ArtsFest, Conway's premier mini-festival of the arts, runs through Saturday in downtown Conway.

Sponsored by the Conway Alliance for the Arts and its newly appointed board of directors, the festival is sure to become a time-tested Conway tradition.

Now in its second year, ArtsFest began in 2007 as a celebration of the community mural that, designed by Morton Brown as a part of UCA's centennial celebration, became the colorful centerpiece of downtown Conway.

"It was very small," said Gayle Seymour, associate dean of the University of Central Arkansas' College of Fine Arts and Communication. "It just involved the local colleges and high schools coming together to benefit the community. This year's conversation is designed to include new people, voices and perspectives. We wanted to include the community in a celebration of the arts." This year, the four-day festival will include a multitude of activities geared at art lovers of all ages. Local galleries will open their doors to the public during Art and Music Wall and will present works by local visual artists and musicians such as Gene Hatfield, Sheila Parsons, Bonnie McKay and the Bonafide Trombone Quartet.

For the older set, all three area colleges have found ways to combine art, music, theatre and dance to contribute to the festivities. The University of Central Arkansas's Baum Gallery has three exhibits on view, including graphite pencil illustrations, mixed media pieces created from recycled materials and contemporary ceramic figurines. Hendrix College will combine theater and dance to perform "The Jackal's Tale and Depths" in Simon Park. Central Baptist College will present a Family Day concert.

"It's all a process of development," Seymour said. "We wanted to incorporate all levels of art, from the simplest school projects to some of the finest works in the country."

Evidence of this can be found in Wednesday's presentation of the Brentano Spring Quartet in UCA's Reynolds Performance Hall.

The theme of using art to unite the community was even evident in the festival's logo. Designed by UCA alumna Kimberley Wells, it uses the awnings of the Halter Building as a colorful bridge that reaches across the city. For Wells, the logo was inspired not only by the building itself, but also by the community mural and the overall spirit of Conway.

"The logo was the result of in-depth conversations with Dr. Seymour about what ArtsFest represents to the community," Wells said. "She spoke about the colleges' and the university's desire to bring more recognition of the arts to Conway. From the beginning of our discussions I had a vision of multiple colors because they would represent the many facets of ArtsFest."

Wells decided to use colors that would not only represent each of the local colleges, but also green for the spirit of environmental conservation and yellow for the feeling of hope for the future.

"Altogether the bright colors speak of the magic of a festival and diversity of the arts," Wells said. "The awning shapes that form a bridge also form an umbrella over 'the art of community.' My understanding of ArtsFest is that it brings together the schools, students, and the community at large with the joy of art in many forms, the appreciation of our history as a community and a look toward our future as we dream together."

All events are free and open to the public. ArtsFest is sponsored by ARAMARK, Arkansas Arts Beautification Society, Independent Living Services, Kroger Food Stores, Lonnie's Meat Market & Catering, Personalized Bottle Water, PPC Plumbing, Salter Properties, Inc. and Steve Strange. More information on events, dates and times can be found at www.artsinconway.com or by calling 450-3295.

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