The 2022 Small Works on Paper exhibition opens Friday, July 1, and will be on display in the International Paper Gallery until Saturday, Aug. 14. Now in its 35th year, the exhibition spotlights artists who are members of the Arkansas Artist Registry.
Read MoreThe Arts & Science Center will welcome guest artist Kimiara Johnson to the next Second Saturday Family FunDay, on Feb. 13, 2021. Johnson will lead the day’s activity in creating a Valentine’s Day doll art portfolio, using toys like Barbies and decorating with arts and craft supplies.
Read MoreSmall Works on Paper, the annual touring visual arts exhibition, will stop again at ASC. The exhibition opens Thursday, Sept. 24, and will be on display through Saturday, Oct. 24. Now in its 34th year, Small Works showcases Arkansans’ artworks in a variety of media that are no larger than 18 by 24 inches. Thirty-nine pieces are featured in this year’s show, including one by Pine Bluff’s Kimiara Johnson.
Read MoreDespite an unprecedented year, The Arts & Science Center continues to bring stunning, inclusive art to the public. ASC wraps up the 2020 exhibitions calendar with shows examining the female body and perspective; selections from some of the best artists in Arkansas; portraits by Rex DeLoney highlighting athleticism and social activism, and ASC’s collection of comic and political cartoons.
Read More
Ladies Night, a pencil, pen, watercolor piece by Richard Davies of White Hall, is one of 39 works on display in ASC’s International Paper Gallery as part of the 2019 Small Works on Paper touring exhibition.
Annual touring show Small Works on Paper — often dubbed simply “SWOP” — is kicking off its 32nd year with a two-week exhibition at the Arts & Science Center. The show officially opens with a free public reception Saturday, January 12, 1-3 p.m. Ten participating artists will be on hand to speak during the reception.
Small Works on Paper is a program of and sponsored by the Arkansas Arts Council, a division of the Department of Arkansas Heritage.
The juried visual art exhibition showcases two-dimensional artwork no larger than 18 x 24 inches by Arkansas artists.
The artists must be members of the Arkansas Artist Registry, an online gallery that is free and open to all Arkansas residents. The artists are invited to submit their work each summer — entry fees are $10 for one entry, $20 for two entries, or $25 for three entries. An out-of-state juror selects a maximum of 40 pieces to tour with the exhibition. Cash prizes totaling $1,000 are awarded each year.
The exhibition travels to up to 10 locations in each yearlong show, offering Arkansas artists an opportunity to have their work viewed by patrons all over the state. Many of the works are available for sale to the public, and commissions are not taken on the sales.
“Small Works on Paper provides Arkansas artists with a wonderful opportunity to have their artwork displayed at multiple locations around the state,” said Stacy Hurst, director of the Department of Arkansas Heritage. “Likewise, patrons and students statewide have the opportunity to see Arkansas’s established and up-and-coming contemporary artists. For more than 30 years, the touring exhibition has showcased a variety of subject matter, styles and techniques. That holds true for this year’s exhibition. You’re sure to find something that captures your interest!”
This year, 39 works by 37 artists were selected, including Richard Davies of White Hall and Markeith Woods of Pine Bluff.
Do You Remember What I Worked For?, a mixed media piece by Pine Bluff’s Markeith Woods, was named Best in Show.
Woods received Best of Show ($500 Award) for the mixed media piece Do You Remember What I Worked For?
Other recipients were Juror’s Choice ($300 award) winner Daniella Napolitano of Little Rock for the linocut Curia Regis, and Merit Award ($200 award) winner J.P. Bell of Fayetteville for his digital photograph Repair of No. 2.
Daniella Napolitano of Little Rock earned the Juror’s Choice award for the linocut Curia Regis.
The 37 artists in the 2019 show are:
1. Kathy Attwood, Eureka Springs
2. J.P. Bell of Fayetteville
3. Maria Botti Villegas of El Dorado
4. Hillary Brooks of Jonesboro
5. Susan Chambers of Little Rock
6. Harrison Cole of Rogers
7. Leslie Coston of Fayetteville
8. Norwood Creech of Lepanto
9. Richard Davies of White Hall
10. Rex R. DeLoney of Little Rock
11. B. Duncan of Van Buren
12. L.S. Eldridge of Rogers
13. Carol Flori of Texarkana
14. Terra Fondriest of St. Joe
15. Ike Garlington of Little Rock
Repair of No. 2, a digital photograph by J.P. Bell of Fayetteville. received the Merit Award.
16. Diane Harper of Little Rock
17. Neal Harrington of Russellville
18. Jeri Hillis of Hot Springs
19. Jeff Horton of Little Rock
20. Cary Jenkins of Little Rock
21. Matt Kaye of Camden
22. Evan Lindquist of Jonesboro
23. Dennis McCann of Maumelle
24. Glenda L. McCune of Little Rock
25. Dewana McIntosh of Smithville
26. David McRoberts of Sherwood
27. Mike Means of El Dorado
28. Jessica Medeiros of Van Buren
29. Jessica Mongeon of Ozark
30. Daniella Napolitano of Little Rock
31. Cary Smith of Little Rock
32. Stacy Spangler of Fayetteville
33. Richard Stephens of Hot Springs
34. Shirley Tipton of Hot Springs
35. Melissa Wilkinson of West Memphis
36. Markeith Woods of Pine Bluff
37. Anna Zusman of Magnolia
Robin Dru Germany, professor of photography and interim director of the School of Art at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas, served as this year’s juror.
“In selecting the exhibition, I looked for works that highlight the artist’s engagement with the process of making art,” she explained in her juror's statement. “I am drawn to works that I feel are authentic, genuine and personal. Uniqueness is less important than evidence that the artist is continually exploring, perhaps seeking the answer to a question. Sometimes the question may begin as a technical query, or as a conceptual one, but I seek work that seems to be part of a process of figuring something out. I use the word ‘process’ because I value artworks that defy an ending and instead propose a beginning, opening the door to a larger consideration of the subject or concept. I perceive artmaking as a continuum, where selected pieces represent the best of a particular moment. Consequently, my choices are not based on medium (though as a photographer, I could have picked only photographs), nor are they based on subject or approach. Rather, they are grounded in a sense of the artist’s commitment to learning through their work, and allowing the activity of artmaking to reveal to them fundamental truths about their lives.
“I feel strongly that every work in this exhibition demonstrates an indelible connection to the complex communication that is art.”
Small Works on Paper originated in 1986 with a temporary exhibition at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. It launched as a touring exhibition in 1988. The exhibition was coordinated by the Arkansas Artist Registry at UALR until the registry became a program of the Arkansas Arts Council in 1995.
The Arts & Science Center first hosted Small Works on Paper in 1995, with 2019 marking the exhibition’s 17th stop at ASC.
Small Works on Paper is on display in the International Paper Gallery until Saturday, January 26. After that, it moves on to the University of Arkansas at Monticello’s Taylor Library. See the touring schedule for a complete list of 2019 venues and dates.
Markeith Woods
How would you describe your work and style?
My work describes my personal narrative of my life experiences. I’ve created mixed media works of art that describes the difficulties of living a purpose driven life and the importance of using one’s influence for a greater cause. I create leaders that made an impact in their communities. However, growing up in Pine Bluff, I had an uneven start and made several bad choices. I didn’t have a visual example of who I could become so when I met my UAPB art instructor, they gave me hope of a better future besides living in poverty also was willing to show me the process.
My style is mixed media expressionism.
“What Do You Believe In"?” by Markeith Woods of Pine Bluff, mixed media
What was the inspiration behind the two pieces selected for Small Works on paper — Do You Remember What I Worked For? and What Do You Believe In?
The lady wearing the crown in Do You Remember What I Worked For? is Alice Paul, and the man wearing the crown in What Do You Believe In? is W.E.B Du Bois. The inspiration for the Alice Paul piece is her values, beliefs, and principals. Because of the work she did as a women's rights activist, her efforts helped to pass the 19th amendment [which granted women the right to vote]. As an African American, I feel there are several bills that need to be created for the betterment of blacks living in poverty.
The inspiration for the W.E.B Du Bois piece is he that was the first African American to earn a doctorate degree from Harvard University. I’m the first out of my family to pursue a career in art, and when you are the first in striving for a goal, one must work harder to achieve it. Also, people won’t understand the choices/steps that must be planned in order to make the vision a reality.
Where do you currently live? Where did you grow up?
I live in Pine Bluff, and grew up here most of my life.
What's your educational background?
I graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Visual Arts from the University of Pine Bluff in 2014. I also have 33 hours towards my Master of Fine Arts degree from Memphis College of Art.
What is your “day job”?
I am an art teacher at James Matthews Elementary School in Pine Bluff.
When did you first become interested in making art?
I first became interested in making fine art when my mother bought me a tracing desk in the third grade. But what gave me the confidence to take classes in high school was when I won my first award in art in a citywide art contest in the seventh grade that my grandmother pressured me to enter. Finally, after she was able to convince me to use my gift, I built up enough confidence to take a chance with a new experience. After I entered, I won a free trip with the other winners to Memphis.
Richard Davies
How would you describe your work and style?
Very Eclectic … a new world every day. I have painted violins, Barbie dolls, rocks (not what you are thinking), mailboxes, canvas, paper, acetate, wood and people. Mostly all mediums except oil. I have gotten into digital art — what a blast!
What was the inspiration behind Ladies Night?
After browsing some art pieces, I got into a discussion with an individual about the style and technique of some of the pieces — which, of course, I liked. I thought I would try my version of the style and pictured women at a book or card club in my mind. I find humor in the fact there is always someone disgruntled and got their feelings hurt in these social gatherings. It is just a fun, simple little watercolor.
Where do you currently live? Where did you grow up?
I live just north of White Hall and have been here over 35 years. I grew up on the Gulf Coast of Mississippi, and in Waco and Dallas.
What's your educational background?
No formal degree but have accumulated numerous credit hours. I’m a graduate of Northwestern University’s School of Police—Staff and Command. I have completed over 4,000 hours of Law Enforcement Training and have a Senior Law Enforcement Certificate.
What is your “day job”?
I’m a crisis negotiator, gang specialist, public and community relations officer. I currently work as a part-time One Officer at the White Hall Police Department where I serve as an school resource officer at Moody Elementary School. I also conduct contracted trainings all over the state for law enforcement agencies and schools. I'm a retired law enforcement training sergeant, and one of the positions I held as a full-time officer was as a school resource officer, where I designed presentations that involved art, music, and magic to illustrate important life, responsibility, and communication and conflict resolution skills to our young people. I’ve presented to more than 80,000 kids in Arkansas.
When did you first become interested in making art?
I have been “doodling” all my life. I usually draw from my mind’s eye — that’s where the “Mind of D” comes from. I love all kinds of art. All styles and change as often as the months that pass. I see art in everything.
Dustyn Bork: Complex Shapes and Empty Space , on display in the William H. Kennedy Jr. Gallery, opens with a reception Thursday, January 24.
After a noteworthy 2018 — in which the Arts & Science Center marked its 50th anniversary with sculptural installations, the biennial Potpourri exhibition, and a UAPB-ASC collaborative exhibition — 2019 is shaping up to be another stellar year with a diverse lineup of exhibitions.
“The 2019 exhibitions hit every area of the Arts & Science Center's collecting and exhibition focus: Arkansas artists, art of the Delta, and works by African American artists,” said ASC Curator Dr. Lenore Shoults.
“Arkansas artists are represented by Dustyn Bork's shape series, and we are delighted to be the opening venue for the Arkansas Arts Council's Small Works on Paper tour. Heavy Metal comes to us from the Arkansas Committee of the National Museum of Women in the Arts and features the work of Michele Fox, Amanda Heinbockel, Robyn Horn, and Holly Laws. The Scenes Along the Delta Rhythm & Bayous Highway exhibition partners with a treasure from our archive, Women of the Arkansas Delta, a series of photographs from 1976. James Matthews pushes the envelope with his Eviction Quilt series and Chrystal Seawood explores our society's scrutiny of young black men.”
The following is a rundown of ASC’s art exhibitions scheduled for 2019. Keep up with all of ASC’s current and upcoming exhibitions on our website.
Do You Remember What I Worked For?, Markeith Woods of Pine Bluff, mixed media. Selected by the 2019 Small Works on Paper juror for the Best in Show Award.
On exhibit: January 5-26, in the International Paper Gallery
Opening reception: Saturday, January 12, 1-3 p.m., featuring speeches from approximately 10 participating artists. The reception is free and open to the public.
Small Works on Paper — often dubbed simply “SWOP” — is an annual juried visual art exhibition that showcases artwork no larger than 18 x 24 inches by Arkansas artists who are members of the Arkansas Artist Registry. The exhibition travels throughout the state, and ASC is the first stop for the 2019 tour. The exhibition is already installed, but officially opens with a free public reception Saturday, January 12. Ten participating artists are scheduled to speak.
Thirty-seven artists are included in this year’s exhibition, including Richard Davies of White Hall and Markeith Woods of Pine Bluff.
Woods received Best of Show ($500 Award) for the mixed media piece Do You Remember What I Worked For?
Other recipients were Juror’s Choice ($300 award) winner Daniella Napolitano of Little Rock for the linocut Curia Regis, and Merit Award ($200 award) winner J.P. Bell of Fayetteville for his digital photograph Repair of No. 2.
This year’s entries were juried by Robin Dru Germany, professor of photography and associate director at the School of Art at Texas Tech University.
This exhibition is sponsored by the Arkansas Arts Council.
shaped1 by Dustyn Bork is one of the works featured in Bork’s solo show, now on display in the Kennedy Gallery.
On exhibit: January 8 — April 13, in the William H. Kennedy Jr. Gallery
Opening reception: Thursday, January 24, 5-7 p.m. The reception is free and open to the public.
Printmaker/painter Dustyn Bork often works in mixed media, and incorporates cultural notions of pattern, color, and design. He is an associate professor of art at Lyon College in Batesville. Bork earned his Master of Fine Arts in printmaking from Indiana University in 2002, and his Bachelor of Fine Arts in printmaking from the University of Michigan in 1999.
Bork’s work has been selected for and won awards in numerous juried printmaking exhibitions including the Delta National Small Prints Exhibition in Jonesboro, The International Printmaking Biennial of Douro Alijó, Portugal, and the Print Exhibition at the Hunterdon Museum of Art in Clinton, New Jersey.
Exhibition sponsors are Simmons Bank and the Arkansas Arts Council.
The We In You Is The Nation Calling, Nelson Stevens, Poster, ASC82.001.078
On exhibit: January 12 — August 31, in the Ben J. Altheimer Gallery
“Era of Activism explores 1960s and 1970s posters and prints from our Permanent Collection — a time when artists, and society at large, were tackling issues of social justice and challenging the status quo,” Shoults explained. “AfriCOBRA stood for social justice in the ‘60s and continues today. A special thanks to Garbo Hearne and Kevin Cole for making this mini exhibition possible.”
Some work is more radical as shown in the AfriCOBRA pieces and some is more playful such as Claes Oldenburg’s print from Once Cent Life. Whether Black Power, the Irish Republican Army, or Feminism, these artists are a testament to the impact of activism through art.
This exhibition is sponsored by Simmons Bank.
Mississippi Bridge, 2018 by Ken Lambert is part of the Scenes Along the Delta Rhythm & Bayous Highway Exhibition, opening February 7.
On exhibit: February 7 — April 20
Opening reception: Thursday, February 7, 5-7 p.m. with artists’ remarks at 5:30. The reception is free and open to the public.
Amateur and professional photographers capture the natural beauty and human experience of the Delta in this juried photography exhibition. Photographs of the landscape, people, artisans, musicians, wildlife, buildings and transportation give viewers a glimpse into the Delta Rhythm & Bayous Highway, which runs through the Delta from Pine Bluff to Lake Village along U.S. 65, and into Greenville and Leland, Mississippi, along U.S. 82.
Scenes Along the Delta is sponsored by Pine Bluff Advertising & Promotion Commission and Barbara House.
In a companion exhibition, visitors will also have a chance to view photos from a 1976 book by The Pine Bluff Women’s Center, Women of the Arkansas Delta.
1109 Layers of Steel, Robyn Horn, steel, 2007, is one of the pieces in Heavy Metal: Arkansas Women to Watch 2019.
On exhibit: April 20 — June 22
Opening reception: Thursday, April 25, 5-7 p.m. The reception is free and open to the public.
Heavy Metal: Arkansas Women to Watch 2019 features work by Arkansas artists Michele Fox, Amanda Heinbockel, Robyn Horn, and Holly Laws.
The Women to Watch exhibit program was developed by the National Museum of Women in the Arts to feature underrepresented and emerging women artists from the states and countries in which the museum has outreach committees. NMWA curators select the theme, and local arts professionals curate submissions to the national museum.
This theme explores the medium of metal: from the ornamental to the functional, regardless of outmoded distinctions or traditional definitions of what constitutes fine art or design and craft. The exhibit will show a broad range of women artists’ expressions in metal to demonstrate that contemporary artists carry on a vibrant legacy in the medium: sculpture, objects of adornment, conceptual applications, home furnishings, and vessels.
ACNMWA guest curator Matthew Smith of the Arkansas Arts Center selected the national nominees and the four Arkansas artists featured in the 2019 state tour.
This exhibit is sponsored by the Arkansas Committee of the National Museum of Women in the Arts.
Wail by Angela Davis Johnson, from Our Front Porch exhibition.
On exhibit: April 29 — May 11
Traveling Arts Fiesta, an Arkansas-based nonprofit organization dedicated to bringing cultures together and celebrating Hispanic art, is launching a year-long outreach project called “Our Front Porch.” The traveling art exhibit itself is a multi-sensory experience touching on the themes of home, connectedness, rootedness, landscape — a place where we unpack the word “neighbor.” Video and audio installations share stories, anecdotes and songs from the people who inhabit Arkansas.
This exhibition is sponsored by Traveling Arts Fiesta.
Ashia Shelton and her painting “Man Holding Water” were part of the 2018 Annual Pine Bluff High School Art Exhibition at ASC.
On exhibit: May 2 — July 6
Opening reception: Thursday, May 2, 5-7 p.m. The reception is free and open to the public.
This annual exhibition showcases the best of Pine Bluff High School's art classes from the 2018-19 school year, and is curated by PBHS art teacher Shalisha Thomas.
Full Moon, James Matthews
On exhibit: June 27 — September 28, 2019
Opening reception: Thursday, June 27, 5-7 p.m. The reception is free and open to the public.
The quilts in this series by James Matthews are all made from clothes and bedding left curbside after local evictions — each quilt representing a single eviction in Little Rock. The found material was washed, pieced, and sewn into quilt tops, which were then backed and hand-tied with cotton yarn. The quilts serve as a sort of material archive, documenting the personal and physical loss of the eviction, while also transforming the fragments into something that speaks to function and comfort.
Matthews is a documentary artist with a bias toward the human-made landscape, manual processes, and the physical object. In addition to his Eviction Quilts series, he continues documenting Little Rock's places of worship, and exploring disparities of race, wealth, education, and especially violence in Little Rock, work he began in 2006. He holds a Certificate in Documentary Arts from Duke University's Center for Documentary Studies and has also studied folklore in graduate school at UNC and pottery at the Arkansas Arts Center. He lives in Little Rock with his family.
Exhibition sponsors are Relyance Bank and the Arkansas Arts Council.
On exhibit: August 8 — October 9
Opening reception: Thursday, August 8 12, 5-7 p.m., with juror remarks and prizes awarded at 5:30 p.m. The reception is free and open to the public.
Twenty-five works from members of the Pine Bluff Art League will be on display in this annual exhibition. In addition to selecting the top 25 pieces, an outside juror determines prizes for Best in Show; First, Second, and Third Place; and Honorable Mention.
On exhibit: September 12 — November 16
Opening reception: Thursday, September 12, 5-7 p.m. The reception is free and open to the public.
This exhibition is sponsored by Simmons Bank.
On exhibit: October 10, 2019 — January 4, 2020
Opening reception: Thursday, October 10, 5-7 p.m., with juror remarks at 5:30 p.m. The reception is free and open to the public.
The Rosenzweig juried show has a long history with the Arts & Science Center, beginning with a gift from the Irene Rosenzweig Foundation in 1992. Irene Rosenzweig was born July 26, 1903, in Pine Bluff and graduated first in her class in 1920 from Pine Bluff High School. She received a Ph.D. from Bryn Mawr College in Pennsylvania and was awarded the Prix De Rome fellowship from the American Academy in Rome. Fluent in French, German, Spanish, Latin and Greek, she served as tutor to the Franklin D. Roosevelt family in the White House. Rosenzweig died in Pine Bluff in 1997.
The Rosenzweig Exhibition includes entries in most media from Arkansas artists and artists from surrounding states.
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