Category Archives: Visual Art

2nd Friday Art Night – James Hayes and Jacqui Whitehead showcase their art at Christ Church

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Image may contain: indoorChrist Episcopal Church will open two new artists’ exhibits in the Parish House’s Gallery and in the Parlor at the Artists’ Reception, Friday, April 12, from 5:00-8:00 pm.
The reception is free and open to the public. These exhibits will be on display and available for purchase through the end of June.
James Hayes, the well-known glass artist, will exhibit glass hangings, as well as some of his select paintings, in the Gallery. His exhibit is entitled “Chaos.” Mr. Hayes uses nature, chance, and his experiences as inspiration for his art glass. His art is playful, adventurous, colorful, and distinctive. After learning glassblowing at the Arkansas Arts Center Museum School, he has studied glassblowing around the world, including Italy, France, Istanbul, New York, Seattle, and Hong Kong. Mr. Hayes has had numerous solo and group exhibitions throughout the United States.
Local artist Jacqui Whitehead’s “Mystical Menagerie” exhibit will be showcased in the Parlor. As an intuitive artist, Ms. Whitehead says her paintings reflect her soul. Her love of people and nature allow colorful, happy, and whimsical creatures of every sort to become her subjects. Having taught fourth grade in the North Little Rock School District for 25 years, she credits her arts in education classes for instilling the importance of the arts in childhood development.
Christ Church believes that artists, whether painters or singers or sculptors or poets, show something of God when they show us the world’s truth and beauty through their talents. A rotating display of original artwork by local artists almost always hangs on the walls of the main gathering space in the Parish House. The Gallery is open to the public each weekday during regular business hours. The Gallery is also a regular stop on downtown Little Rock’s Second Friday Art Night. This new exhibition kicks off with a reception on Second Friday that is free to the public, with the featured artists present.

2nd Friday Art Night – Historic Arkansas Museum features 49th annual Mid-Southern Watercolorists Juried Exhibition

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Tonight (April 12), Historic Arkansas Museum marks 2nd Friday Art Night with more art, music, and beer!
Opening reception for the 49th Annual Mid-Southern Watercolorists Juried Exhibition with live music by Charlotte Taylor and #ArkansasMade beer from Lost 40 Brewing

The 49th Annual Mid-Southern Watercolorists Juried Exhibition showcases the wide range of techniques and approaches now available to artists working in water-based media.

Out of 159 paintings submitted from 12 states and Puerto Rico, juror Michael Bailey selected only 33 exceptional pieces.  Artists include Daven Anderson, David Belling, Matthew Bird, Selma Blackburn, Catherine Caldwell, Judi Coffee, Marie Echols, L. S. Eldridge, B. Jeannie Fry, Susan Gibson, Virginia Haines, Lance Hunter, Gary Johnson, Cheryl Kellar, Ronald Kinkaid, Shirley Kleppe, Jeannie Knod-Edwards, Sandra Marson, Glenda McCune, Monika Pate, Charlotte Rierson, Carol Roberts, Maureen Rousseau, Cynthia Schanink, Gary Simmons, Cary Smith,k Eileen Stearman, Richard Stephens, Luanne Stone, Donna Twyford, Kathryn Wedge, Beth Woessner, and Valdoris Wright.
A brief awards ceremony will be held at 5:30 pm in Ottenheimer Theater during 2nd Friday Art Night. This exhibit will be on view in Trinity Gallery through July 7, 2019.

#5WomenArtists – Reita Walker Miller

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November Birds 
1980
22 x 29 1/2 in.
watercolor on paper
Arkansas Arts Center Foundation Collection:
Gift of the Mid-Southern Watercolorists Exhibition. 1980.008

Through their social media campaign #5WomenArtists, the National Museum of Women in the Arts (NMWA) asks, “Can you name five women artists?

In response to that, this month five artists with Little Rock connections will be highlighted throughout March.  The final one for 2019 is Reita Walker Miller.

Reita mainly paints in watercolor. She has long been active in the Mid-Southern Watercolorists and held many leadership positions within the organization; she is currently serving as an at-large board member.

In addition to being a talented artist, she is known as an educator and encourager of others whether it is in watercolors or another artform.  She helped establish the art program at the Central Arkansas Library System during her tenure on staff there. She was also a founding member of Little Rock’s Arts+Culture Commission.

Her artwork is in numerous collections. The Arkansas Arts Center has three of her pieces in its permanent collection.

Women Making History – Jeannette Edris Rockefeller

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Jeannette Edris Rockefeller only lived in Arkansas for about fifteen years. But her impact on the cultural life of Little Rock and all of Arkansas continues to be felt today.

Born and raised in Seattle, as a young mother she met Winthrop Rockefeller while both were in New York.  He moved to Arkansas in 1953; after their 1956 marriage, she joined him. They split their time between Little Rock and Petit Jean.

In 1959, she was asked to become involved in plans for a new art museum in Little Rock.  She became a tireless advocate and fundraiser for the new Arkansas Arts Center.   In 1960, she assumed the role of president of the Arkansas Arts Center Board of Trustees, a position she held until 1968.  During that time period she oversaw the planning, construction and opening of the building.  She also invited Townsend Wolfe, who she had met when he taught some classes at the Arts Center, to apply to become the museum’s first executive director.

From 1967 to 1971, she was First Lady of Arkansas.  In that capacity, she supervised renovation of the Governor’s Mansion and started the tradition of displaying art on the walls.

Shortly after her 1971 divorce from Rockefeller, she relocated to California.  She continued to be a supporter of the Arts Center.  One of the galleries in the Arts Center is named in her honor.  In addition, one of the sculptures on the lawn of the Arts Center, Standing Red, was dedicated in 1970 in recognition of her service on the Arts Center Board.

Downtown Little Rock Partnership seeks artists for mural

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“InspiredLR” is a public art initiative developed by the Public Spaces subcommittee of the Downtown Little Rock Partnership (“DLRP”). The goal is to encourage artistic expression and foster a greater appreciation for art in our community.

Arkansas artists are invited to submit concepts or proposals for a site-specific art installation on the east wall of the Union National Plaza in Little Rock, Arkansas, as a focal point of Downtown Little Rock.

As part of our public art strategy, DLRP is dedicated to collaborating with Arkansas artists to present public art that enhances our City’s imaginative capacity, enlivens our neighborhoods, contributes to economic vitality, sparks civic exchange, and enhances community connection.

All artists residing in the State of Arkansas who have prior public art mural experience are eligible to apply. Work must be durable and suitable for outdoors with the ability to withstand the elements of our Arkansas climate as well as interaction with the general public.

The artist will be selected by our committee on April 30, 2019, and the installation must be completed by June 30, 2019.

For a copy of the complete Call to Artists: email here.

 

 

#5WomenArtists – Marjorie Williams-Smith

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Through their social media campaign #5WomenArtists, the National Museum of Women in the Arts (NMWA) asks, “Can you name five women artists?

In response to that, this month five artists with Little Rock connections will be highlighted throughout March.  Up next is Marjorie Williams-Smith. 

Marjorie Williams-Smith has worked with silverpoint for over 30 years. Silverpoint is an especially challenging medium, but that is part of the allure. The effect of light on the silver lines creates a shimmering quality that is quite different from any other drawing medium.

She draws with a metal stylus on a prepared surface.  Hatched and cross-hatched lines create values and textures.  The white of the page provides the contrast. Since erasing is not possible with silverpoint, every line has to be premeditated.

Silverpoint is the perfect medium for the subject matter of Marjorie’s work: nature. She uses these natural forms as symbols for the spiritual energy that exists within us all.

Two of her works were included in the recent exhibition: ON THEIR OWN TERMS which was on display at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. Earlier this month, she received the Individual Artist Award at the 2019 Governor’s Arts Awards presented by Governor Asa Hutchinson and the Arkansas Arts Council.