April/May Faulkner Lifestyle 2020
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Jessica Jones: Finding<br />
Purpose Through Public Art<br />
BY JENNIFER STANLEY<br />
PHOTOS BY BRANDY STRAIN-DAYER<br />
Conway is one of several Arkansas<br />
towns experiencing a resurgence<br />
in public art installations. Arguably,<br />
the most prominent face of this<br />
movement in <strong>Faulkner</strong> County is Jessica<br />
Jones. Jessica has drawn, painted, and<br />
generally been creative her entire life.<br />
Artistic talent runs in the family; her<br />
mother paints with acrylics.<br />
She is the mother of two: Ariadna, 7 and<br />
Amadeus, 4. Her kids are also imaginative<br />
and enjoy working on independent<br />
art pieces while Jessica tackles her own.<br />
Perhaps you’ve passed the pollinator<br />
mural, which features a large<br />
monarch butterfly and a bee among<br />
flora, while taking a stroll near the<br />
intersection of Front Street and Van<br />
Ronkle? Or maybe you observed the<br />
larger-than-life mandala across the<br />
way while brunching at The Patio<br />
Café? Jessica is responsible for both, as<br />
well as many other splashes of color<br />
throughout Conway, including the<br />
often-Instagramed floral mural on a<br />
black background outside Kings Live<br />
Music downtown.<br />
Jessica creates such palpable beauty; it<br />
can be difficult to comprehend given<br />
her personal story. She experienced<br />
the unexpected loss of her husband,<br />
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