Ever energetic and often controversial, Charlotte Buchanan can't be hushed when it comes to promoting the arts in Eureka Springs.

Whether it is the art of the pen, the cinema, or the visual arts, Buchanan never wavers in her determination to keep creativity alive and in the forefront of her adopted hometown.

One of Charlotte's greatest achievements is «taking a parking lot and turning it into paradise». She achieved this by installing an eye popping open air gallery in what was a downtown eyesore. A collection of 25 four by eight foot paintings known collectively as the Artery, cover an unsightly and crumbling concrete wall at the rear of a parking lot on North Main Street. Each panel stands as an individual work created by local artists.

Charlotte endured many council and commission meetings and opposition from some citizens who for some reason thought the project was inappropriate. When approval was granted she then had to convince artists that it would be fun to paint large pieces using latex house paint on exterior panels. Some of those approached were not trained as painters but worked as jewelers, photographers, and sculptors. All climbed out of their boxes, grabbed a brush, and created a display that gained national attention.

Left panel by Rick Hall and Tina Willis, right panel by Randy Rust

Left panel by James Yale, right panel by Tania Knudsen

In its second year, The Artery is a not for profit artists trust and the work is for sale. A portion of the proceeds from each purchase goes directly to the artist and the remainder to the trust. As each piece sells it is replaced by new work. The second installation was unveiled this past May and pieces from year one were dispersed to various sites around town.

Charlotte moved to Eureka Springs from Seattle, WA, where she was active in promoting the arts and in the revitalization of blighted urban areas. A local chamber of commerce in Washington state complimented her in its description of Buchanan as «a notorious instigator.» That's a good thing.

While in Eureka Springs not only has she «instigated» the Artery, she is responsible for the Sunday Market and the Lucky 13 Cinema held each Sunday during the tourist season. The market and outdoor cinema are in the parking lot on North Main that is also the location of the Artery.

You can't hush a good woman. And you shouldn't even try.

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