Sharing The LOVE with Public Art Projects at ASC

artist eric freeman posing in front of the loveseat

by Morgun Henson

Public art benefits the community in so many ways. Murals, sculptures, street paintings, architecture … all of these things add value, promote tourism, and reflect a community. Downtown Pine Bluff is currently undergoing a major transformation and the Arts & Science Center (ASC) is proud to be a part of these changes. For several years now, we have wanted to install a public art project on the side of our building. This March, Eric Freeman helped make this happen. 

A Little Rock-based artist and Pine Bluff native, Freeman was recently commissioned by the Arts & Science Center Endowment to create a public art project. This project culminated in March with the complete installation of the Loveseat. Walking down Main Street in Pine Bluff, you might see this bold, quaint “bench” and think it’s a perfect photo opportunity — and you’d be correct! However, there is more to the story than just that! 

the first loveseat, installed in the soma district in little rock

#LoveSeatPB is not the first of its kind. Just 40 miles away, in Little Rock’s SoMa district, is where the first Loveseat came to be. When it was installed in Little Rock over 12 years ago, “it became such a part of the burgeoning— now booming — SoMa neighborhood” said Freeman. “Lovers, friends, and visitors have shot photos with it as a backdrop; couples have said their wedding vows there; people have taken their coffee breaks on it, while others have sought out quiet moments of reflection; skateboarders have ramped off it, the homeless have sought respite there; photographers have utilized its setting and its message.”

Pine Bluff was a no-brainer when contemplating a new location for a second Loveseat. Freeman has so many great memories in this city. “I was born in Pine Bluff and lived there until I left for college. My family ran the newspaper there, and my mother [June Freeman] started the arts center,” said Freeman. “A new Loveseat seemed a perfect fit for Main Street in my old hometown. Pine Bluff is amidst a great renaissance, and I wanted to do something to be part of this, create something happy that connected people — and connect them to Main Street — and all the great stuff happening there now.”

roosevelt and betty brown on the loveseat

At ASC, we pride ourselves on having high-caliber events, theatrical performances, and exhibitions. We are working hard to add several public-art pieces to the museum this year! The Loveseat was the perfect first step in this process. In addition to the Loveseat, Pine Bluff artist and ASC employee Matthew Howard has painted a mural on the street-facing electrical box — between ASC and our new facilities on Main Street. We are also in the beginning stages of some collaborations with UAPB’s art department — including another mural and a large sculpture.

“Public art projects — especially interactive ones — can bring a community together and get people excited about their neighborhood. When a public art project is thought-provoking and fun — especially when it becomes part of every people’s everyday life — and a destination — it can spread some joy and bring a community together,” says Freeman. 

He hopes this project will connect a vibrant community, a city, a nation, nations, and a world — reminding us of our common humanity. “The Loveseat is utilitarian — but it is also a conceptual piece. The object can be defaced, stolen, graffitied—even destroyed—yet LOVE is unassailable.”

You can find the Loveseat at ASC’s main facility facing Main Street. The Loveseat is always open and free for the public to enjoy. We encourage you to take photos and share them on social media, tagging #LoveSeatPB and #LoveOnMainPB to be featured on our social media! You can learn more about the Loveseat project and Eric’s other work here. For more of Eric’s work, visit him on Instagram at @elfreeman and @ericfreemangallery.