ARKANSAS MADE | VOL. III

VOL. III

ART TOWNS ARTISTS’ SPACES

CURATORS’ LOCAL FAVORITES

Meet photographer Kat Wilson on page 42.

Presented in Partnership with the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism

E n j oy a wa rm co o k ie welcom e wh en you c h ec k in to on e of ou r

newly renovated suites j u st minutes fro m Crystal B ridges an d Am azeu m .

301 SE WALTON BOULEVARD IN BENTONVILLE (479) 845-7770 | bentonvillerogerssuites.doubletree.com

Chris and I went to North Little Rock this weekend; he had been before and told me the change of scenery would inspire me.

He was right. We weren’t at the Old Mill very long before I had to go get my easel.

It looked like something straight out of a fairy tale!

e our on th t a h it w e d C h r is u is e . H e ’ s b e e n I s u r p r is r C wn s Brews r e w h is o b o t w Arkansa o h bout t o le a r n a lk in g a t s ’ e w a n t in g h st , e . I ’ ll j u t e r t h is f m a o h ; r t e e e g b heat when we Berry W t r y in g it g in w e ets lu is B n t il h e g u g enjoy th in w e you. way Br t, thank u f r o m F ly o d e k r s wo Sa w on Fa ce boo k th at th t h e k in k er e wa s a ba nd at Fo ur Qu ar te r Ba r, so th ou gh t we ’d ch ec k it ou t. Su ch a coo l lit tle ho lein -t he -w all , an d we ev en ta lke d to th e ba nd af te rw ar ds .

I alm os t go t Ch ris to da nc e. ..a lm os t.

took me, we o h d e d e hea er B e f o r e w h e A r k a n s a s R iv g n t e c t e n d in f r a w a lk o e p e h t h is was t eady for Tr a il . I t r l e e f I t ip . t o o u r t r o f c r a z in e s s ; j u s ek sas next we h e A r k a n is t g in r e sky, rememb a ll t h a t back h it w , it e ly b e in R iv e r f e d ll . We’ r e la x in g soon.

ARKANSAS www.NorthLittleRock.org

VOL. III

IN THIS ISSUE 8 INTRODUCTION

48 THE CUTTING EDGE

A welcome and a special thank you to everyone who helped make Arkansas Made possible.

Ben Seward is a nationally recognized knifemaker with a years-long line of collectors waiting for a blade produced in his studio near Calico Rock.

ART TOWNS Discover local art scenes in Arkansas, and meet the creative minds making them happen.

10 LITTLE ROCK 12 CONWAY 14 THE DELTA 16 FORT SMITH 18 NORTH LITTLE ROCK 20 JONESBORO 22 HOT SPRINGS 24 NORTHWEST ARKANSAS 28 EUREKA SPRINGS 30 EL DORADO 32 MOUNTAIN VIEW ARTISTS’ SPACES Take a peek inside the places where these makers live and work.

36 OFF THE WALL Christian and Heidi Batteau create luxury wallpaper in rural Witter.

CURATED COLLECTIONS Local designers and makers’ hand-

selected collections of their favorite work made in The Natural State.

54 SOUND & VISION Matt White

56 STATIONERY & SYLE Trisha Logan

58 INNOVATIVE ILLUSTRATOR Leana Fischer

60 CAPTURING A CREATIVE SPIRIT Nancy Nolan

62 SPA CITY SOAPMAKER Briana Moore

64 THE CRAFTY SHOP GIRL Cindi Booth

65 CRAFT FAIR ON THE FIELD Arkansas Made Arkansas Proud Locally Made Market

42 PINK (POWER)HOUSE Kat Wilson and Emily Lawson of Northwest Arkansas lead busy, creative lives grounded in a remarkable Pink House.

66 MURAL TOUR OF ARKANSAS Public art makes its mark throughout the state.

ON THE COVER. See Kat Wilson in her natural “Habitat” on page 42.

Photography by Matthew Martin.

4 Arkansas Made | 2017-2018

Authentic Arkansas experiences are handcrafted every day at the Ozark Folk Center State Park.

More than 20 artisans demonstrate and sell their crafts - like leather working and blacksmithing based on the heritage and resources of the Ozark Highlands. Visit with the artisans in the Craft Village open April through November.

For complete list of concerts and workshops, visit OzarkFolkCenter.com OzarkFolkCenter.com Park Information: 870-269-3851 Cabins at Dry Creek: 800-264-3655

Home of

A Special Publication of Arkansas Times ALAN LEVERITT Publisher alan@arktimes.com EDITORIAL MANDY KEENER Creative Director mandy@arktimes.com AMY GORDY Editor amy@arktimes.com REBEKAH LAWRENCE Editorial Contributor rebekah@arktimes.com

Jewelry · Paintings · Photography Sculpture · Art Classes Experiment with different mediums at ARTrageous evenings

77 LOCAL ARTISTS 870 • 867 • 3115 135 WEST ST . MOUNT IDA, AR OUACHITAARTISTS.ORG • TUES-SAT 10-3

ADVERTISING ELIZABETH HAMAN Sales Director elizabeth@arktimes.com ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES LESA THOMAS lesa@arktimes.com RHONDA CRONE rhonda@arktimes.com KIMBERBLY BENNETT kim@arktimes.com PRODUCTION WELDON WILSON Production Manager/Controller ROLAND R. GLADDEN Advertising Traffic Manager LARISSA GUDINO Advertising Coordinator GRAPHIC DESIGNERS KATIE HASSELL JASON HO MIKE SPAIN OFFICE STAFF ROBERT CURFMAN IT Director LINDA PHILLIPS Billing/Collections KELLY JONES Office Manager

HANDMADE IN THE ARKANSAS DELTA

ANITRA HICKMAN Circulation Director

Left or right handed mugs and soup bowls, round and square plates available.

BRIDAL REGISTRY / SHIPPING AVAILABLE

Miller’s Mud Mill

HWY 65 South • Dumas, AR • 870-382-5277 MONDAY - FRIDAY 8am - 4pm, SATURDAY 9am - 2pm OPEN BY APPOINTMENT

6 Arkansas Made | 2017-2018

201 E. MARKHAM ST., SUITE 200 LITTLE ROCK, AR 72201 501-375-2985 All Contents © 2017-18 Arkansas Made

ARTISTRY Naturally Made

When you travel Arkansas, there is no limit to the wonders you can discover – like handmade art created right here. Make plans to see the state’s most accomplished artisans at the Arkansas Made Arkansas Proud event at War Memorial Stadium next spring.

Arkansas.com

AN INTRODUCTION FROM ARKANSAS MADE Arkansas Made has evolved since the first issue in 2015. We still focus on finding unique, innovative handmade art and crafts in the Natural State, and we work to bring recognition to talented makers. In this issue, you’ll find that we dig a little deeper into the lives and creations of a few Arkansas artists in “Artists’ Spaces;” cover more ground and uncover more treasures in “Art Towns;” and ask more questions about the day-to-day creative lives of our curators.

Seeing where artists live, work and create is so inspirational. We traveled to some unexpected places in this series of “Artists’ Spaces,” beginning on page 40. Heidi and Christian Batteau showed us around the tornado-damaged seed mill they converted into an eco-friendly studio to create high-end wallpaper. Northwest Arkansas creative power couple Emily Lawson and Kat Wilson gave us a peek inside their studio space in the Pink House Alchemy headquarters, and took us on their journeys from the farmers market to national recognition of the Pink House brand, while still finding time to create breathtaking photography. Ben Seward, a 29-year-old knife maker near Calico Rock, let us into his bladesmith shop and gave us a glimpse of the craftsmanship that has led to a three-yearlong wait list to own one of his beautiful blades.

Arkansas is full of art towns—each with its own unique flair. Eureka Springs is a Mecca for all things off-the-wall and free-spirited, El Dorado is becoming a hotbed for live music and festivals, Little Rock has a strong community of crafters and shops that support local artists, and the list could go on. Flip through our spotlighted Art Towns beginning on page 10 and start planning your next arts-centered adventure!

The Arkansas Made curators are our eyes on the ground in their always evolving art communities. We asked artists, photographers, shop owners and makers to tell us about their favorite locally made eats, drinks, crafts and makers that should be on our radar.

Discover what those in-the-know creatives had to say beginning on page 54.

We’d like to thank our presenting partner, the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism; the curators for putting so much time and thought into their selections; the featured artists for opening up their studios to us; our photographers Matthew Martin, Brian Chilson and Philip Thomas; writer Dwain Hebda; and the readers for supporting all things Arkansas Made. If you want more, check out arkansas-made.com, while we get started on the next volume!

Keep on Creating!

Mandy Keener, creative director

8 Arkansas Made | 2017-2018

Amy Gordy, editor

MADE from INSPIRATION | MADE with ARTISTRY

MADE IN ARKANSAS At Arkansas Capital, we salute the many entrepreneurs in our state who have bravely followed their dreams to produce high-quality, one-of-a-kind products.

LITTLE ROCK, AR

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800.216.7237

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A R C A P I TA L . C O M

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ART TOWNS

LITTLE ROCK

THE CAPITAL CITY HAS A FAR-REACHING ART COMMUNITY MADE UP OF MANY ECLECTIC NEIGHBORHOODS WITH THRIVING ART SCENES, INVOLVED COMMUNITY LEADERS, INNOVATIVE ARTISTS AND MAKERS, AND THE LOCALS WHO SUPPORT THEM.

SEE & DO

There are fantastic museums and theaters hosting local and national exhibits and shows throughout the year. The Arkansas Arts Center offers traveling exhibits and an expansive permanent collection. You’ll find “The Art of Seating: 200 Years of American Design” on exhibit through Dec. 31, followed by “Becoming John Marin: Modernist at Work” Jan. 26-April 22. Sign up for art classes at the Museum School, or take the kids to see a performance at the Children’s Theatre (the current season runs through May 13).

Explore the Mosaic Templars Cultural Center, which is dedicated to African-American history, culture and community in Arkansas from 1870 to the present.

Learn about the nation’s 42nd president at the Clinton Presidential Center and Park, and enjoy the temporary exhibit “Art of Africa: One Continent, Limitless Vision” through Feb. 12.

Take a stroll in Riverfront Park and enjoy the sculptures in the Vogel Schwartz Sculpture Garden.

Discover Arkansas history, artwork and artifacts at the Butler Center galleries, the Old State House Museum and the Historic Arkansas Museum. Watch an acclaimed theatrical performance at The Arkansas Repertory Theater or the newly renovated Robinson Center, which hosts performances

by Arkansas Symphony Orchestra, Celebrity Attractions, Ballet Arkansas and more. Enjoy a classic film or a reading at the Ron Robinson Theater.

Get a drink and enjoy a show at the Studio Theater, a community theater with a progressive attitude.

Or enjoy a night at the city’s favorite community theater, The Weekend Theatre.

Pop over to the SOMA neighborhood and explore decades of changing purse design at the Esse Purse Museum & Store, one of only three museums in the world dedicated to the art of women’s handbags.

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MAKE IT A NIGHT AT REBEL KETTLE!

SHOP

Central Arkansas has a thriving creative community of makers, artists, and shops that support their art. SOMA, on Main Street just south of Interstate 630, is the place to go to find eclectic, handmade and vintage treasures in a highly creative atmosphere. Pay a visit to The Green Corner Store & Soda Fountain to stock up on all-natural foods and locally made bath products, jewelry and more. South Main Creative is a modern take on an antique mall with vendors showcasing antiques, vintage treasures and handmade art. Argenta Bead Co. is the spot to find everything you need for jewelry making. Electric Ghost is a funky screen-printing shop and boutique.

Comb through the records, vintage treasures, locally made T-shirts and more at Moxy Modern Mercantile.

In downtown, pop into Bella Vita Jewelry and Gifts and leave with a shiny new bauble. In the River Market, The Freckled Frog passionately supports local makers featuring more than 60 Arkansas artisans.

In Stifft Station, jewelry maker Cindi Booth has filled Stifft Station Gifts and Sundries with an eclectic mix of gifts, the ma jority of which are locally made.

EAT & DRINK

The options are endless when it comes to locally made food and beverages in Little Rock. The city’s longtime dessert darling, Loblolly Creamery, moved out of the Green Corner Store and into its own space on Main Street in SOMA this year.

Chill out at LePops in the Heights, which specializes in gourmet ice lollies made with locally grown produce, herbs and fruit. Satisfy your sweet tooth with small batch, artisan chocolates, truffles and caramels from Izard Chocolate.

Indulge in freshly baked bread and pastries at any of the town’s beloved bakeries including Boulevard Bread Company, Rosalia’s Family Bakery, Community Bakery or Dempsey Bakery where everything is glutenfree.

Little Rock is having quite a beer boom with brewers popping up and delivering exciting locally made ales. Head over to the taprooms at Blue Canoe Brewing Co., Rebel Kettle Brewing, Lost 40 Brewing, Stone’s Throw Brewing, Vino’s Brew Pub or Damgoode Pies Pizzeria & Taproom. If you’re looking for something stronger, take a tasting tour at Rock Town Distillery, where they make Arkansas’ finest vodka, gin, rum, whiskey and more.

ART WALKS & GALLERIES

Get out and walk the streets of the River Market and meet artists at the monthly 2nd Friday Art Night. Look for art openings, live music and complimentary snacks and drinks at most venues.

2ND FRIDAY ART NIGHT LOCATIONS Arkansas Capital Corporation 200 River Market Ave., Ste. 400 arcapital.com Arkansas Studies Institute 409 President Clinton Ave. butlercenter.org Bella Vita Jewelry 523 S. Louisiana St., Ste. 175 bellavita jewelry.net

MEET THE ARTIST

Copper Grill 300 E. Third St., Ste. 101 coppergrilllr.com Historic Arkansas Museum 200 E. Third St. historicarkansas.org Matt McLeod Fine Art 108 W. Sixth St. mattmcleodgallery.com

SHOP IT UP AT BELLA VITA!

Nexus Coffee & Creative 301 President Clinton Ave. nexuscoffeear.com Old State House Museum 300 W. Markham St. oldstatehouse.com River Market Books and Gifts 20 River Market Ave. cals.org Gallery 221 221 W. Second St. gallery221art.com

MARK YOUR CALENDAR!

Don’t miss Art of the Bar on Dec. 10 at South on Main.

This curated craft show displays some of the top talent in the state. southonmain.com.

STIFFT STATION GIFTS Hillcrest Shop ‘N’ Sip happens on the first Thursday of the month along lower Kavanaugh Boulevard.

You’ll want to see what’s going on at Gallery 26, they show a vast range of local work from fine art to jewelry, cards, pottery and more. Box Turtle has an upscale bohemian style. Pop into Hillcrest Designer Jewelry where jeweler/gemologist Eric Coleman works his magic.

Enjoy tons of art openings at galleries on the third Thursday of each month in The Heights. A few galleries to see include: Boswell Mourot Fine Art 5815 Kavanaugh Blvd. boswellmourot.com Cantrell Gallery 8206 Cantrell Road cantrellgallery.com Chroma Gallery 5707 Kavanaugh Blvd.

Lisa Krannichfeld’s work has been featured in numerous publications and shown in exhibitions nationally and internationally. She’s won awards including the Grand Award winner in the 2017 Fort Worth Community Arts Center Juried Exhibition, Best of Show in the 2017 Magic City Art Connection Art Fair in Birmingham, and the Delta Award in the prestigious 57th Annual Delta Juried Exhibition in 2015. She’s a feminist painter raised Little Rock, and her work often focuses on expressing female portraits in nontraditional ways. Krannichfeld’s latest series, “Undomesticated Interiors,” captures boldly dressed women lounging powerfully in decorative interiors.

The colors, textures and fierceness of the paintings are truly vivid.

Krannichfeld has been named “One To Watch” in Saatchi Art Magazine, and has had work featured in Anthropologie. You can find her art at M2 Gallery in Little Rock. lisakrannichfeld.com.

L&L Beck Art Gallery 5705 Kavanaugh Blvd.

Local Colour 5811 Kavanaugh Blvd. localcolourgallery.com Stephano’s Fine Art Gallery 1813 N. Grant St. stephanostudios.com In SOMA, Hearne Fine Art carries a must-see collection of African-American fine art. Head west to explore the art at M2 Gallery in Pleasant Ridge Shopping Center.

Arkansas Made | 2017-2018 11

ART TOWNS

CONWAY

ONE OF THE FASTEST GROWING COMMUNITIES IN THE STATE, CONWAY BENEFITS FROM THREE COLLEGE CAMPUSES AND A GROWING CORPORATE PRESENCE, ATTRACTED TO THE COMMUNITY BY ITS MANY AMENITIES. AMONG THESE ARE ARTISTIC OUTLETS FOR THE PERFORMING AND VISUAL ARTS AS WELL AS A THRIVING MAKER CULTURE. MORE THAN JUST ART!

MAKE IT YOURS AT UCA MAKERSPACE!

SEE & DO

Conway’s college campuses provide year-around opportunities to experience the arts. Foremost among them is Reynolds Performance Hall (223 Beatrice Powell St.) at the University of Central Arkansas, a 1,200-seat, state-of-the-art theatre that’s home to a variety of performances and events. Through the years, Reynolds has hosted concerts and lectures, national Broadway tours and international touring companies such as the Russian National Ballet, Sowetto Gospel Choir and the National Symphony Orchestra.

Peruse the art collection, listen to a lecture, take a few classes or enjoy a cup of espresso and immerse yourself in an art book from the collection at Art on the Green (1100 Bob Courtway Drive). Exhibits rotate every three months, so there’s always something new to view.

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Conway Alliance for the Arts nurtures collaboration, promotion and development of resources for the advancement of the Conway artistic community. Each fall, the group hosts ArtsFest, held in the city’s downtown district.

Another organization dedicated to the promotion of arts and artists is the Conway League of Artists. With more than 100 members representing five counties, the league sponsors several shows annually. The largest, the Tri-County Show, is a juried exhibition held in November at the Faulkner County Library.

Conway Men’s Chorus is comprised of more than 60 men from all walks of life bound by a common love for singing and community. The group presents two free concerts each year at the Donald W. Reynolds Performance Hall, the WinterSong on Dec. 5, and SpringSing on May 14.

Conway Symphony Orchestra performs a full season of six professional concerts, including a free outdoor community concert, a holiday performance and a children’s concert. The CSO also offers a classroom program for local elementary and intermediate schools and sponsors a number of ensemble performances throughout the year.

Learn to craft and design at the UCA Makerspace (250 Donaghey Ave., Ste. 130), a new community learning facility that’s the product of a partnership between the University of Central Arkansas and Startup Junkie Consulting. The space is open to the public during the week, and is equipped with six 3D printers, a laser cutter, CNC machines, routers and other digital fabrication tools.

ROUND MOUNTAIN COFFEE WILL PERK YOU UP!

MEET THE MAKER EAT & DRINK

There is no shortage of locally roasted coffee in Conway. Pop in for a warm or iced cup of your favorite blend at Blue Sail (1028 Front St.), Zeteo (911 W. Oak St.) or Round Mountain Coffee (2850 Prince St.).

PAINT, HAVE A DRINK & BRANCH OUT!

SHOP

Conway’s retail community has exploded in recent years with several ma jor developments attracting a bevy of national stores. Those seeking the truly unique, however, should look to the historic downtown district, where small, independent stores line the charming brick streets. Here you’ll find more than 30 independent antique resellers, clothing and jewelry boutiques and high-end consignment shops.

Gifts don’t get more original than the ones you make yourself. Explore your inner artist at Branch Out Paint Bar+ Boutique, which offers both public and private art classes for people of all ages and experience levels.

Just a few minutes west of Conway in neighboring Menefee, discover 2Brothers Reclaimed & Repurposed Inventory Sales. This one-of-a-kind architectural salvage reseller offers rescued furniture pieces and those made from reclaimed lumber, as well as hard-tofind components for artists, furniture makers, antique home remodelers and other artisans.

Bryan Massey Sr.’s sculpture artwork changes lives and perspectives and he’s got the letters and accolades from presidents, university chiefs, peer artists and ordinary people to prove it.

In addition to working on his award-winning creations, Massey is a professor of art at the University of Central Arkansas in Conway. Primarily a stone carver, he also casts in iron, bronze and aluminum and fabricates steel sculptures.

Some of his signature pieces include a statue of Silas Hunt for the University of Arkansas system and “The Jazz Player,” created for the fifth anniversary of the Clinton Presidential Center in Little Rock. In addition, Massey was selected for the Governor’s Award for the Individual Artist of the Year in 2006. Find his work at Art on the Green in Conway.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR!

From musical performances to the World Famous Toad Races, Toad Suck Daze has entertained Arkansans for more than 30 years. In addition to a carnival and petting zoo, look for tons of local artists and makers selling their wares May 4-6 in downtown Conway.

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ART TOWNS

THE DELTA

THERE’S MORE TO THE DELTA THAN JUST RICE AND DUCK HUNTING. YOU’LL FIND IT EXPRESSED IN THE MUSIC OF THE FIELDS, IN THE FRUIT OF THE LAND, AND IN THE LONGING OF THE SOUL TO CAPTURE THE BRAWNY PLAINS AND BREATHTAKING SUNSETS ON FILM, CANVAS OR ON THE WRITTEN PAGE.

BE SURE TO MARK YOUR CALENDAR FOR KING BISCUIT!

TRY RHODA ADAMS’ FAMOUS TAMALES!

SEE & DO PINE BLUFF Pine Bluff is looking for ways to revive its downtown. Its most visible effort is to renovate the once thriving vaudeville-era Saenger Theatre, which was once called the “Showplace of the South.” In the meantime, take in an exhibit or a play at the Arts & Science Center for Southeast Arkansas (701 S. Main St.). ASC presents programming in the visual arts, performing arts and the sciences.

HELENA Nothing captures the spirit of the Delta quite like the blues, and nowhere can you find the art form better represented than in Helena.

There you’ll find the longest running blues radio show on earth: “King Biscuit Time,” first broadcast in 1941.

Also located in Helena is the Delta Cultural Center which includes two museum locations—the restored 1912 Union Pacific Railroad Depot (95 Missouri St.), and the Visitors Center (141 Cherry St.) and the Cherry Street Pavilion, an outdoor performance stage that hosts the Arkansas Delta Family Gospel Festival, the King Biscuit Blues Festival and other community performances and events.

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STUTTGART Located on the campus of Phillips Community College, the Grand Prairie Center (2807 Hwy. 165 S.) hosts multiple cultural and artistic events throughout the year. Art festivals, dance and piano recitals, theatrical productions and symphonic performances are all integral to the the programming here.

WEST MEMPHIS DeltaARTS (301 S. Rhodes St.) provides arts education and learning experiences for over 18,000 students, teachers and seniors throughout east Arkansas, north Mississippi and west Tennessee. DeltaARTS programs include a student matinee series at the West Memphis Civic Auditorium, that covers opera, theatre, modern and traditional dance, classical and blues music, and mime. It supports Crittenden Youth Theatre as well as gallery spaces hosting art exhibits by local and regional artists with themes relating to the people and heritage of the Delta.

EAT & DRINK Perhaps no other place in Arkansas embodies the category of foundational American fare than Jones Bar-B-Q in Marianna (219 W. Louisiana St.). The barbecue shack was inducted into the Arkansas Food Hall of Fame, as well as received the James Beard Foundation’s “American Classics” award. Another seminal restaurant and member of the Arkansas Food Hall of Fame is Rhoda’s Famous Hot Tamales in Lake Village (714 Saint Mary St.).

MEET THE MAKER Gail Miller never had a chance to be anything other than the artist she is today. One look at her upbringing will tell you that.

“I grew up the oldest child of a bricklayer in South Georgia,” she said in her molasses-sweet drawl.

“So guess what my toys were? Mud, clay, brick, building materials—stuff like that. When I was about eight, I went to the youth center where I grew up and there was this guy making a bird’s nest on a potter’s wheel. And it always stuck in my brain.”

“I started making windchimes on my own without anyone helping me and they were the ugliest things you’ve ever seen. It just kind of got better from there.”

“We set up this pitiful looking little rack with these ugly-looking chimes and we made $200,” she said. “My husband was shocked.”

From there she taught herself how to make other pieces and today has sold untold numbers of coffee mugs and dinnerware, as well designing her own glazes. In more than three decades, despite relocation, cancer and natural disasters, she’s still going.

Miller’s Mud, 862 Highway 65 South, Dumas, 870-382-5277

THE CANVAS FOR SUCCESS.

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ART TOWNS

FORT SMITH

FORT SMITH WAS ONCE THE LAST OUTPOST BEFORE ENTERING THE WILD WEST, AND THE TOWN HAS RETAINED A LARGE MEASURE OF ITS COWBOY CHARM AND AMBIANCE. ALONG WITH THAT, THE SECOND-LARGEST CITY IN ARKANSAS HAS EVOLVED INTO ONE OF THE KEY CENTERS FOR ARTISTIC EXPRESSION.

MEET THE MAKER

DROP IN AND DRAW AT THE RAM!

SEE & DO One cornerstone of art in Fort Smith is the Fort Smith Regional Art Museum (1601 Rogers Ave.). RAM features traveling exhibits as well as drop-in art activities on Saturdays ranging from making Halloween masks and snow globes to Drop In and Draw events open to amateur and experienced artists alike. Many of the community events are free.

Fort Smith pioneered the current community murals rage that is popping up all over Arkansas, thanks to The Unexpected. The organization has commissioned a number of free art experiences throughout the city; for starters, take a walk down Garrison Avenue and look around.

Architecture meets amour at Miss Laura’s Visitor Center (2 N. B St.), located in the former Miss Laura’s Social Club in the heart of Fort Smith’s Old West red light district. The former bordello is an example of the row houses that once lined the area, and is the only “house of ill repute” on the National Register of Historic Places.

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Check out the Windgate Art & Design Building on the campus of the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith (5210 Grand Ave.). Completed in 2015, this $15.5 million, 58,000-squarefoot gem features gallery spaces, letterpress and printmaking operations, and a 150-seat theatre to go with multiple classroom and studio spaces for UAFS students.

SHOP For a really interesting collection of boutiques and independent merchants visit Van Buren, practically a stone’s throw from the Fort Smith city limits. Up and down Main Street, the Old Town Merchants Association comprises a charming collection of antique stores and specialty retail including handmade soaps, a bookstore, one-of-a-kind clothing, jewelry and more.

Stacy Bates of Stacy Bee Art is an artist and illustrator from Fort Smith. She graduated with a BA degree in art and a minor in education from the University of the Ozarks in Clarksville. Currently, she teaches art at Art, Woods and Beard Elementary School in Fort Smith.

She specializes in creating blackand-white, pen and ink illustrations, along with murals, that combine her two favorite styles—drawing and printmaking. The result is her signature vintage-esque imagery.

Her work appears on a variety of projects, from gig posters for musical acts to Arkansas-themed drawings and illustrations.

Over the past two years, she’s completed six murals in Arkansas and Oklahoma, from an, 8-by-7foot scene on a Bentonville pub wall to a 355-square-foot outdoor mural in Fayetteville. She has also illustrated three books and recently participated in the Juried Group Show at Art on the Creeks in Rogers.

This year alone, her work has been on exhibit at Fayetteville Underground, Northwestern Arkansas Community College in Bentonville and Gallery 1988 in Los Angeles. Her recent focus has been creating a series of animal rights illustrations. stacybeeart.com

MARK YOUR CALENDAR! On every third Sunday of the month head over to

Michael’s Mansion Art Gallery (2900 Rogers

Ave.) to see what’s new!

TREAT YOURSELF WITH AN ORGANIC JUICE!

EAT & DRINK Locals love Carrot Dirt (4300 Rogers Ave.) for organic juices, smoothies and treats, while great coffee can be had at Fort Smith Coffee Company (1101 Rogers Ave.). For lunch, grab a bite from one of the funky food trucks parked at Garrison Commons pocket park (913 Garrison Ave.). And for a great time anytime, be sure to check out the new Fort Smith Brewing Co., (7500 Fort Chaffee Blvd.) the first commercial brewery in town in two decades. Check out the rotating artists on display at The Artistic Bean (615 Garrison Ave.) while sipping a cup of coffee.

In July, make plans to attend the Peacemaker Music & Art Festival.

Peacemaker has hosted national music acts including Jamey Johnson, Lucero and Gov’t Mule as well as a wide range of local artisans displaying their wares.

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Arkansas Made | 2017-2018 17

ART TOWNS

NORTH LITTLE ROCK

YOU’LL FIND TONS OF GALLERIES, BREWERIES AND MORE PACKED INTO THIS VIBRANT, ART-CENTERED COMMUNITY. DOWNTOWN ARGENTA IS THE HUB OF IT ALL WITH A POPULAR MONTHLY ART WALK, MANY ARTISTS-IN-RESIDENCE AND MORE. TRAVEL NORTH INTO PARK HILL AND LAKEWOOD TO FIND MORE HIDDEN GEMS.

CHECK OUT THE NEW GALLERY SPACE AT THEA

CREATE AT THE INNOVATION HUB

SEE & DO

Immerse yourself in art when you take one of the many classes from ceramics to vector art at the Arkansas Regional Innovation Hub, a nonprofit dedicated to community education. Get your literary fix and a dose of community as local and regional authors read their work at the monthly, free Argenta Reading Series at the Argenta United Methodist Church. Comedy doesn’t get better than with the Main Thing Friday and Saturday nights at The Joint coffeehouse and theater. Grab a coffee during the day and a cocktail or beer at night while enjoying stand-up comedy, improv, open mic night and more. Catch a show or film at the Argenta Community Theater, a nonprofit performance organization that leans on top-notch local and regional talent to perform in the intimate 300-seat theater. Look for a live performance of “A Christmas Carol” Dec. 13-23, and the Dogtown Film Series showing classics and contemporary films for $5 admission throughout the year.

Verizon Arena is the venue to see large-scale concert performances as well as kids’ shows and more. For a dose of history, take a tour of the USS Razorback submarine at the Arkansas Inland Maritime Museum perched on the north bank of the Arkansas River. Stop by the Mother Earth Fountain, designed by artist Kevin Kresse, at Fifth and Maple Streets in Argenta—the sculpture offers plenty of seating and a quiet place to relax and enjoy the beautiful downtown landscaping.

18 Arkansas Made | 2017-2018

ART WALKS & GALLERIES

Enjoy an evening appreciating art with some of the best galleries in the state along Main Street at the Argenta Art Walk, held every third Friday of the month from 5 to 8 p.m. Galleries and venues including Greg Thompson Fine Art, Thea Foundation, Argenta Gallery, Barry Thomas Fine Art & Studio, The House of Art, Argenta Branch of Laman Library, Studio Main, Mugs Cafe and more open their doors to present innovative work to the public.

Head north toward Park Hill and find Red Door Gallery, a showroom and frame shop staple in the North Little Rock art community for more than 35 years. Look for paintings, sculpture, photography and more with a vast collection of holiday art. For a modern spin head to Lakewood, where you’ll find Good Weather Gallery, a home garage that’s been converted into one of the most interesting art spaces you’ll find in Central Arkansas. On Dec. 2, the gallery will host a reception for the exhibition by Mariel Capanna titled “Little Stone, Open Home.” This will be the gallery’s final show at the location on Edgemere Road, and they plan to reopen in a new gallery space this summer.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR!

SUPPORT THE LOCAL THEATRE AT ACT!

Check out Thea Foundation’s newly renovated art gallery and view “Astro Pulp,” an exhibit featuring the work of Fayetteville-based illustrator Chad Maupin on display Nov. 10 - Dec. 8.

SHOP

Galaxy Furniture is one of the best spots in the area to find vintage treasures, records or office furniture. On Saturdays April through August make a point to peruse the vendors at Dogtown Farmers Market in Argenta.

You’ll find local produce and meat as well as locally made bath products, treats, treasures, and live music and chef demonstrations.

MEET THE ARTIST

MIGRATE TO FLYWAY BREWING!

EAT & DRINK The brewery scene in North Little Rock is on-point, and you’ll find great brews at Diamond Bear Brewing Company (a longtime Arkansas brewer) along with great food, darts and a spacious patio. Folks are flocking to Flyway Brewing for innovative beers, a great list of sliders and housemade soft pretzels, an impressive collection of board games and more.

Core Public House offers a selection of labels made at their Springdale brewery along with a full menu and live music on the weekends.

Get a caffeine fix with a cup of Westrock Coffee, which offers fair, direct trade with African farmers. The company delivers robust blends on par with any national brand from a top-of-the-line roasting and packaging facility based in North Little Rock.

Barry Thomas moved into his Argenta studio last December and has filled it with his signature vibrant impressionistic paintings. The artist lives and works in the renovated Koehler Bakery Company space, built in 1910, on Main Street. Barry Thomas Fine Art & Studio serves as a classroom and gallery for a community of artists and students.

Thomas is best known for his colorful (he avoids brown and black on his canvas) paintings with a focus on landscapes, portraits and wildlife. His work has been featured in galleries across the country, from Utah to Florida.

He travels frequently to Colorado and Santa Fe, but loves to capture the beautiful scenes of the Delta.

“I like to strike out toward Keo and Scott to find these simple, beautiful landscapes. I’m working on these Delta sunrises and sunsets right now—with beautiful skies and waterfowl. You don’t see that out West,” Thomas said. Barry Thomas Fine Art & Studio 711 Main St.

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ART TOWNS

JONESBORO

AS ONE OF THE FASTEST GROWING COMMUNITIES IN ARKANSAS AND A SHORT HOUR’S DRIVE TO BIG CITY AMENITIES IN MEMPHIS, JONESBORO HAS ENJOYED NEW GROWTH AND, WITH IT, NEW OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE ARTS.

DON’T MISS THE BRADBURY ART MUSEUM

SEE & DO

The presence of Arkansas State University brings a lot of opportunities for art and art appreciation throughout the community, starting with the University Museum (2713 Pawnee St.). This teaching museum provides quality programming that broadens the perceptions of people in Northeast Arkansas and the Mississippi River Delta region. Multiple levels of programming allow for creative expression at every age.

Also not to be missed is the Bradbury Art Museum inside the Fowler Center at ASU (201 Olympic Drive). In addition to exhibits by regional, national and international artists, BAM is also the site of the Delta National Small Prints Exhibition, a nationally recognized, juried print show of work by artists from the U.S. and abroad.

Be sure to check out the Foundation of Arts (315 E. Monroe) for community theatre and a range of classes.

While in the area, don’t miss the opportunity to experience a truly special Arkansas artistic landmark: Dyess Colony. This New Deal-era experiment, about an hour west of Jonesboro, sought to give destitute farmers a helping hand during the Great Depression. Johnny Cash’s family lived here in a tidy white farmhouse, among the other families.

GALLERIES Sara Howell Studio & Gallery 405 S. Main St. 870-935-6336 Artefacts Gallery 1409 E. Nettleton 870-932-3777 Grisham’s Art 2808 E. Matthews Ave. 870-972-6050

MARK YOUR CALENDAR Jonesboro hosts several ma jor community events including October’s Downtown Jonesboro BBQ & Music Fest, which features music, food and vendors selling hand-crafted items. Jingle and Mingle provides a festive atmosphere for shopping local for the holidays, and Midnight on Main is the annual New Year’s Eve celebration.

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MEET THE MAKER

Sean Shrum doesn’t miss many opportunities to help out or promote his hometown of Jonesboro. Not only does his art expose the world to the scenes and artistic talent that reside in the state’s northeast corner, but he’s also actively involved with causes he feels passionately about in the community.

Shrum was born in Poplar Bluff, Mo., and moved to Jonesboro at an early age. A lifelong hunter, he grew up on a horse farm, which gave him an appreciation for wildlife and his natural surroundings—and that is evident in his art.

“I enjoy being out in nature,” said Shrum. “With hunting being a favorite pastime of many people in this area, it is continually a very important part of my work.”

He describes his style as expressionistic and his use of bold colors and brush strokes has earned him a loyal following of fans and collectors.

Community involvement is also important to Shrum; he frequently donates pieces for auctions at charitable events, and he also occasionally does live paintings for events. He had the honor of painting former President Bill Clinton and former first lady Hillary Clinton at the annual Jefferson-Jackson Dinner fundraiser.

“The Clinton painting went over really well and created a bidding war, which produced a shocking $26,000 winning bid. It was such an amazing milestone in my career as an artist. I feel fortunate to be able to donate my talent and make a difference in others’ lives.” sean@seanshrumstudio.com

All things Arkansas,

all in one place.

We’re committed to Arkansas and to the people who live here. That’s why we created an entire site dedicated to our home state. Visit OnlyInArk.com for everything from great road trips and fun festivals to local culture and more.

When your bank is only in Arkansas, you know it’s all about you.

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Arkansas Made | 2017-2018 21

ART TOWNS

HOT SPRINGS

HOT SPRINGS HAS BEEN A LOT OF THINGS IN ITS HISTORY. MOST RECENTLY, THE CITY HAS ENJOYED A STELLAR ARTS REPUTATION, SOLIDIFIED BY JOHN VILLANI, WHO LISTED THE SPA CITY IN HIS ANNUAL 100 BEST SMALL ART TOWNS IN AMERICA. OVER TIME, THE COMMUNITY HAS BECOME ACCUSTOMED TO BEING RANKED IN THE TOP 10 OF THAT REGISTRY.

SEE & DO

Hot Springs celebrates the arts in several venues, which give its visitors plenty of options. No matter if you like fine art, music, architecture or film, there’s something for every taste here.

Visual arts are accentuated through a variety of community events, including summertime’s two-week long Hot Springs Music Festival, which welcomes more than 250 international musicians to town. In addition to performances, the event pairs world-class mentor musicians from ma jor orchestras, chamber ensembles and conservatory facilities with talented pre-professional apprentices.

Another stalwart on the arts calendar is the Hot Springs JazzFest, the premier sponsored event of the Hot Springs Jazz Society. The three-day jazz event, held in late summer, welcomes local and nationally recognized performers.

Documentary film buffs from around the country flock to Hot Springs in the fall for the annual Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival. World premiere screenings, luminaries of the film world and special activities for children and families are all highlights of the event.

The underground art movement in the Spa City is garnering lots of attention with excellent year-round programming. Low Key Arts (118 Arbor St.) is a 501c3 public art organization that produces original, forwardthinking music and art productions and educational opportunities for the public. Low Key will host “Arkansas Shorts—A Night of Short Film” on Jan. 6 at the newly renovated Malco Theatre. In March, hear an amazing lineup of music at the Valley of the Vapors Independent Music Festival.

Experience the art of gardening through the breathtaking Garvan Woodland Gardens (550 Arkridge Road). In addition to year-around horticultural interest, the gardens host a variety of events such as photography exhibits and workshops for a variety of artisans.

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SHOP

The most unique items can be found in the city’s historic district downtown. Grab a snack at the Savory Pantry (214 Central Ave.) filled with delicious local and regional gourmet jams, jellies, sauces, mixes and more.

Pick up a trendy souvenier at State & Pride Provisions Co. (518 Central Ave.) where you’ll find Arkansas-themed and some locally made T-shirts, art, jewelry and more. See what intoxicating aromas are being mixed at Bathhouse Soapery & Caldarium (366 Central Ave.), known for luxurious handmade soaps, bath salts and other pampering products.

EAT & DRINK

Hot Springs is poised to make a name for itself in beer, with a burgeoning craft scene. Superior Bathhouse Brewery (329 Central Ave.) was the first brewery to be located inside a national park. Look for a taproom for Bubba’s Brews, brewed 15 miles away in Bonnerdale, as well as a satellite location of Core Public House, serving their brews made in Springdale, to open in downtown Hot Springs in the spring. You must experience the famed mineral water while visiting Hot Springs—either fill a jug at one of the public water fountains or buy some prebottled at the Mountain Valley Spring Water (150 Central Ave.) headquarters. Just off downtown, experience what national publications agree is one of the best pizzerias in America, DeLuca’s Pizzeria Napoletana. Brooklyn, NY transplant Anthony Valinoti (407 Park Ave.) turns out delicious pies made largely from locally sourced ingredients, each one handmade by the master himself.

MEET THE MAKER

SEE A LIVE SHOW AT LOW KEY ARTS!

ART GALLERIES

More than two dozen art galleries line the streets of downtown Hot Springs, on ready display during the Gallery Walk held the first Friday evening of every month. Here are a few to check out!

American Art Gallery 724 Central Ave. 501-624-0550 Artists’ Workshop Gallery 610A Central Ave. 501-623-6401 Fox Pass Pottery 379 Fox Pass 501-623-9906 Gallery Central Fine Art 800 Central Avenue 501-318-4278 Justus Fine Art Gallery 827 A Central Ave. 501-321-2335 Legacy Fine Art 804 Central Ave. 501-624-1044 Ozark Bathhouse Cultural Center 491 Central Ave. 501-623-2824 Riley Art Glass Studio 710 W. Grand Ave. 501-318 - 6193

It’s not many artists who have the backbone to do what they please, when they please. But Wayne Summerhill is not many artists, either. “I enjoy designing pieces and making them happen,” said the decorated veteran, biker and sculptor. “I don’t create for anyone else, so there’s no pressure. I do enjoy others’ response to my art, but it doesn’t influence me one way or the other for the next piece.”

Summerhill returned from Vietnam in 1970 with a chestful of medals— Infantry Combat Badge, Bronze Star and Distinguished Flying Cross among them—and a desire to create. He got into painting and five years later started creating threedimensional metal sculptures. And he’s been at it ever since.

“If I weren’t able to create, I would probably lose my sanity,” he said.

“It’s a part of me, like breathing. I really don’t have a choice but to create.”

Summerhill came to Hot Springs from Memphis in 2005 and his work has been shown in galleries (locally, at Blue Moon Gallery), as well as several public spaces. He’s also got pieces in Hard Rock Café. For the past six years, he’s taught his techniques to sculpture students at Eureka Springs School of the Arts, while extolling them to follow their own muse.

“I want my art to make people think,” he said. “If I create a piece that means something to me, it usually means something totally different to everyone else. Most of what I do comes from an emotion.

Hopefully, it will mean a lot to the person it ends up with, it will evoke an emotion or a thought, or maybe just a smile. That’s fine with me.”

Forest Path Gallery 107 Stillmeadow Lane 501-617-0594

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ART TOWNS

NORTHWEST ARKANSAS FAYETTEVILLE, BENTONVILLE, SPRINGDALE AND ROGERS ARE FOUR CITIES WITH IMPRESSIVE ART COMMUNITIES, GALLERIES, MUSEUMS, CRAFTERS AND INNOVATORS WHO ARE MAKING THEIR MARK ON THE STATE.

THIS IS GIGANTIC! THE PIXIES ARE COMING TO THE AMP JULY 29!

CATCH A SHOW AT THEATER SQUARED!

SEE & DO

First Thursday is the night to see art openings and enjoy live music, craft vendors and food trucks on the Square in Fayetteville. Don’t miss what’s new at Fayetteville Underground (101 W. Mountain St.), which showcases regional art and hosts a variety of community events.

Step onto the University of Arkansas campus to tour The Fine Arts Center Gallery (340 N. Garland), which was designed by noted architect Edward Durell Stone in the 1950s.

The Bentonville Square hosts events year-round including culture- and shopping-themed First Friday events April through November. Galleries including Meteor Guitar Gallery (128 W. Central Ave.), Two25 Gallery & Wine Bar (225 S. Main St.) and more welcome local and regional work. 21c Museum Hotel (200 NE A St.) offers upscale accommodations as well as 12,000 square feet of exhibition space integrated throughout all areas of the property, with permanent works and rotating exhibitions.

MUSEUMS & MORE

Internationally celebrated Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art (600 Museum Way) put Bentonville on the map, and brings breathtaking indoor and outdoor exhibitions as well as educational programming throughout the year. Look for “Stuart Davis: In Full Swing” through Jan. 1, “Soul of a Nation” Feb. 3–April 23, and “Georgia O’Keeffe and Contemporary Artists” May 26-Sept. 3.

Fayetteville’s Walton Arts Center (495 W. Dickson St.) offers a variety of fantastic productions. Catch a show from their Broadway series, a concert by a top national act or a family-friendly musical.

Live music doesn’t get bigger in Northwest Arkansas than at Walton Arts Center’s Walmart Arkansas Music The Fayetteville Roots Festival brings the best in music Pavilion (5079 W. Northgate Road) in Rogers, known and food at this annual event in late August. Look for as The AMP. This outdoor music venue accommodates an impressive lineup of folk and alt-rock musicians and 9,500 people with 3,200 covered seats on a sloped lawn. culinary events and tastings from top regional chefs.

Catch well known national acts in all genres of music.

Theater Squared (505 W. Spring St.) in Fayetteville Northwest Arkansas Fashion Week hosts annual fall and is recognized by the American Theatre Wing as one of spring fashion shows in Northwest Arkansas. The fall show, the nation’s ten most promising emerging theaters. It’s on Nov. 9-10 at Drake Field in Fayetteville, will showcase quickly outgrowing its home in the Walton Art Center’s the works of designers and boutiques across the state and Nadine Baum Studio, and construction began in June for introduce two new awards. Look for the spring runway the theater’s new downtown facility—a 51,500-square show in March. foot world-class performing arts space—which should be completed by mid-2019.

You’ll want to do your holiday shopping at the second The film scene is alive and thriving in Bentonville. The annual Cattywampus Co-Op Wampus Wonderland from fourth annual Bentonville Film Festival (BFF) will happen 10 a.m.-6 p.m. on Dec. 2 at the Fayetteville Town Center May 1-6, with expanded programming. The festival, coin downtown Fayetteville! This fun, off-the-wall local craft founded by Academy Award winner Geena Davis and show hosts an eclectic range of handmade goods for sale.

Inclusion Companies CEO Trevor Drinkwater, provides a platform to advocate for inclusiveness in all forms The Little Craft Show is back this year with two holiday of media. BFF 2018 will feature an inspiring line up of craft fairs. Get your locally made goods at the Fayetteville narrative and documentary films. Submissions close Dec. Town Center on Nov. 25 from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. or at The Record 12, with a late submission deadline of Jan. 12. in downtown Bentonville on Dec. 16 from noon-6 p.m.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR!

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REPAINTING HATE

A FAYETTEVILLE PAINTER INSPIRES A MOVEMENT TO FIGHT BIGOTRY AND SEXISM

BY DWAIN HEBDA

Olivia Trimble didn’t go looking for a fight. The mild-mannered, selftaught muralist and owner of Sleet City Sign Writing in Fayetteville was simply driving the streets of her community when she happened upon some hate-filled and bigoted graffiti. Something went off inside her and before she knew it, she’d leapt out of the car and covered up the scrawl with an impromptu tag of her own, a baby blue “Love always wins” on a bubble gum pink background.

It wasn’t particularly elegant and it wasn’t technically legal. But the Repaint Hate movement was born. “The first one I didn’t even think about the design or that anyone would see it,” she said. “I just wanted to cover that awfulness with something good, very quickly.”

“That’s my skillset, so I did that, posted it on my Facebook for my friends to see and it kind of blew up. I just sort of started this organization.”

Inspired, Trimble began looking for other opportunities to counteract inappropriate graffiti with positive art wherever she could and began encouraging others to do so as well.

“You can always just slap some paint over something and cover it completely, but I feel like once there’s a hate speech out in the world, people have seen it,” she said. “So maybe go a step farther and replace it with something better.”

Repaint Hate launched a campaign during Fayetteville’s annual Bikes, Blues & BBQ Festival as a means to tone down the bawdier elements of the event. Not everyone embraced the effort, but Trimble said she’s not directly received anything but positive comments about the group’s goal and she’d like to see it grow.

“I think that over the last year or so people have been really motivated,” she said. “My hope with this project is, I like to encourage people from all over to cover [hate graffiti] up or speak up or do a counter-action. This movement isn’t really about me. It’s just about doing the right thing.”

Experience

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Arkansas Made | 2017-2018 25

THIRSTY? HEAD TO OZARK BEER CO. IN ROGERS.

VIETNAM VET BOB ESPOSITO IS AN EXPERT CRAFTSMAN

SHOP MEET THE MAKER

Excellent craftsmanship, gorgeous wood finishes, conservation and American pride all come together in the home and office furniture designed by Rogers-based Ecovet Furniture Company.

EcoVet is a veteran transition company that targets previously deployed veterans who are currently enrolled full time in a higher education program. Ecovet offers them training in carpentry and way to make a living while working on their degree with a flexible schedule and a living wage.

The company operates in an eco-friendly way by repurposing decommissioned semi truck trailers to supply the wood and metal used to create furniture—one trailer can provide enough wood and metal to construct between six and eight conference tables. When the trailers don’t have what the crafters need, Ecovet keeps its carbon footprint low by sourcing wood from Northwest Arkansas mills.

You can find the company’s beautiful, veteran-made furniture in many corporate offices throughout the state. Stop into the showroomat 807 W. Hudson Road in Rogers. ecovetfurniture.com.

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PAPER LOVERS UNITE AT SHINDIG!

There are tons of shops, galleries and boutiques where you can snag a handmade or Arkansas-themed gift in the land of the Razorbacks. Terra Studios (12103 Hazel Valley) in Fayetteville is home of the Bluebird of Happiness and Pink Bird of Hope and showcases the work of more than 100 artists and crafters. Explore the sculpture garden and art gallery, see live demonstrations or participate in an art class. On the Fayetteville Square (15 S. Block Ave.) or in downtown Bentonville (100 NW Second St.) stop into The Mustache Goods & Wears for unique gifts and locally made goods. The Anchor (1 E. Center St.) in Fayetteville offers a great selection of home decor, many of which is made locally. The Handmade Market (1504 N. College Ave.) has been the place to find handmade jewelry, gourmet foods, bath products, apparel and more since it opened in Fayetteville in 1996. Handworks (106 SE A St.) in Bentonville offers handcrafted artisan gifts, bath and body products, candles, jewelry, pottery, and more. Stop into the Crystal Bridges Museum Store (600 Museum Way) after you view the latest exhibit to grab a souviner and shop the locally made art and crafts.

Shindig Paperie (100 W. Center St) in Fayetteville is the place to outfit your office with designer pens, organizers and locally made stationery.Learn the art of cooking, baking or mixology when you sign up for a culinary class at Honeycomb Kitchen Shop (213 W. Walnut St. ) in Rogers, or just browse the shelves for kitchen gear and locally made jams, jellies, spices, cutting boards and more.

EAT & DRINK

Pink House Alchemy (1010 SW A St.) in Bentonville offers small batch artisan syrups, bitters and shrubs to transform a nightcap into a work of art.

Fayetteville’s Markham and Fitz (4170 M.L.K. Jr. Blvd.), formerly known as Hello Cocoa, is a bean-to-bar chocolatier who went through a recent name change and will also be headed to a new location at Bentonville’s 8th Street Market in December.

Northwest Arkansas has a strong presence in the craft beer scene with Ozark Beer Company (1700 S. First St., Rogers), Apple Blossom Brewing Company (1550 E. Zion Road, Fayetteville), Core Brewing & Distilling Co. (2470 Lowell Road, Springdale), Black Apple Crossing Cidery (321 E. Emma Ave., Springdale) and many more.

GASTON'S WHITE RIVER RESORT BEGAN 59 YEARS AGO...

when Al Gaston, Jim Gaston's father, purchased 20 acres of White River frontage with six small cottages and six boats in 1958. Now, Jim’s grandson - Clint Gaston - carries on the family legacy. The over 400-acre resort has 79 cottages with an airstrip that has grown from 1,800 feet to 3,200 feet. Six boats are now over 70 with a state-of-the-art dock. The years have brought an award-winning restaurant, private club, gift shop, tennis court, playground, game room, duck pond, three nature trails, swimming pool, conference lodge and fly-fishing school. The best part is the many friends we have made over the years. We still see people yearly who were guests of Gaston’s in 1958, which tells us we have continued to grow and change with the times to our guests’ satisfaction.

1777 River Road, Lakeview, AR 72642 870-431-5202 • gastons@gastons.com Lat 36 20’ 55” N Long 92 33’ 25” W

gastons.com Follow us on Arkansas Made | 2017-2018 27

ART TOWNS

EUREKA SPRINGS

CREATIVE MINDS ARE DRAWN TO THIS PROGRESSIVE, ART-CENTERED COMMUNITY SET IN THE WINDY MOUNTAIN STREETS OF THE OZARKS. YOU’LL FIND GORGEOUS VICTORIAN ARCHITECTURE, MORE GALLERIES THAN YOU CAN COUNT AND A VERY ACTIVE ART COMMUNITY.

SHOP

Step back in time and shop handmade one-of-a-kind retro looks and modern essentials at Regalia Handmade Clothing Studio (16 White St.). Owner and designer Mark Hughes offers gorgeous, flattering patterns in a variety of fabrics. Find seasonal produce, baked goods, jellies, jams, cheese and more at the year-round Eureka Springs Farmers Market (44 W. Van Buren) open April through November 8 a.m.-1 p.m., Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday; and December through March 9 a.m.-noon on Thursdays.

EAT & DRINK

GET GUSSIED UP WITH A ONE-OF-A-KIND FROCK FROM REGALIA!

SEE & DO

Weekends are always buzzing in Eureka Springs. May through November you’ll find a community drum circle on the first Saturdays at Basin Park; every third Saturday enjoy a free live music series at the park; on fourth Saturdays April through October Melonlight Ballroom hosts Dancing in the Park; and second Saturdays are reserved for the town’s gallery stroll where lovers can peruse the latest collections at dozens of local galleries and studios from 6-9 p.m.

Catch a live performance at Melonlight Ballroom (2 Pine St.) or drop in to take yoga or any of its dance classes including ballroom, Latin, swing, tango or country.

Architecture aficionados must visit Thorncrown Chapel (Highway 62 West), designed by worldrenowned architect E. Fay Jones. Thorncrown was listed fourth on the AIA’s top ten buildings of the 20th century.

Sign up for a workshop at the Eureka Springs School of the Arts (15751 Highway 62) and learn anything from watercolor to illustration, woodwork and oil painting.

This year, the school opened a 4,000-square-foot wood studio featuring a lathe room, machine room and bench room.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR!

Spice things up with Mundi Sauce, a family business specializing is small batch hot sauce with unique flavors using only Arkansas farmers’ ingredients. Try the award-winning Butternut Bomb and VooDoo Monkey flavors or grab a bottle of zesty Bloody Mary Mix. Two Dumb Dames Chocolate Store (33 S. Main St.) has been stocking Eureka Springs with handmade fudge, saltwater taffy and specialty chocolates since 1980.

Pop in for a sugar fix and take some home. Relax on the patio overlooking the vineyards at Railway Winery and Vineyards (4937 Hwy. 187), a family-owned winery near the historic Beaver Bridge and beautiful Table Rock Lake.

SPICE IT UP!

Get a look inside the studios of local artists and see where the magic happens at the annual White Street Studio Walk on the third Friday of May. Visitors are invited to enjoy refreshments and live music as they walk the streets of the upper Historic Loop to tour the homes and studios for more than 40 artisans.

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MEET THE ARTIST

FIND FUNKY PUBLIC ART THROUGHOUT THE CITY!

GALLERIES & ART WALKS

On the second Saturday of the month—April through November— galleries in Eureka Springs keep their doors open late to welcome guests and show new work. Experience a gallery stroll, or stop in year-round to delve into the amazing world of art in Eureka. Here are a few galleries that are not to be missed:

Teresa Pelliccio creates colorful, expressive female-driven paintings you can find on display in the gallery at her Eureka Springs restaurant, DeVito’s (5 Center St.).

“Before coming to Eureka I was an art lover and played around and dabbled, but I didn’t have the encouragement or belief that I could do it. After coming here, I was blown away by the galleries.

A friend who owned a gallery encouraged me to take an art class and that opened up the doors for me and I got brave enough to start trying,” Pelliccio said.

He work has a touch of the supernatural which comes from her process of experimentation with allegoric processes and merging elements of spirituality, intuition and rebellion with femininity, whimsy and impulse.

She enjoys painting women, fashion, spiritual beings and whimsical still-life using palette knives and her hands. teresapelliccioart@gmail.com

85 Spring Street Gallery 85 Spring St. 479-244-7190

J.A. Nelson Gallery 37 Spring St. janelsongallery.com

Studio 62 335 W. Van Buren studio62.biz

Eureka Fine Art Gallery 2 Pine St., Ste. Y 479-363-6000

Keels Creek Winery & Gallery 3185 E. Van Buren keelscreek.com

The Green Gourd 12 Center St. facebook.com/greengourd12

Fantasy & Stone 63 Spring St. 479-253-5891 fantasyandstone.com

Mosaic Studio 123 Spring St.

The Jewel Box 77 Spring St. thejewelboxgallery.com

Iris at Basin Park 8 Spring St. irisatthebasinpark.com

Quicksilver Gallery 73 Spring St. quicksilvergallery.com

Zark’s Fine Art Gallery 67 Spring St. zarksgallery.com

Serendipity at the Crescent Hotel 75 Prospect Ave. serendipityatthecrescent.com

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ART TOWNS

EL DORADO

THIS OIL TOWN IS EXPERIENCING A CULTURE BOOM WITH THE RECENT OPENING OF THE DOWNTOWN MURPHY ARTS DISTRICT. THIS VENUE BRINGS NEW LIFE TO THE MUSIC AND FILM SCENES OF THE VIBRANT SOUTH ARKANSAS CITY. FRESH DINING AT GRIFFIN RESTAURANT

CATCH NATIONAL ACTS AT MAD!

SEE & DO

El Dorado celebrated the highly anticipated grand opening of phase one of the Murphy Arts District in late September. El Dorado Festivals & Events (EFEI), a missiondriven 501(c)3 company, saw the need in El Dorado’s historic downtown for an entertainment district and put into motion the $80 million plan. Phase one includes Griffin Restaurant, a farm-to-table gastropub and cabaret with seating for up to 300 guests; Griffin Performance Hall, a music venue and multi-purpose event center with a 3,000 general admission capacity; MAD Amphitheater, home to music festivals, outdoor film screenings and seasonal farmers market; and MAD Playscape, a two-acre children’s playground that contains ADA accessible play equipment. Fundraising for phase two is underway and will include the development of MAD Art Gallery and a renovation of the Rialto, a 1920’s Vaudeville-era theater.

Get a well-rounded dose of theater, art and education at the South Arkansas Arts Center (110 E. Fifth St.), El Dorado’s visual and performing arts center that includes three gallery spaces, a ballet studio, a 207-seat theatre, a costume shop, classrooms, a photography studio and offices. Look for upcoming theatrical productions of “Sunset Boulevard” March 2-11 and “Singin’ in the Rain” July 12-22.

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EAT

El Dorado as long been known as a food destination for their Spudnuts—a donut delicacy made with potato flour— found at Spudnut Shoppe Company Inc. (810 W. Faulkner St.).

SHOP

Backwoods Art Gallery (209 E. Main St.) offers professional framing services and doubles as an art gallery and gift shop showcasing paintings, sculpture, jewelry and more.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR!

The El Dorado Film Festival on Nov. 9-12 offers a diverse selection of international and local films with an emphasis on Southern voices. Catch programming at the South Arkansas Arts Center and Murphy Arts District including film screenings, filmmaker panels, concerts, parties and more.

Every fall, the city hosts one of the top music festivals in the state in Musicfest El Dorado. This annual three-day event brings top national music acts in a festival atmosphere with kids’ activities, craft booths, food and more.

Come Out & Play If you’re looking for a place filled with arts, culture, dining and entertainment - where you can golf, boat, hike and play all day look no further than Hot Springs Village, recognized among the Best Lake Views and Best Tennis & Pickleball Clubs by Ideal Living.

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Discovery Center 501.922.5510

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ART TOWNS

MOUNTAIN VIEW

THERE’S SOMETHING ABOUT THE OZARK MOUNTAINS THAT BRINGS OUT THE BEST IN ARKANSAS ARTISTS. PERHAPS IT’S THE BREATHTAKING NATURAL SCENERY OR THE QUIET AND SOLITUDE. WHATEVER THE REASON, MOUNTAIN VIEW AND ITS SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES OFFER THE ART LOVER A THRIVING ARTISTIC COMMUNITY ACROSS MANY MEDIAS.

SEE & DO

CATCH A LIVE ART DEMONSTRATION!

HAMMERED DULCIMER WORKSHOPS ARE OFFERED FOR NOVICES TO SEASONED MUSICIANS AT THE OZARK FOLK CENTER.

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No artsy trip to the region is complete without a visit to the Ozark Folk Center State Park (1032 Park Ave.). One of the leading attractions that works to perpetuate the Ozark heritage of music and craftsmanship, the park offers visitors a look at the lifestyle, music, crafts and handiworks of a people as unique as their mountain home.

The Folk Center displays local master craftsmen in their natural element producing works in areas as diverse as candle making, jewelry casting, broom making, basket weaving and textiles. The Center displays even more unique artisans, including blacksmithing, a cooperage and serves as one of the few places in the world that makes black powder guns by hand.

The artisans at Ozark Folk Center State Park are working artists who not only demonstrate their craft, they live off of what they make and sell. Each item is handmade one at a time and can take up to a year to create.

Visitors can do more than simply observe the artisans at work; by special arrangement, you can schedule a personalized workshop in the craft or your choice and learn the art and technique of a chosen craft from a master artisan.

Another must-see in Mountain View is the Arkansas Craft Gallery (104 E. Main St.). This facility provides a year-round retail showroom for members of the Arkansas Crafts Guild, a craft-making cooperative established in Stone County in 1962. The Guild sponsors a number of art events throughout the year, headlined by the Artisans Market on the Square every autumn.

Also in the fall is the Off The Beaten Path Studio Tour, an annual event, which takes art pilgrims on a journey to studios within a 45mile radius of Mountain View. Visitors meet the artists, see where they work and discuss their inspiration and methods right in the heart of their creative spaces.

CHECK IT OUT!

The Mountain View area is a collection of art-friendly communities and out-of-the-way galleries, just waiting to be discovered. These include: Rivertown Gallery 3512 U.S. 62 870-425-3898 rivertowngallery.com Blue Mountain Woodworks 2547 Blue Mountain Road 870-746-4764 bluemountainwoodwork.com Laffing Horse 17467 Highway 66 870-213-6692 Laffing-horse.com

BLUE MOUNTAIN WOODWORKS

MEET THE MAKER

Every skilled artist knows the time and discipline it takes to elevate one’s interest into an art form. So it was with Skip and Racheal Mathews, whose beautiful copperworks bear striking designs that go beyond texturing or painting. In fact, they are coaxed from the surface itself by intentional and meticulous heating that produces color.

Though they never met there, Skip and Racheal both studied art at the University of Arizona in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Each followed their own muse and medium into the professional art world after graduation—she as a painter and teacher, he as coppersmith.

It was during 15 years working with the metal that Skip noticed the colors that would appear around welds and he began to imagine how to harness this chemical reaction in a controlled and deliberate fashion to create decorative patterns. He decided to experiment and practice on decorative copper butterflies, and after producing 15,000 in a row, he’d cracked the code on extracting 15 distinct colors from the metal into dazzling and intricate patterns.

Skip and Racheal married in 1996 and settled into their artistic work in Branson.

During this period, Skip taught Racheal the techniques he had developed and the couple began flame painting as a shared medium of choice, producing pins, bowls, vases and other items. In 2012, they relocated to Mountain View and today they operate out of the Ozark Folk Center State Park’s Craft Village. They also teach their art there, at the Center, as well as leading classes at the Arkansas Craft School in Mountain View.

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Powerful performances abound in Little Rock’s vibrant arts scene

There’s joy in discovering something wonderful and unique while traveling, and our trip to Little Rock was filled with those moments. From its incredible artisanal food scene, great farmers’ markets and locallyowned restaurants, to its vibrant nightspots featuring local musicians, there seemed to be something to do and experience at every turn. I never would have expected to find the batch of breweries and distillery that we enjoyed touring and tasting, or to see so many galleries and shops featuring items made by local and regional artisans. And yet, there it was — just waiting to be discovered and enjoyed. Find your joy in Little Rock.

For more information, visit LittleRock.com

Explore the city’s unique neighborhoods

Original art by Arkansas artists is available for purchase at galleries and shops throughout Little Rock.

Explore Little Rock’s craft breweries, distillery and winery/tasting rooms

Farm-to-table freshness can be found throughout the city

Little Rock was named one of “Five Secret Foodie Cities,” Forbes Travel Guide 2014

OFF THE WALL

CHRISTIAN AND HEIDI BATTEAU CONVERTED A TORNADODAMAGED SEED MILL IN RURAL WITTER INTO A WAREHOUSE DESIGNED TO PRODUCE THEIR LUXURY WALLPAPER AND SERVE AS THE HEADQUARTERS OF THEIR COMPANY, ASSEMBLAGE.

BY AMY GORDY PHOTOGRAPHY BY NOVO STUDIO

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H

usband and wife team Christian and Heidi Batteau have designed wallpaper for some of the most high-end brands in the country from their homestead in rural Northwest Arkansas. “It’s nice to be able to live in one of the prettiest places in the world—in the woods—and still have our work out internationally in the design world. Our work is in three of ten tallest buildings in the world—it’s in London, New York, Dubai,” Christian Batteau said.

The couple both studied fine art at Kansas City Art Institute, where they met. Heidi specialized in fiber art and Christian studied sculpture, which they both still experiment with. After graduation, the Batteaus relocated to New York where Christian started an architecture business and Heidi made her way in the textile industry.

The wallpaper idea got rolling when Christian was asked to design some for a job with his company.

“That experience sparked the whole idea,” he said. He utilized his experience with plaster and Heidi’s textile knowledge, and the pair began experimenting and formed their first collection of wallpaper.

“We got to a place where we wanted to have a nicer life and start a family, so in 2011 we walked away from design art careers and decided to become homesteaders and bought 32 acres. Heidi is from [Witter], and I fell in love with it.”

The quiet, simplicity and beauty of the area appealed to the Batteaus, who had to hit the ground running when their business unexpectedly took off in the midst of their move. Before the couple could get fully unpacked they set up a workspace in the living

Arkansas Made | 2017-2018 37

“WE WANTED AN ALTERNATIVE TO MASS-PRODUCED WALLPAPER. THIS IS HANDMADE FROM BEGINNING TO END.”

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room and pulled all-nighters—with the help of Christian’s brother-inlaw and one employee—to design and produce wallpaper for Louis Vuitton and Tiffany & Co. In 2013 they incorporated their business and gave it an official name—Assemblage. The business needed room to grow as the client list grew, so the couple purchased a nearby seed mill that had been hit by a tornado and began renovations. “The mill had cinder block walls, no water and no electricity, but enough room for the 30-foot-long tables and shelves we needed,” Christian said.

They assembled three tables, added a roof and constructed their own recycled water system. “All the water used to make our wallpaper is caught rainwater. We didn’t have capital up front when we were doing construction, so we had to focus on building a super ecofriendly manufacturing space.”

The company, now represented

by Holly Hunt, is finding a place in smaller-scale markets. “We had that initial big glut of work with roll-outs for high-end clients, then

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we had a lull going out to market. We are still selling on the coasts, and have just gotten back to that place were it’s getting incredibly busy— it’s less fragile and more of a constant stream now,” Christian said.

What the Batteaus create is very unique. It’s a time-consuming process, each step done entirely by hand. They utilize their fine art skills— Christian uses bronzing and patina techniques— to create cutting edge luxury design that is its own work of art.

“A lot of what we do takes an inordinate amount of time. We wanted an alternative to mass-produced wallpaper. This is handmade from beginning to end. It starts with great paper—we don’t like vinyl—that breathes and is naturally anti-microbial. We use 2,000-year-old techniques,” he said.

The process can involve marble plaster on top of high quality paper, hand-carved stencils, a beeswax finish and metal powders embedded to create a shine. Even the paint colors are handmade.

The future plans for Assemblage include growing the line and the business and adding several full-time employees and artists. “We began as fine artists and are lucky to have been able to maintain that creative drive and experimentation in the work.”

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PINK (POWER)HOUSE KAT WILSON AND EMILY LAWSON ARE THE DEFINITION OF AN ARTISTIC POWER COUPLE. THEY LEAD BUSY, CREATIVE LIVES GROUNDED IN A REMARKABLE PINK HOUSE.

BY AMY GORDY PHOTOGRAPHY BY MATTHEW MARTIN

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E

mily Lawson and Kat Wilson are two business-savvy, highly creative forces in Northwest Arkansas. They met in 2011, began dating in 2013 and married in Marfa, Texas this year. They’ve encouraged and inspired each other to build and grow successful entrepreneurial and artistic careers.

Lawson is proprietress of Pink House Alchemy, a label of artisan cocktail mixers, and Foxhole Public House, a Bentonville lounge and testing ground for her products, which will soon reopen in a larger location. Wilson has begun a successful a successful career in marketing, and she is a seasoned commercial and fine art photographer exhibited and published regionally and internationally, in the Los Angeles Times, Oxford American, Virginia Quarterly Review, Washington Post and Communication Arts. While they each lead independent endeavors, they look to each other for inspiration and motivation, and occasionally these two artistic forces share a studio space.

Lawson’s journey to the Pink House began in her early 20s, when she fell in love with cooking and trained to be a chef in Colorado and New Orleans. She attended culinary school and received a degree in dietetics, after which she began consulting in restaurants and bars. “I was working with a local coffee shop on efficiency, writing a menu for Arsaga’s at the Depot and working at a farmers market booth when I saw a need. Something I kept noticing is that everyone is so invested in coffee culture. The missing link was that people wanted something different in coffee, but they wanted to know where it was from. I was working the farmers market one day and saw this huge bundle of lavender and I just thought ‘I’m going to make a syrup.’

Arsaga’s was on board to trial it and it just kind of took off,” Lawson said.

Pink House Alchemy was incorporated in 2013, and has grown quickly to have distribution in 42 states.

They produce syrups, shrubs and bitters with a line of 23 products. “The most important part of the company is quality sourcing—how we get our products. Our customer base really trusts us,” Lawson said.

Pink House is her baby, but she’s called on Wilson to help along the way. “When you’re in a relationship with someone, you have a tendency to support them. When Pink House started Kat would say ‘Let me go shoot that for you,’ and then it just evolved. She’s brilliant and knows a lot about how marketing should work. She has been so selfless in giving her time to Pink House and really helping the company grow. She’s been able to step back a little now and redirect her energy so she doesn’t have to be as constantly involved in the marketing as she was before,” Lawson said.

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“WHEN YOU’RE IN A RELATIONSHIP WITH SOMEONE, YOU HAVE A TENDENCY TO SUPPORT THEM.”

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Thrive, a residential and retail development company based in the Bentonville Arts District, noticed Wilson’s marketing success at Pink House Alchemy and invited her to join their team. In addition to her marketing career, Wilson still devotes time to photography—her first love.

She attended undergraduate school at the University of Central Arkansas where she initially studied painting.

After she took her first photography class, all the pieces fell into place. “I was just naturally good at it, and it just made sense to ma jor in photography—I’ve been obsessed ever since, even 20 years later,” Wilson said.

Wilson is most known for her ongoing series, “Habitats.” The idea came to her shortly after graduation when an art professor warned her that a lot of people didn’t consider photography to be art.

“That conversation really bothered me. I don’t ever want anyone to say [that photography] isn’t art, and so I did this series after college. I thought about it a long time before I did it. It was a way to elevate the photography,” she said.

Wilson used what she learned about composition in her art history classes to help compose the photographs, which, coupled with the depth of the lighting and subject matter, sometimes mimic classic portrait paintings.

The “Habitats” series gives a voyeuristic look inside the lives of people who pull out their most-prized belongings and arrange them within the photo’s frame.

“You get all this information about the people through their stuff, or you get an idea of how these people want you to see them. Anything a person deems worthy to keep in their house I consider a relic,” Wilson said.

“I’ll never stop doing this series. There’s a historical element to it now. I want to redo the first 10 subjects and see how their lives have changed.”

Wilson’s latest work, a series titled “Layers” will be on display at The Chancellor Hotel in Fayetteville Nov. 9 - Jan. 9.

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the

CUTTING edge

BEN SEWARD IS A NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED KNIFEMAKER WITH A YEARS-LONG LINE OF COLLECTORS AND HUNTERS WAITING TO OWN ONE OF HIS BLADES.

BY DWAIN HEBDA PHOTOGRAPHY BY MATTHEW MARTIN

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B

en Seward cringes at the thought of the first knife he ever made, back when he had much more enthusiasm for the art than skill. “I still have the first one,” he said. “It looks terrible. I mean it’s awful.”

Things have perked up considerably since then.

Seward, 29, is now one of the most in-demand knifemakers in the country with lines for his creations stretching around the world. Not long ago, a customer would wait for a few months to receive a high-end knife; today the backlog of orders represents a three-year sit.

Seward has had a knife in his hands for as long as he can remember and has pursued his craft in earnest for eight years. Like a lot of rural kids in Arkansas who liked to hunt and fish, a trusty blade was never far from him during his youth in Jordan, just north of Calico Rock.

He was sweating the seasonality of construction work when he attended a knife show in Little Rock and saw his future.

“From the get-go I decided I wanted to do this fulltime, which most people pretty well told me not to do it,” he said. “It ain’t exactly the easiest thing to do full time. But I’d seen that it could be done,” Seward said.

In 2010, Seward attended an introduction to bladesmithing class at the Moran School of Bladesmithing in Old Washington, Arkansas. The two-week class opened the door to a much wider range of educational opportunities as he worked his way through the ranks of apprentice and in 2013, journeyman, as recognized by the American Bladesmith Society.

It also gave him the opportunity to learn under Mastersmiths Lin Rhea, Jerry Fisk and Kyle Roye. He proved an apt pupil and was soon making a name for himself at shows, in competitions and in various publications. His design was recognized as best handle at the 2017 Blade Show Knife of the Year Awards.

“You’ve got to have a good product but you also have to market it,” he said. “You’ve got to get out there.

Online presence helps; going to shows you get to meet collectors face-to-face.”

His pieces have also been pictured in the last few editions of the collector’s almanac, “The World’s Greatest Knives,” where he appears alongside Fisk, his mentor, designated National Living Treasure

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“I’VE HEARD IT SAID THE COLLECTOR ISN’T BUYING YOUR KNIFE, HE’S BUYING YOU. IT’S MORE THE RELATIONSHIP YOU BUILD.”

and arguably the most recognized American bladesmith living. It’s a status to which Seward aspires.

“I’ve heard it said the collector isn’t buying your knife, he’s buying you. It’s more the relationship you build,” he said.

Seward is particularly proud of two things about his business. One, it gives him the opportunity to work alongside his father, David, who creates custom sheaths and other leatherwork to accompany his hardware. Second, and just as gratifying, are the number of clients around the world who order their knives for working and not simply to put them under glass.

“It means a lot to me selling to a soldier, selling to the hunter,” he said. “You send knives to really interesting places and really interesting people.”

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SOUND & VISION 7

Chickens (1993), Carroll Cloar Available at Greg Thompson Fine Art

MATT WHITE

is the co-proprietor of one of Little Rock’s oldest beer joints and music venues, the White Water Tavern. He is a photographer of people and places across the south.

1. What are you working on now? Joshua Asante and I will be exhibiting work together at the Cox Center in January. I intend to feature this portrait I shot of a young man and his dog in Stuttgart.

2. Name a local musician who’s under the radar and deserves more recognition.

There are so many, but Adam Faucett is the first one to come to mind. He is a songwriter of the highest order and his stunning music strikes straight to the heart.

(Photo by Matt White) 3. Where is your favorite local spot to gather inspiration? I am perpetually drawn to the stretch of Highway 70 from Rose City to the Galloway exit. There is a lyrical beauty to the road and those old neighborhoods running along the Arkansas River.

(Photos by Matt White) 4. Tell us three handmade items on your own wishlist.

Joshua Asante is one of the most true all-around artists that I’ve known; his portraits are so beautiful they can hurt. I am very in awe of and inspired by the drawings of Sally Nixon.

Grace Ramsey’s paintings are a gorgeous and mysterious dream.

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5. What is your favorite subject matter to shoot?

I find the most joy in honest portraits captured in natural light. The best feeling is to look at the back of my camera and see a face and eyes so full of humanity it feels like my heart might burst.

4

6. What is your favorite local hangout when you need to get away I lean towards joints with a little grit and lots of character(s).

Four Quarter in Argenta is a great bar—Conan Robinson has long been the best in the business. There is magic to be found in Midtown. Ms. Beverly has been holding down the fort over at The Forge in Levy for close to 20 years, and I like to stop in and visit with her from time to time.

7. What’s your favorite local art venue/gallery and/or event? I will forever be in debt to the Arkansas Arts Center for introducing me to the astonishing paintings of Carroll Cloar and his surreal perspectives of life in the South. Those folks brought a retrospective of his career to Little Rock in 2014 and I was floored and endlessly inspired by the beauty of his work.

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STATIONERY & STYLE

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TRISHA LOGAN

, trendsetter and owner of Shindig Paperie—a stationery boutique in Northwest Arkansas is a paper- and textile-obsessed designer. She worked in product development as the creative director and designer for a large gift and paper line for nine years before striking out on her own to bring the letterpress movement to Fayetteville. shindigpaperie.com.

1. What is your go-to hostess gift? A candle from Shindig, flowers from the farmers market or one of our great flower shops in Fayetteville—I love both Flora and Pigmint—or a fun little gift box from Freckled Hen Farmhouse!

2. Name a local maker who’s under the radar and deserves more recognition. This is hard—I have several! Letterpress-printed I Am Here Cards and Perennial Shop handmade clay necklaces are both great!

3. Where is your favorite local spot to gather inspiration?

Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, The Buffalo River area and the downtown Fayetteville Square on a farmers market morning.

4. What are three handmade items on your own wishlist? I would love a piece from local painter Allison Hobbs. I have one leather tote from American Native Goods and would love to get another in a different color.

5. Which craft fair do you most look forward to? I attended the first Little Craft Show in 2011 and still look forward to it every year.

The Annual Art Fair at Laumeier Sculpture Park in St. Louis was a family tradition growing up—

it’s held every Mother’s Day weekend and is fabulous.

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6. Name your can’t-live-without locally made eats or drinks.

Ozark Beer Co. APA and Moniker Ferments Kombucha.

7. What locally made things do you use in your own office? One of my all time favorite products is the leather fillion refillable notebook from Fayetteville maker Little Mountain Bindery—I have four of them! I also love the handmade wood fountain and ballpoint pens from local maker Beringer Wood Co. 8. What is your favorite local hangout? Clubhaus Fitness in the morning, Arsaga’s Depot and Arsaga’s Church Street during the day, and, on the rare occasion that I go out, Maxine’s Taproom.

9. What’s your favorite local art venue or event? My favorite local event is the Fayetteville Roots Festival, held in late August. It was even better this year as the global creative house Justkids curated the Green Candy art action the week leading up to the festival, and the community was able to watch and interact with public art happening around downtown.

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7

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If your domestic beer is leaving you flat, then it’s time to find your way to Fayetteville. You’ll discover the Ale Trail, made of 10 microbreweries (and a cidery!) where local brewmeisters make some of the finest craft beer in the state.

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INNOVATIVE ILLUSTRATOR 4

LEANA FISCHER

is the artist of May We Fly, a small stationery and gift shop based in Fayetteville. She uses watercolors with a focus on botanicals and nature. She also helps others discover the fun of painting by offering watercolor workshops. Since opening her shop in 2014, Leana has customers around the world and clients including Papyrus and Hallmark. maywefly.com.

1. What are you working on now?

I recently completed a collection of botanical work called “My Neighborhood Garden” inspired by the beautiful gardens around my neighborhood in Fayetteville. I created a calendar that features every piece in the collection, along with a number of new art prints and greeting cards.

2. Name a local maker who’s under the radar and deserves more recognition. There is so much talent here in Fayetteville, it’s hard to pick just one! Tram Colwin is an artist I’ve gotten to know and I admire her work quite a lot. She is skilled with both watercolor and acrylic and has a wonderful eye for color.

chocolate croissants are amazing.

I am unashamedly in love with chocolate, and Markham and Fitz (formerly Hello Cocoa) makes such a beautiful chocolate bar. Stonemill Bread is my go-to when I’m stocking up on sandwich bread or need tasty rolls to go with dinner.

1

6. How would you describe the art scene in Fayetteville? Fayetteville truly values its artists. I think the art scene is thriving largely because of the community of support around it. The city does a wonderful job highlighting art, from showcasing wall murals by Jason Jones and others, to displaying sculptural work and hosting its monthly art event, First Thursdays.

SAVE THE DATE

3. What are three handmade items on your own wishlist? Bloom and Thistle’s Rhiannon Necklace, Margu Design’s Square Scarf in Jardin Voile, and a handmade mug by Faith Whittle.

4. Which craft fair do you most look forward to and why? I’m really looking forward to both the Little Craft Show and Wampus Wonderland, both taking place in Fayetteville this holiday season.

They each have a very unique vibe and do a great job putting on a high quality show.

5. Name three can’t-live-without locally made eats or drinks. There’s a new bakery in town called Dirty Apron Bakehouse, and their

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7.. What is your favorite local hangout? Arsaga’s is my favorite coffee shop in town, and one of their newest locations, Arsaga’s at Church and Center, is my current go-to hangout spot. They have great coffee, of course, but their signature item is toast.

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8. What’s your favorite local art venue or event? My studio is located right next to Local Color Studio Gallery, which regularly hosts group shows featuring local artists.

I always love seeing what’s new there. A couple of my other favorites are Studio 3 and Fayetteville 3 Underground.

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Back by Popular Demand.

Coming in 2018!

SATURDAY, APRIL 14, 2018

→ Accepting Vendor Applications: January 2nd← Brought to you by War Memorial Stadium, the Arkansas Times, and Arkansas Made Magazine

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT VICKIE HART AT 501.663.6385 OR ARKANSASMADEARKANSASPROUD@GMAIL.COM ArkansasMadeArkansasProudMarket

CAPTURING A CREATIVE SPIRIT

7 6

NANCY NOLAN

, commercial, interior and art photographer, has worked in the business for more than 30 years. She has been featured in numerous national and regional publications including Luxe, House Beautiful, Essence, At Home in Arkansas, Traditional Home, Decór and Southern Living. Nancy not only considers herself a photographer but a storyteller, bringing to life the people and places she is fortunate enough to capture. nnphoto.co.

1. What are you working on now? One of my current projects is a photo essay titled “Henry’s Head,” a study of my son Henry as he moves through his teen years.

2. Name a local artist who’s under the radar and deserves more recognition.

I never get tired of seeing Matt White’s photography. Rita Henry has been a source of inspiration for a long time. I love her fierce protection and promotion of film photography. And, lastly, Gabriel Griffith—I am a longtime fan of his work.

3. Where is your favorite local spot to gather inspiration? The Dickson Street Bookshop! An assistant introduced me to this store years ago and I never miss a chance to spend an afternoon there.

4. Tell me three handmade items on your own wishlist. A portrait sitting with the great Joshua Asante; one of Cliff McGaha’s Gizmo lamps—maybe even a commissioned one; and a work by the Arkansas artist Jerry Phillips.

5. What is your favorite subject matter to shoot? Humans. More precisely, the subject matter I like to explore is what I know, what is familiar. I am interested in the subtlety of the humans I encounter daily.

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6. Name three can’t-live-without locally made eats or drinks. Paul Dempsey’s Hot Milk Cake—I think it was her mother’s recipe and it’s heavenly; Loblolly’s Vegan Vanilla Coconut ice cream with an espresso shot poured on top; and The Green Corner Store’s Tea Shop is converting this coffee girl!

2 7. Where do you go to find unique, handmade crafts and gifts? I have several favorite haunts: Moxy Modern Mercantile, Box Turtle, The Green Corner Store and, last but not least, the Esse Purse Museum Store. At the purse museum, Anita Davis will give you an education on the feminine, and you’ll see art exhibits and a space designed by the talented Steven Otis.

MATT WHITE 2

8. What is your favorite local hangout?

Easy, decisively and without question— SOMA, aka my neighborhood. You’ll find hands-down the most creative, interesting people in the state who are a constant inspiration for me.

RITA HENRY

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JERRY PHILLIPS

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BRIANA MOORE

is best known for her handcrafted soap business, Larkmartin Soaps, and Red Light Roastery that she co-owns with her husband, Adam. Along with two boys and two dogs, they live in Uptown Park Avenue in Hot Springs and are advocates for the neighborhood. She has a background in the arts with a BFA from University of Georgia.

1. What are you working on now? Custom Beer Soap for Superior Bathhouse Brewery.

gluten free strudel muffins; Red Light Roastery Coffee; and JV Farms Sausage.

2. Name a local maker who’s under the radar and deserves more recognition. A Lively Brew Kombucha. I love the people and the product!

7. What local spot do you use for thrifting and finding unique things? Hot Springs is chock full of thrift stores and estate sales! Habitat for Humanity Restore always has good finds that you never knew you needed!

3. Where is your favorite local spot to gather inspiration?

Inspiration is just a hike away! Hot Springs has many hiking trails, and I am always inspired by getting outside!

4. Tell me three handmade items on your own wishlist.

Bethannie Newsome Steelman’s “Roadkill” series paintings; Riley Art Glass—I’ll take one of everything, please; and Filip Johnson’s Beastman Caravan leather tote.

5. Which craft fair do you most look forward to?

Handmade Holiday PopUp Shop. Every year local makers and artists pop up in a different location for the holidays, and they have great gifts for everyone on your list 6. Name three can’t-livewithout locally made eats or drinks. Will’s Cinnamon Shop

8. How would you describe the art scene in Hot Springs?

There is a shared love, respect and passion for the importance of surrounding yourself with art, artisans and makers in our community. It continues to grow and evolve and will always be a great, small art town.

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9. What is your favorite local hangout? The community table at Red Light Roastery is always full of artists, dreamers, makers and do-ers!

10. What’s your favorite local art venue or event? Arkansas Shorts is my favorite event of the year. It’s a fundraising event showcasing Arkansas filmmakers for Low Key Arts, a nonprofit arts organization.

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Discover more artisans at arkansas-made.com

Arkansas NATIONAL GUARD MUSEUM

Located on Camp Robinson, North Little Rock Hours: Monday-Friday 8:00 am to 3:00 pm Take exit 150 off I-40 & follow signs to Camp Robinson 501.212.5215 | arngmuseum.com

handmade jewelry

To come on Post you will need a driver’s license, proof of insurance, and vehicle registration.

523 S LOUISIANA LITTLE ROCK, AR www.bellavitajewelry.net

LOCALLY MADE ART · CLOTHING · JEWELRY HOME DECOR · HAND PAINTED FURNITURE

10301 N RODNEY PARHAM ROAD SUITE E4, LITTLE ROCK AR

501.350.4769

reinvented-vintage.com CONTACT US FOR INFORMATION ON SCHEDULED CLASSES

35 YEARS Making Craft

116 East Main Street Hardy, Arkansas 72542 870-856-2892

725 E. Main Street Melbourne, AR 72556 townsendspice.com 870-368-3688

in Krisatccaslin M 2923 Kavanaugh Blvd Little Rock AR 72205 M-F: 10-5 Sat: 10-4 • shopHausWerk.com • 501-663-5251

Discover more artisans at arkansas-made.com

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THE CRAFTY SHOPGIRL

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CINDI BOOTH,

owner of Stifft Station Gifts and Sundries retired as an IT manager and developed her jewelry line, Bijou Booth, eight years ago. She purchased and renovated a space in the historic district of Stifft Station and opened her eclectic gift shop. stifftstationgifts.com.

1. What locally made bath product is a must-have and why? Kind Folke Mint Chocolate Deep Hair Conditioner is perfect for my long silver hair. It smells wonderful and it’s organic!

2. Where is your favorite local spot to gather inspiration? The Arkansas Arts Center—I’ve enjoyed every class that I’ve taken there, and have always enjoyed visiting with the students and teachers.

3. Tell me three handmade items on your own wishlist. Nan & Idge makes a gorgeous leather cuff, which fits perfectly and is so soft and beautiful you never want to take it off. Valerie Goetz makes the most delicate horsehair raku fired pottery I’ve seen. Claudia Horvath, the knitting instructor for our little yarn store, just brought in a beautiful hand-knitted cowl that has my name on it.

4. Which craft fair do you most look forward to? Hillcrest HarvestFest was the first big craft fair where I sold my Bijou Booth jewelry line.

5. Name three can’t-live-without locally made eats or drinks. Well, I’m not sure how healthy these are because they are all sweet, but I must have Rosalia’s cinnamon rolls, K Bee honey and Kyya chocolate.

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6. What locally made things do you use in your own home? Art by Lois raku leaf tray, The Road T-shirt

by Rachel Trusty, Nannie’s Naturals soap chip bag, The Eccentric Dose kitchen towels, K Bee honey and Bear Kingdom Vineyard jam—just to name a few.

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7. How would you describe the art scene in Little Rock? Vibrant and eclectic. It seems that everyone is making and creating something in their spare time, and it’s all different.

8. What’s your favorite local art venue or event? The Art Museum Sale held every November. Local artisans sell the items that they learned how to make while taking classes at the Arkansas Arts Center.

10. What do you look for when choosing items to sell at Stifft Station Gifts? Overall what appeals to me most are those things that are both beautiful and functional. And, of course, I’m always looking for items that represent Arkansas.

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CRAFT FAIR ON THE FIELD

ARKANSAS IS BRIMMING WITH A UNIQUE CREATIVE ENERGY THAT HAS FOUND AN OUTLET AT ARKANSAS MADE ARKANSAS PROUD LOCALLY MADE MARKET

O

rganizers of the second annual Arkansas Made Arkansas Proud Locally Made Market are gearing up for a great event on April 14 at War Memorial Stadium. Last year’s inaugural event was a huge success with more than 100 vendors from across the state selling everything from jewelry to pottery and handcrafted furniture in a lively “craft fair” atmosphere.

Shoppers will want to save the date for this curated spring craft show that brings the best artisans, designers and crafters from the foothills of the Ozark Mountains, to the vibrant, bohemian maker culture emerging along Main Street in Little Rock.

Vendors will set up beneath rows of pop-up tents on the stadium field to sell wares and greet guests. Attendees can enjoy a day filled with excellent shopping, live demonstrations, kid-friendly activities and refreshments available for purchase.

This rain-or-shine event offers a great opportunity for the community to meet artists and makers from around the state in one central location, support them and learn about their unique artistic process and design.

Artists and makers still have time to apply to be part of the fun!

Applications will be available Jan. 2. Call Vickie Hart at 501-529-7624 or email arkansasmadearkansasproud@gmail.com for more information.

Discover more artisans at arkansas-made.com

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FORT SMITH

MURAL TOUR

ARKANSAS’S ARTS PROFILE IS HIGHER THAN EVER THANKS TO THE GROWTH OF MURALS PROJECTS IN TOWNS LARGE AND SMALL.

BY DWAIN HEBDA From the highly publicized The Unexpected in Fort Smith to tiny hidden treasures in hamlets statewide, murals are making big statements. Here are a few you’ll want to see:

FORT SMITH

Fort Smith has weathered the loss of local industry with new thinking and a fresh approach to all things, including art.

The Unexpected is the outcropping of this mindset.

Comprised of several murals and various pieces of outdoor art, the organization landed an international cast of artists for projects all over town and in doing so has set the pace for the rest of the state.

“We have approximately 30 murals and installations here and one in Fayetteville.

Last year we did a very highprofile wall in Fayetteville as an extension of our brand, and also to just kind of remind our friends up north we are the thought leader within this type of art genre.”

FAYETTEVILLE

SPRINGDALE

HOT SPRINGS

HOT SPRINGS

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Passers by in Hot Springs can’t help but notice the eye-popping mural on Emergent Arts, a piece completed in May by Kansas City-based artist Phil Shafer who paints under the professional name Sike Style. The striking design, painted in conjunction with Hot Springs’ Annual Arts & the Park Festival in May, incorporates crystals as a symbol of the Hot Springs area, while infusing the hues of earth and sky with warm geometrics.

While in Hot Springs, Sike also led an artist’s lecture on his public art and exhibited small works in the Emergent Arts gallery.

FAYETTEVILLE

Fayetteville’s mural scene took a giant leap forward this summer with the public art project Green Candy, presented by Experience Fayetteville.

Working in tandem with Justkids. Experience Fayetteville announced an international lineup of artists to create either murals or three-dimensional pieces of art for display around historic downtown Fayetteville.

The artists installed their work in August and include Bordalo of Portugal; Malaysian-based Ernest Zacharevic of Lithuania; the duo Bicicleta Sem Freio of Brazil; Marina Zumi of Argentina and Arkansans Jason Jones of Fayetteville and Gina Gallina of Eureka Springs.

SPRINGDALE

Springdale built upon its butterfly-friendly reputation this fall with the unveiling of Migrating Mural, a work depicting the life cycle of the monarch. Painted on the tower of the city’s airport, the privately funded mural was created by artist Jane Kim and measures 22-by-40-feet in size.

Kim’s studio specializes in creating fine art, environmental campaigns, exhibitions and science illustrations.

The dedication of the Migrating Mural, which included a new monarch way station, is part of a series of public art installations that celebrate wildlife along migration corridors it shares with people.

Discover an array of talent in the outstanding cities and towns of Arkansas!

“Great Cities Make A Great State� www.ar ml.o r g

Monday, 6:30 a.m. Red Light Roastery, Hot Springs’ only small batch coffee roastery.

HOT SPRINGS MADE f ind t his place.

HotSprings.org. 1-888-SPA-CITY.