). From 2pm – 4pm Crystal Bridges’ Teen Council will facilitate a performative installation created by Fernando Silva (Brazil).
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The festival is free and open to all. For more information visit www.inverseperformanceartfestival.org regarding participating artists, event schedule, and how you can help.
