Boys & Girls Club 

Kimberli Alston

Don't Clutter the Gutter

Artist Bio: I am the Visual Arts teacher for grades K-12 at the Arkansas School for the Deaf. Although I have worked at ASD for six years, I have only been the art teacher for two years. I love to express ideas and thoughts through art. I have always been interested in art and deafness. I am truly blessed to have a job where I can enjoy both. I received my B.S. from the University of Central Arkansas. I received my M.A. in Deaf Education from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. My husband John and I have four wonderful kids ages 9 to 15.
 
Design Concept: The Keith Haring-inspired figures are not only colorful but form a chain (or barrier) to keep trash and litter out of the gutter. The figures are holding back trash, needles, cigarette butts, and gum. We should not throw trash into the drain and “clutter the gutter.” The main goal emphasized on the manhole cover is to “keep our city pretty.”

John Van Horn

The Usual Suspects

Artist Bio: A native of Louisiana, John spent most summers on the Arkansas side of the border at his grandparents’ tree farm, just a country kid who loved to get dirty when he played, and who found great joy in creating scrap-toys and clubhouses. In school, John struggled with dyslexia and ADHD; art class became a refuge, someplace he could focus and express his ideas without words. He earned his GED after dropping out his senior year and moved to Little Rock in 2001 to attend college, a great surprise to most who knew him. John graduated from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock with a B.A. in Studio Art in 2005, and a M.A. in Secondary Education in 2010. Over the years, he’s exhibited several steel sculptures and organized public art projects to encourage community connectedness and inclusion. Because of his challenges with learning, his passion is teaching, and he strives to share his love of artistic expression with students as the Painting Instructor at Maumelle High School.
 
Design Concept: The Usual Suspects is the scene of a police lineup to identify the offender making the most impact on the amount of trash that drains to the creeks and rivers. The final spot in the lineup is the true culprit… because YOU are the only one in the lineup who can make a difference.