Artosphere

Artosphere's mission:
to celebrate artists, influenced by nature, who inspire us to live more sustainable lives.

Artosphere is an arts festival of a new kind: a festival where the arts, nature and sustainability come together.

The festival features music, art, theater and dance performed in traditional and non-traditional indoor and outdoor venues throughout the entire Northwest Arkansas region. Since its inception in 2010, Artosphere has beckoned artists and audiences alike to Northwest Arkansas for a journey filled with  inspiration and energy, symbolizing all of those things that make Northwest Arkansas an exceptional place to live and visit: innovation, sustainable practices, and an exceptional quality of art and life. 

Artosphere 2011 featured the debut of the Artosphere Festival Orchestra, led by Music Director Corrado Rovaris. 80 of the finest musicians from around the world collaborated to present three major orchestral concerts at the Walton Arts Center. A variety of ensembles from the Orchestra also presented chamber concerts throughout the Northwest Arkansas region. Enjoy the sounds of the Artosphere Festival Orchestra in the videos at left.

Artosphere 2012: Sticks and Stones : Exploring the intersection of nature, dwelling, and our sense of place in a changing landscape.

Over time, human intervention and construction has significantly changed our relationship to nature; nature is rarely seen as pristine or raw anymore, but is instead altered or managed by us. Our 2012 Artosphere Festival artists and programs will ask us to reimagine our sense of place in a world full of structures. How do the things we build change nature and our relationship to it?  How does nature influence the structures we imagine and create?  As our world changes at a rapid pace, how can this discussion help us find our unique identity?

Artosphere artists will help us explore this dialogue through their music, dance, theater and visual arts creations.  The Artosphere Festival Orchestra will return in 2012, along with expanded Artosphere Trail Mix Concert Tours along hiking/biking trails in both Fayetteville and Bentonville and the Chamber Music Series in local chapels and concert halls.  Other notable artists include Diavalo Dance Theater and an on-site installation project by renowned "stickwork" artist Patrick Dougherty.