Art: Rosie the Riveter will lead parade

EUREKA SPRINGS — Rosie the Riveter (a.k.a. Heather Marie Wells) will serve as grand marshal of Saturday’s (May 5) Artrageous parade in this landmark arts town. The parade is a kickoff for the May Festival of the Arts, now in its 25th year in Eureka Springs.

Wells apparently makes a great Rosie. She dressed as Norman Rockwell’s iconic female factory worker for Halloween at the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, where she works.

The Eureka Springs Arts Council approached the museum about a grand marshal for Artrageous, probably thinking they’d get some high-ranking official to lead the way.

Said Crystal Bridges communications director Laura Jacobs: “There is a natural synergy between Crystal Bridges and Eureka Springs given the robust artist community there. Like all the communities in Northwest Arkansas, Eureka has been extremely supportive of Crystal Bridges and when they asked for us to choose a grand marshal, we thought it would be fun to ‘lend’ the ever-iconic Rosie The Riveter.”

We have it on good authority that Rosie will be riding in style on a silver Mercedes convertible.

For those who aren’t aware, the museum owns Rockwell’s original Rosie the Riveter painting.

For a full schedule of events for Eureka Springs’ May Festival of the Arts, go here.