ART COURT

Sometimes we get to be involved in precedent-setting projects and love every minute of the process. Dickson Street Art Court is one of those projects. A truly unique balance of functionality and art. Designed in conjunction with BLKBOX, the goal of this project was to reimagine a plot on Dickson Street that over the years had seen almost every conventional use. Starting as a family-owned garage in the forties and then over the years being the home to bars, theaters, playhouses, you name it.

The immersive and experiential site design invites all different crowds. Whether that is a pickup game of basketball after class, a place to take your lunch break, or even a place for the Arkansas Razorbacks Men's Basketball team to film their latest pre-game hype videos. The design of the site also allows for varied experiences during the day and the evening. The site has an entirely new personality once the sun sets over Dickson characterized by illumination of the designs that follows that same serving design that can be seen so plainly in the daylight.

This project is a perfect example of adaptive reuse assessing a site, identifying and enhancing the opportunities, discarding what's not working, and breathing new life into a neglected place. This site has had a colorful history and provided rich community experiences in the past. We hope this activation of the space will do the same for the years to come.