Artosphere was born in late winter 2009, when Walton Arts Center VP of Programs Jenni Taylor Swain and VP of Learning Laura Goodwin began discussing programming a series of theater pieces for young audiences - pieces that, interestingly, focused on nature and sustainability.
This idea grew into a vision of a two-three week festival for schools, during which schools would bring students to Walton Arts Center to see performances with arts & nature themes.
As is often the case with good ideas, the idea grew and gained momentum, quickly revealing itself to be a unique way to connect many different communities in the Northwest Arkansas area. As a region known for innovation in sustainable practices, both in the retail and academic fields, and as a growing force in the arts & cultural field, Northwest Arkansas seemed the perfect place to launch not just a festival for schools, but a major, region-wide initiative.
Under the leadership of Peter Lane, Walton Arts Center's President/CEO, Artosphere's first year (Spring 2010) grew to more than six weeks of programming that served more than 20,000 people. Thanks to generous corporate and individual support and Walton Arts Center's first-ever National Endowment for the Arts grant, this programming was either free or very low cost to the public.