Botanical Art Exhibitions by Campbell, Williams-Smith Open Nov. 21

Ian Campbell, Catalog #23, Chrysemys picta bellii (Western Painted Turtle), Photogram, 11” x 14”, 2018 and Marjorie Williams-Smith, A Child of the Light (detail), aluminumpoint, silverpoint, charcoal, 22” x 15”, 2019. The pieces are part of Campbell’s “Refugia” and Campbell-Smith’s “Metalpoint: A Classis artform” exhibitions, both opening at ASC on Nov. 21, 2019. A joint opening reception will be held that day from 5-7 p.m. Both exhibitions are sponsored by the Kline Family Foundation.

‘Refugia: Photos by Ian Campbell,’ ‘Metalpoint: A Classic Artform, by Marjorie Williams-Smith’ Showcase Different Art Mediums

Ian Campbell, Catalog #21, Chrysanthemum leucanthemum (Oxeye Daisy), Pilosella aurantiaca (Orange Hawkweed), Ranunculus bulbosus (Buttercup), Limenitis arthemis (White Admiral), Ilford Multigrade FB Warmtone Paper, Sunlight Exposure Lumen Print, Gold toned prior to fixing, 20” x 24”, 2018.

Botanicals and other natural specimens are featured in the next exhibitions at the The Arts & Science Center. 

Refugia: Photos by Ian Campbell and Metalpoint: A Classic Artform, by Marjorie Williams-Smith open Thursday, Nov. 21, 2019, with a joint public reception from 5-7 p.m. The exhibitions are sponsored by the Kline Family Foundation.

The works in both exhibitions feature flora — however, the images are captured with very different mediums.

Ian Campbell uses organic materials and photographic developing processes to create semi-abstract images reminiscent of early photography in his exhibition “Refugia.” 

The lumen prints and photograms which make up the exhibition are camera-less photographic prints made by placing objects (such plants, insects and fungi) on silver-gelatin photo paper and exposing them to sunlight, and, in some cases, toning them with chemicals. “The results are painterly, semi-abstract images that emphasize the physicality of the photograph,” Campbell said.

He created the prints during his artist residency at the University of Notre Dame Environmental Research Center in the remote woods of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula in June 2018. 

“Ian Campbell’s prints give viewers the opportunity to take a closer look at the flora that surrounds us and recognize their importance in our daily lives and struggle for survival,” ASC Assistant Curator Chaney Jewell said.

“Refugia” will be on display through Saturday, February 1, 2020.

Marjorie Williams-Smith, Arrayed in Glory, gold, silver, aluminum, copperpoint, gouache, 22” x 14”, 2018.

Metalpoint — which, at first glance, may resemble marks made by graphite pencil — uses a stylus that holds fine pieces of metal such as copper or silver. Williams-Smith captures classic forms of nature in the shimmer of the medium using fine, precise lines.

“The flowers and plants that I draw hold a message for me and hopefully for the viewer,” Williams-Smith said. “Nature possesses a spiritual energy that speaks of hope, strength, faith, and endurance.”

Marjorie Williams-Smith has been working with metalpoint since 1986 and is nationally known for her drawings of flowers and other botanicals. Her exhibition includes earlier work to pieces created this year.

“We are honored to host this exhibition of Marjorie Williams-Smith’s exquisite metalpoint artworks. Her artistry, distinguished career, and renown as an art educator provide inspiration for artist and audience,” ASC Curator Dr. Lenore Shoults said.

“Metalpoint: A Classic Artform” will be on display through Saturday, February 8, 2020.

Ian Campbell

About Ian Campbell

Ian Campbell is an assistant professor of art at Lyon College in Batesville, where he has been teaching photography and digital art since 2016. He is also director of Lyon College’s Kresge Art Gallery. He lives in Batesville with is wife and two young children.

His recent accomplishments include exhibiting work in the 60th Annual Delta Exhibition at the Arkansas Arts Center in Little Rock in 2018. 

Campbell holds a Master of Fine Arts degree in photography and integrated media from Ohio University in Athens. He also has a Bachelor of Arts degree from Wheaton College in Wheaton, Illinois.

A native of Kansas City, Missouri, he spent much of his youth exploring the outdoors, often with a sketchbook or camera. In college, he began his fascination with photography, particularly traditional analog processes. 

In his artwork, Campbell explores the dialogues between science and fiction, natural history and pop culture: the interweaving of fact and fantasy that informs our perception of the natural world. His images draw attention to the human impulse to categorize and reconstruct reality. Often, Campbell disrupts and questions aesthetic and scientific hierarchies by blurring the lines between found and constructed images, juxtaposing intentional elements with the random interactions of light and chemistry inherent to photographic processes. His images evoke the unknown and the limits of human knowledge as he seeks to conjure alternate realities, exploring the potential of photography to engage the imagination.

Learn more about Campbell and view more of his work at iancampbellphoto.com.

Marjorie Williams-Smith

About Marjorie Williams-Smith

Marjorie Williams-Smith is a nationally known metalpoint artist and professor emeritus of art. She retired in 2017 from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, where she taught for 33 years. 

In March 2019, she was presented with the 2019 Governor’s Arts Award: Individual Artist. The annual awards recognize individuals and corporations for their outstanding contributions to the arts in Arkansas.  

She was also featured in two books published this year  — Women Make Arkansas: Conversations with 50 Creatives by Erin Wood and Silverpoint and Metalpoint Drawing: A Complete Guide to the Medium by Susan Schwalb and Tom Mazzullo.

Williams-Smith created the design for the Congressional Medal of Honor given to the Little Rock Nine in 1999. President Bill Clinton and members of Congress presented the medals in a special ceremony to honor the historical significance and to recognize their heroism as students integrating Central High School in 1957.

She earned a Master of Fine Arts degree in 1977 from Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York, and a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 1975 from Howard University in Washington, D.C.

Learn more about Williams-Smith and view more of her work on her website, marjoriewilliams-smith.com.

Experiment with Ink and texture at Pinot & Print workshop

Participants can learn and experiment with the printmaking technique “monoprinting” while enjoying a complimentary beverage during Pinot & Print. The workshop will be held Thursday, November 7, from 5:30-7:30 p.m. The cost is $25 for ASC members and $35 for nonmembers. Must be 21 or older to attend. (Photo courtesy of Jonathan Wright)

UAPB instructor Jonathan Wright Leads Nov. 7 Monoprinting Class

The Arts & Science Center is offering a new printmaking workshop, suitable for both experienced artists and beginners looking to spend a fun evening creating. 

Artist and UAPB instructor Jonathan Wright will lead Pinot & Print on Thursday, November 7, from 5:30-7:30 p.m. The cost is $25 for ASC members and $35 for nonmembers. No experience is necessary and all supplies will be provided. Advance registration is required.

Participants can also enjoy complimentary wine, beer, and nonalcoholic beverages, and must be 21 or older to attend.

Artists can create abstract prints or more defined images with monoprinting (Photo courtesy of Jonathan Wright)

The workshop uses a printmaking technique called monoprinting. Monoprinting is a form of printmaking in which the image can only be made once, unlike most printmaking forms — such as relief printing — which allow for multiple original prints.

“This workshop is ideal for people who love to draw and paint,” Wright said.

The monoprints incorporate craftsmanship and direct painting with printmaking onto plexiglass, he said. Wright will direct participants with drawing and painting in color with rollers, brushes, and found materials onto the plexiglass to create textures that enhance the atmosphere and mood of an art piece along with light and dark background techniques.

Quality paper is then placed on the sheet of plexiglass and they are both run through a press to print a permanent image onto the paper.

Register online or by calling 870-536-3375. For more information, contact ASC Public Programs Coordinator Shakeelah Rahmaan at srahmaan@asc701.org.