‘Sacred Spaces’ appears in Fort Smith

 

story and photos by Joel Rafkin
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About 35 people gathered on the second floor of the Fort Smith Museum of History Thursday evening for the screening of "Sacred Spaces," a documentary on the life and work of Arkansas architect Fay Jones.

Snacks and beverages were available for audience members who attended and copies of the film on DVD and a book titled "Outside the Pale" about Jones were for sale for $19.95 each.

The 56-minute-long film was cut short by about 15 minutes due to technical difficulties — the loss of sound — but then the film’s creators and a former employee of Jones took the floor and fielded questions from the audience.

Larry Foley wrote and produced the documentary. Dale Carpenter was responsible for the video. Kevin Croxton designed the music. Foley and Carpenter are faculty members of the Department of Journalism at the University of Arkansas. Architect Al Drap shared his personal experiences about working with Jones.

The style of the film was done in a manner where there was no narration. Interviews of family members, friends and colleagues of Jones as well as clips from Jones himself were interspersed with still photographs and video of Jone’s structures throughout the chronological journey to paint a comprehensive picture.

Fay Jones (1921-2004) was inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright who he became friends with early on in his career. He also apprenticed with Wright. Unlike Wright, Jones was a reserved man with a private lifestyle. He designed private homes and chapels and deliberately shied away from commercial structures.

Possibly his most famous structure is Thorncrown Chapel in Eureka Springs.

Strong lines with artistic continuity throughout Jones’ buildings are clearly influenced by his admiration for Wright. Also, Jones used nature, both in materials and geographic placement of his homes — another characteristic inspired by Wright. Jones’ houses were sometimes built into hillsides and appear to emerge from the ground and blend well with the landscape. Balconies or terraces are a common feature on Jones’ structures — likely a remnant from his high school days when he designed treehouses in his initial foray into architecture.