FORT SMITH -- The city has been selected by the National Fitness Campaign to receive two, permanent artistic outdoor fitness courts, and city director agreed to a partnership to help them get installed.
Jurena Storm, government affairs liaison for Mayor George McGill's office, told directors Tuesday one court will feature art from a local artist, and the other will feature work from renowned artist Jean-Michel Basquiat.
Storm said the cost of the courts is $425,000 total. The Mayor's Office has $250,000 of pledged contributions, and it plans to raise the rest of the money through donations.
She asked the directors to OK the money to pour concrete pads for the 38-foot square courts, as well as any maintenance costs incurred while the public uses the equipment.
Storm said the Basquiat court will be at the dog park in Chaffee Crossing, 8204 Veterans Ave. in Barling. The local artist's court will be by the city's Skate and Bike Park at 121 Riverfront Drive. She said since the Basquiat court is fully paid for, it can be installed and ready by the end of August if the board agrees to the concrete and maintenance costs.
The National Fitness Campaign started in 1970 with the fitness court being designed by founder Mitch Menaged in San Francisco. The campaign is designed to encourage participation in outdoor fitness activities.
Ward 1 Director Jarred Rego said he participated in the discussions with the National Fitness Campaign and encouraged people to look at the director's agenda to see the interesting and durable equipment the city is about to receive.
The National Fitness Campaign website states that the courts are supposed to provide a full body workout in seven minutes. The equipment allows users to plank, squat, incline pushup, forward lunge, standing row, dot jump and bend for 45 seconds each, with a 15 second interlude in between sets.
"You're talking about precision wrapped steel, anti-graffiti laminates on the art, this is all designed and made in the USA," Rego said. "I think the durability of it is going to make that ease of maintenance -- that burden be less on the city."
"Since covid, a lot of residents and visitors have been looking for outdoor fitness facilities, and this is our opportunity to be in the forefront of that," Storm said.
According to Britannica, Basquiat was a graffiti artist who emerged in the above ground New York art scene at age 20. He participated in his first formal public exhibition in "The Times Square Show" in 1980 and from there his career skyrocketed. He was a celebrity until his death in 1988 at age 27, represented by major galleries in New York and Germany.
"Basquiat works are edgy and raw, and through a bold sense of color and composition, he maintains a fine balance between seemingly contradictory forces such as control and spontaneity, menace and wit, urban imagery and primitivism," an artist profile from the National Fitness Campaign states. "The Basquiat brand embodies the values and aspirations of young, international urban culture."
"He's an artist that young people are raving over," McGill said. "Some of his art is sold for $5-$10 million. Amazing artist, and again, we've been awarded something that many cities would only dream about. It's because of what we've done in the art world, certainly with our outdoor art with the unexpected project. We were on the radar when they were deciding which cities."
In a memo from Storm to the directors, she states they'll have to make a decision on the licensed artwork in five years. She said the options are to relicense for another artist or another Basquiat piece, find another local artist or purchase standard, template artwork from the fitness campaign.
The Riverfront Skate and Bike Park is seen on Thursday, June 9, 2022, in downtown Fort Smith. The site was one of two in Fort Smith, along with the Chaffee Crossing dog park, selected by the National Fitness Campaign to receive artistic outdoor fitness courts, a partnership with which the city directors unanimously agreed to help them get installed. Visit nwaonline.com/220612Daily/ for today's photo gallery. (NWA Democrat-Gazette/Hank Layton)
Flowers are seen on Thursday, June 9, 2022, at the Chaffee Crossing dog park in Fort Smith. The site was one of two in Fort Smith, along with the Riverfront Skate and Bike Park, selected by the National Fitness Campaign to receive artistic outdoor fitness courts, a partnership with which the city directors unanimously agreed to help them get installed. Visit nwaonline.com/220612Daily/ for today's photo gallery. (NWA Democrat-Gazette/Hank Layton)
A bucket of dog toys is seen on Thursday, June 9, 2022, at the Chaffee Crossing dog park in Fort Smith. The site was one of two in Fort Smith, along with the Riverfront Skate and Bike Park, selected by the National Fitness Campaign to receive artistic outdoor fitness courts, a partnership with which the city directors unanimously agreed to help them get installed. Visit nwaonline.com/220612Daily/ for today's photo gallery. (NWA Democrat-Gazette/Hank Layton)