More than a century ago visual art and symphonic music collided when Modest Mussorgsky wrote "Pictures at an Exhibition," in tribute to pictures created by artist Vicktor Hartmann.
A collaboration between the Fort Smith Symphony and The Unexpected takes "Pictures" into the 21st century. The urban street art festival invited Tulsa-based artist Yatika Fields, who painted a mural for the 2018 Unexpected, to work with art students from the University of Arkansas-Fort Smith to create their own visual renderings of the 10-movement work.
"I have my own unique way of making art, and I feel like it lines itself up with how music is played and how we listen to it," says Fields. "So I wanted the students to really elaborate on that feeling."
The results will be on display at the Fort Smith Symphony's performance of "Pictures at an Exhibition" in May.
Hear the full KUAF Arts Beat in the streaming link above.
