Arkansas rice industry unveils new mural on Main Street Little Rock

Arkansas Rice showcased a new mural in downtown Little Rock on Monday. The art illustrates a field during harvest on the exterior wall of Besser Ace Hardware on Main Street.

The mural’s downtown location was chosen specifically to highlight the impact rice has on the state and give urban Arkansans a glimpse of life on the farm. Arkansas produces approximately 50% of the rice grown in the U.S., according to industry statistics.

“We are pleased to see another mural in downtown Little Rock,” said Gabe Holmstrom, Downtown Little Rock Partnership Executive Director. “Rice is an essential part of our State’s economy and this is a good way for people to have that reminder when they come downtown.”

Local artist Matt McLeod was commissioned to complete the project. It is one of multiple recent partnerships between Arkansas Rice and the Downtown Little Rock Partnership that are striving to bring the country and the city together.

“The accessibility and prominence of the mural will allow us to share the story of Arkansas rice with folks in town who have never experienced a turnrow during rice harvest,” said Lauren Waldrip Ward, Executive Director of the Arkansas Rice Federation. “Our hope is that the engagement component of the mural will increase our exposure by giving consumers a way to interact and help us educate Arkansans about this locally grown crop.”