The house shows and community events at Holcomb House may have ceased, but one of its former residents’ passion for his community lives on. 

WORDS / JULIA M. TRUPP
PHOTOS COURTESY OF MAXIMILIANO PEREZ

Summer came and went, and with it was the comfort of outdoor events, like the ones Maximiliano Perez and his friends hosted at the former Holcomb House in Springdale.

Perez, who is the program coordinator at CACHE in Bentonville, has a background in event planning and hosting DIY events, getting his start in 2015 with Springdale-based artist collective Stitches before working with local non-profits to plan art events, workshops and classes.

“I didn’t know it at first but they really give me life, and I enjoy this work because it’s nice to work with artists, programmers, tech, social media, and content creation to host experiences that take people to a fun and safe place where they can enjoy themselves and hopefully leave whatever has been bothering them at the door,” he said. 

When he moved into a mission-style house with a giant yard and entertainment space at 326 Holcomb St. in Springdale a year ago, he and his roommates planned shows and parties for their friend group. 

“I want to support local artists, people who want to learn how to plan events. It’s really not about my vision and I try my best to just let things develop to be themselves. When we’re booking shows we just want to put fun lineups together and introduce audiences and artists to each other,” he said. “I think collaborations and partnerships are my work and that’s how we make these things happen. It’s a collective effort to organize, share work and reach out to people.”

But it wasn’t until they found out their rent was doubling they decided to expand their audience, open their doors to the public and plan more organized events that included local and touring musicians and vendors. The space’s popularity attracted the likes of artists like Octavio Logo, whose colorful mural “Song From the Seas” covers the front of the house. 

And the significance of the community’s involvement and the strain of economic development on the community’s culture took center stage. 

“Our rent (was) being almost doubled because of development on the property. … There is a trend of affordable downtown spaces being gentrified. Springdale was one of the last foot holds for affordable places but that’s seeming to change. I don’t know what will happen to Holcomb House but that shouldn’t even be the focus; it’s a cool house but it’s just that: a cool house,” Perez said. “What will happen to the communities of color that have made downtown springdale a home when property taxes go up? What will happen to people looking for affordable housing in a good part of town? These are the questions that keep me up at night, thinking about what’s going to happen to my community in Downtown Springdale?”

Perez and his roommates moved out of Holcomb House─known as the Monarch Building to city developers─at the end of summer, and the future of the full space is unknown aside from the addition of a small German-style restaurant and bar Bauhaus Biergarten taking over part of it. 

As for what’s next for Perez and his event-planning crew: “Find a new place, get settled, work. We’re always gonna plan shows as long as we’re here. There were spaces before this, before that and there will be a next one too.”

Although the events Perez and his friends planned added warmth and community to the house on Holcomb Street, as Perez said: it’s only a cool house; when they packed their bags and boxes, they brought their passion for their community with them. 

“Everyone who performed, helped with day-of, helped book, make flyers, everyone who came made this happen. I feel humbled to even be interviewed for this because I would’ve fallen flat on my face without a lot of help from my friends, family and community,” Perez said. “The only thing I’ll ever take credit from these shows is all the plants are mine!”