Two artists with Eyecon Studios, of Dallas, have started framing out what will soon be a series of larger-than-life baseball cards on the south wall of the Craighead Laundry Building featuring icons of the sport who visited Hot Springs years ago.
According to Mary Zunick, Visit Hot Springs' cultural affairs manager, the mural should be completed in about three weeks, weather permitting.
In their proposal, principal artists Chris Arnold and Jeff Garrison said the 160-by-35 foot mural is entitled "Playing Cards" and is a "whimsical look back at the nostalgic players that make up the 'Baseball Trail' doing what they do best, set into a bold graphic contemporary context."
Zunick said this is just another exciting addition to the already flourishing scene of murals throughout historic downtown.
"We have the Native American history represented and we have the natural wonders of Hot Springs in our Garvan (Woodland) Gardens mural, and this will just reflect another piece of our history," she said. "It's nice to add an artistic element with the historic element."
Zunick said unless visitors to Hot Springs are particularly baseball fans, many may not realize the Historic Hot Springs Baseball Trail exists, or they may only stop to read a few plaques. Adding an artistic element to the downtown area that depicts this history will hopefully spark more interest and get more visitors out exploring the trail.
Zunick said in July that the artists did take into consideration that a portion of the mural would be obstructed by the adjacent Hot Springs Advertising and Promotion Commission building, and made sure that none of the artistic elements would be hidden. In essence, she said at that time, there would be two separate murals connected by a central piece.
As for the players featured on the cards, Zunick said there is an element of surprise; however, a group of local baseball historians who Visit Hot Springs consults on everything related to baseball history also helped in deciding the mural's depictions.
"We want to be true to our baseball history and represent the wide range of players that came here," she said.
Local on 09/19/2018