The city of Rogers celebrated the opening of a new trail, tunnel and mural yesterday afternoon. The event began under the shade of a tree just outside the west entrance of the new Eighth and Easy Street Tunnel that better connects the city trail system to the 17-mile Railyard Loop.
Rogers Mayor Greg Hines says hosting a ribbon-cutting event for a tunnel might seem weird to people, but for him, it's a marker in the growth of how well connected the departments of the city are.
"Because when I first started public service in 1998, it was when I was first elected. I mean, the idea of us uplifting intentions, where we wanted to bring park space and transportation space where they collide together in a safe way for the patrons. And then on top of that, man, we also want to make it. We want to bring arts and culture into our transportation and our trail. Well, I mean, we would have laughed 25 years ago at those high intentions, and today it’s a must."
This part of Rogers is special to the mayor on a professional and personal level.
"Where we sit is one of the lowest poverty income levels in our community. And these folks. I grew up just a block down at Eighth and Sunset, and I’ve watched this place for 50 years now. And this particular ground right here had a path worn through it, right along the edge of the road for the last 25 years, 30 years. And you know what it was? It was folks walking to work to the midnight shift because they only have one car in the family. And so this to me means new, opened opportunities for everybody. Because it’s not just about recreation. It is truly a transportation system."
The tunnel is lined on both sides with a 120-foot-long mural. Erin Ashcraft grew up in Monticello and came to Rogers about six years ago. She’s the muralist for this project. The artwork features flora and fauna found in the city’s local parks and landscapes, and written boldly across one wall are the words “Hey, neighbor.”
She says she realized how important public art was in northwest Arkansas when she was out in the community herself, and it makes people feel at home.
"Like it gives a sense of place and a uniqueness to an area. That is the reason why we do public art in the first place. It serves the community in a number of ways, but it’s nice for people to be able to see something beautiful on their way to work, or just out with their kids walking their dogs. It gives people a sense of belonging. They’re like, oh, this was put here for me."
Kinya Christian is the arts and culture manager for the city of Rogers, who is also an artist herself. She says being able to live in both worlds makes it easier for her to communicate to the city and advocate for artists.
"Because on the city side, as Mayor Hines spoke to, we already recognize the importance of public art and how we can get that out in our public spaces, so that was easy. As far as the parameters, it was really just knowing what we’re trying to accomplish with the artwork. Erin spoke to placemaking, and that’s the most important thing, really, from the city side, is to make every piece of artwork that we’re putting up intentional and representative of our entire community."
City leaders say the area just west of the tunnel will eventually become a more fully formed rest area that already features a bicycle fix-it station and will eventually include more landscaping, benches and a water fountain.
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