Technology Firm ‘Friezes’ Moments for Future

Moments Productions LLC, a member of the University of Arkansas’ Genesis Technology Incubator, is getting ready to install a 36-by-8-foot mural depicting women’s sports at the Bev Lewis Center for Women’s Athletics.

John Evans, president of the company, said he hopes to have the installation up by Aug. 20.

Though not technically a frieze, the mural is being made using Evans’ proprietary software, which turns digital files into artistic renderings that have the feel and appearance of oil-on-canvas paintings. He out-sources printing on canvas through a company in California.

Evans has written six different programs to perform individual tasks for his renderings from image manipulation to brushstroke imitation.

“They do some serious gee-whiz bang stuff with their scanning,” said Bill Smith, the UA’s associate athletic director for communications in women’s athletics.

Evans has made similar “paintings” for the San Antonio Spurs’ 2002-2003 NBA Championship season and for Ohio State University’s 2002 national championship. Neither of those projects were installations, but they were made available as wall hangings for fans. They range in price from $300 for a 22-by-26-inch print to $1,895 for a 38-by-46-inch digitally signed print. Evans thinks the UA prints will be in the same price range.

Moments Productions offers officially licensed collegiate products, and Evans hopes his work with the UA will lead to more college and professional sports opportunities.

Evans holds the exclusive reproduction rights to 250 paintings worldwide, many of which are in private collections. He has designs on creating a retail distribution method using those images as “stock.”

Evans’ background is in military computer science and Hollywood special effects. He hopes to eventually spin-off an Arkansas-based special-effects company.