The Idle Class: The Artist Issue - Spring 2018

The

NORTHWEST METRO / RIVER VALLEY LITTLE ROCK / HOT SPRINGS AND ALL ELSE ARKANSAS

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IDLE CLASS

ARTIST ISSUE

COVER ART BY

GUSTAV C.

EUREKA SPRINGS MAY FESTIVAL OF THE ARTS A month-long celebration of the arts featuring the Artrageous Parade, one-of-a-kind art exhibits, art walks, demonstrations, performances, culinary arts, free music in the park, street parties and so much more!

EurekaSpringsFestivalOfTheArts.com or EurekaSprings.org

The Carroll and Madison Public Library Foundation

13TH ANNUAL

BOOKS

IN BLOOM Literary Festival

The Crescent Hotel, Eureka Springs

May 20, 2018 12 noon–5 p.m.

BOOKS

IN BLOOM LITERARY FESTIVAL

Keels Creek Winery

and Art Gallery

3185 E Van Buren, Eureka Springs

It’s A Mystery BookStore Zarks Gallery

“Green” R. Salcido

67 Spring Street Eureka Springs, Arkansas www.ZarksGallery.com 479.253.2626

Small gallery, big difference.

On the Berryville square

Your gently-used bookstore featuring vintage, modern and classic reads!

EDITOR’S NOTE February 2018 marked our fifth year in print. I gotta be honest, I did not see that coming. Not sure what kind of gift we should give ourselves for five years. Not diamonds or gold. Maybe gourmet coffee. Our longevity wouldn’t be possible without our readers, our advertisers and all the people who work hard for little pay to make each issue come together. Thank you so much!

This is our third Artists Issue. While we always cover visual art, there is just so much going on in our state that every few years we have to take some time and shine the spotlight on it. I decided to do something different and recruit one of our contributors, Samantha Sigmon, to be our guest editor. Over the last few years, Samantha has worked tirelessly for the arts in Northwest Arkansas, curating gallery shows, planning exhibitions at Crystal Bridges, and serving as the matriarch for Backspace, Fayetteville’s DIY hotspot for music, art, improv and more. She has also played a major role in planning the Black Apple Awards. Her knowledge of art and the scene in Arkansas is phenomenal and has allowed us to take this issue places I’d never have imagined.

Thanks for making this a good one, Samantha.

Don’t forget to be a patron for your local artists.

And please, please, please don’t ask them to do something for exposure. They’ve gotta earn a living too. Even if you just buying a print or a sticker, every little bit counts.

See you in the Summer, KODY FORD / EDITOR-IN-CHIEF EDITORIAL@IDLECLASSMAG.COM

Open Mouth Reading Series spring/summer 2018

MARCH 29

Carolyn Guinzio 7 p.m. at Stage 18

APRIL 8

MAY 6

Fatima-Ayan Malika Hirsi 7 p.m. at The Nines

JUNE 1-4

JUNE 10

JULY 8

AUGUST 12

MARCH 11

Poetry Retreat Faculty: Hanif Abdurraqib & Eloisa Amezuca

Iliana Rocha 7 p.m. at The Nines

Olatunde Osinaike 7 p.m. at The Nines

Amie Whittemore 7 p.m. at The Nines

OPENMOUTH READINGS.COM

Greg Brownderville 7 p.m. at The Nines Analicia Sotelo

7 p.m. at The Nines

TABLE OF CONTENTS THE PAINTED LADY PGS. 10 - 11 FORT SMITH DIRECTOR JAMES COTTEN TAKES A DUSTY RICHARDS WESTERN TO THE BIG SCREEN.

CONTR IBUTORS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF KODY FORD GUEST EDITOR K. SAMANTHA SIGMON ASSISTANT EDITORS MOLLY RECTOR JENNY VOS DESIGNER BESHANYÉ JACKSON CONTRIBUTORS DANNY BASKIN ANDREW BREWER ASHLEY BYERS DANIEL CALDWELL HEATHER CANTERBURY GUSTAV CARLSON DAYTON CASTLEMAN V.L. COX JONATHAN CROMER CRYSTAL BRIDGES MUSEUM STORE STAFF SLOAN DAVIS LAUREN EMBREE

CONT...

FENIX FAYETTEVILLE LEADERSHIP TEAM DANA HALROYD MIKAYLA HOFFMAN LYNN JACOBS KRISTOFFER JOHNSON SARAH KING BRANDON MARKIN ANDREW MCCLAIN JEREMY MUNRO SHANE RITCHEY RAIN RUES DONNA SMITH JULIA TRUPP MELISSA TUCKER GARY WEIDNER SALES DIRECTOR DIANE NEWCOMB COVERS GUSTAV CARLSON OCTAVIO LOGO DANIELLA NAPOLITANO

SHIFTING FOCUS PGS. 14 - 17

GEORGE DOMBEK HONES IN ON THE DETAILS WITH NEW ABSTRACT WORKS.

ART OF THE SPACE PGS. 20 - 34 HIGHLIGHTING COLLECTIVE AND SOLO ARTISTS’ WORK SPACES AND PRACTICES

IN MEMORIAM PGS. 36 -37 REMEMBRANCES OF CREATIVE LEADERS WE LOST.

ARTISTS WE LOVE PGS. 43 - 53 A COLLECTION OF SOME OF OUR FAVORITE ARKANSAS ARTISTS WORKING TODAY.

EVENTS / BENTONVILLE FEB 3–APRIL 23

SOUL OF A NATION / CRYSTAL BRIDGES MUSEUM OF AMERICAN ART Soul of a Nation shines a bright light on the vital contribution of Black artists to an important period in American history and art. Featuring the work of 60 artists and including vibrant paintings, powerful sculptures, street photography, murals, and more, this landmark exhibition is a rare opportunity to see era-defining artworks that changed the face of art in America. Developed by the Tate Modern in London, Soul of a Nation examines the influences— including the civil rights movement, Minimalism, and abstraction—that inspired artists such as Romare Bearden, Martin Puryear, Faith Ringgold, Betye Saar, Alma Thomas, Charles White, and William T. Williams CrystalBridges.org

SHADOWS EDGAR COWERS NEW YORK / 1961 GELATIN SILVER PRINTL

EVENTS / NWA APRIL 12–15

INVERSE PERFORMANCE ART FESTIVAL Inverse Performance Art will return for its third year April 12​th​–15​th​for a 4-day performance art tour of Northwest Arkansas. The festival will present work on Thursday in Rogers, Friday in Bentonville, Saturday in

Fayetteville, and Sunday in Springdale. The venues will range anywhere from inside homes, to galleries, storefronts, alleyways, and even out in the streets.

Artists from around the world will present new work that will offer different ways to consider time, space, and body. There will also be many opportunities for the public to engage and connect in artist-held workshops, panel discussions, and group meals—in addition to afterparties each evening.

The festival is free and open to all. For more information visit regarding participating artists, event schedule, and how you can help.

InversePerformanceArt Festival.com

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PHOTO / KRISTOFFER JOHNSON InversePerformanceArtFestival.org

EVENTS / LITTLE ROCK APRIL 26–29

15TH ANNUAL ARKANSAS LITERARY FESTIVAL Central Arkansas’ most exciting literary event returns this April with a list of notable guests including Pulitzer Prize and Grammy Award winners, filmmakers, singers, artists, professors, and former NBA All-Stars.

Events will be held at the Central Arkansas Library System Main Library campus, located at 100 S. Rock St., and many other Little Rock venues. Most events are free to the public.

The premier gathering of readers and writers in Arkansas, the Festival...

... offers a mix of sessions, panels, special events, performances, workshops, book signings, and opportunities to meet authors. More than 70 authors, essayists, and illustrators—who have achieved national and international acclaim—will discuss topics and genres such as science fiction, fantasy, crime, southern life, social issues, science, women’s history, young adult and children’s books.

Some of those scheduled to appear include writer and filmmaker Sebastian Junger along a performance and talk by rockabilly legend Wanda Jackson, who will discuss her autobiography Every Night Is Saturday Night: A Country Girl’s Journey to The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. The full list of authors is available on their website...

ArkansasLiteraryFestival.org SEBASTIAN JUNGER WRITER / FILMMAKER 2018 Arkansas Literary Festival

Featuring the work of

Nancy Wilson Little Rock, Arkansas 5815 Kavanaugh Blvd.

501.664.0030 Miami, Florida 305.528.4971

www.boswellmourot.com

“Fall to Water”

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EVENTS / EUREKA SPR. MAY 1–7

MICHAEL NOUROT ZARK’S FINE ART GALLERY RECEPTION / MAY 4–5 / 6–9 P

Many people across Northwest Arkansas were wowed by the Dale Chihuly exhibit at Crystal Bridges last year. However, the artist’s legacy is not merely cemented by his work, but his students as well. One former protege is Michael Nourot. After graduating with a B.F.A from the California College of Arts and Crafts Michael was one of 16 students chosen to attend the first year of classes held at the Pilchuck Glass School under the tutelage of Chihuly himself.

In 1972 he began an internship with Venini Glass Factory in Italy studying under master glass artist Checco Ongaro.

In 1973... Nourot opened Michael’s Light Opera Gallery in San Francisco, the first contemporary art glass studio in the United States.

Nourot was commissioned to create 1,200 pieces for the Vatican, in celebration of Pope John Paul II’s visit to San Francisco in 1987. President Ronald Reagan also gifted a

EVENTS / EUREKA SPR. MAY 20 / 12 P

BOOKS IN BLOOM THE 1886 CRESCENT HOTEL & SPA

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Nourot piece to Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev. Norout’s glasswork can be found in private and public art collections around the world including the permanent collections of the Smithsonian, Corning Museum of Glass and in the Presidential collections of Reagan and Bill Clinton.

Timm Hilty, owner of Zark’s Gallery in Eureka Springs, sold and collected Nourot’s work for years without fully comprehending his accomplishments and biography until after the artist passed away. Hilty owned a 6-foot raven lamp made of cast bronze and blown glass. Having recently undergone a neardeath experience of his own, Hilty became obsessed with curating a show of Nourot’s work to bring the artist the recognition he deserves.

Gathering accomplished authors together and asking them to talk about what motivates them to write is one of the elements that gives Eureka Springs’ annual literary festival Books in Bloom its appeal.

Books in Bloom fills the afternoon with on-going readings, author talks and book signings.

Authors occupy festive tents in the flower-filled gardens of the Crescent Hotel and Spa, and when they are not scheduled to speak, they are free to chat with attendees. The Writers Tent will offer a variety of authors and subjects, ensuring there will

“Over the next few months, I reached out to old clients, visited local antique stores & estate sales, finding the pieces I had once sold,” Hilty said. ”It was a thrilling challenge, a treasure hunt. Nourot glass inspired me each day to push a little farther, search a little longer, invest more of my time and resources to curate a special show to commemorate his amazing career. Each time I’d find a 20-, 30- or 40-year old piece of glass I’d recognize the similarities between my own heart and Michael’s precious works of art. Each one possesses the warmth, fragility, and uniqueness of a human heart. “ While some pieces in the show are on loan, many will be available for sale.

ZarksGallery.com

be something for every taste, including romance, mystery, novels that highlight social justice issues.

This year’s featured speakers include Lisa See, who through her many novels illustrates the strong bonds between women, romantic love, and love of country; Marcus Sakey, whose thrillers have been adapted to film, and Deborah Crombie. A total of 13 authors will be on hand this year. For a full list visit their website.

BooksinBloom.org

MUSIC

DAZZ & BRIE INTERVIEW / ANDREW MCCLAIN Dazzmin Murry and Kabrelyn “Brie” Boyce met at the University of Central Arkansas several years ago and have been playing music together since.

Their music is a unique blend of R&B with a hard rock edge.

On January 23rd, Dazz & Brie and the Emotionalz played the sold-out Central Arkansas Music Awards at the Ron Robinson Theater in Little Rock, where they opened the event with a short, high-energy set, and were subsequently honored with the awards for Best Live Performer (Rock/Indie) as well as Artist of the Year.

This comes after winning the 2017 Arkansas Times Musicians’ Showcase, too. The Idle Class caught up with the duo following their big night.

Tell me about the band I saw you play with at the CAMA awards show - who are the Emotionalz and how often do you play with them?

church soloists, with her soulful richness but can flip the script at any given moment and become a soft stream of melodies. It’s really beautiful to witness. We’re pretty blessed to have the people that we do, who are seasoned in their instrumentation, but also open to new avenues. We try to play with this core group as often as possible, but have had to bring on subs who are equally as talented, Samarra Samone on background vocals and Nate Harvey on bass.

I’ve never really heard a hard rock/R&B fusion quite the way y’all do it - where does the hard rock come from? Who are your influences on that side?

DM: We call our style rock n soul. I spent a lot of time listening to Paramore, Fall Out Boy, and Pink Floyd in early 2000’s so they played a role in our direction for rock. We also are influenced by the Beatles with our writing style.

BB: The hard rock influence definitely came from Dazz. I listened to Paramore and Panic! at the Disco in high school, but Dazz definitely made it fun to perform. Other influences come

from The Spice Girls, soulful melodies comes from our church upbringing, and we like to add some funk harmonies in too (Earth Wind & Fire, Beach Boys, Whitney Houston).

Where did you record your most recent album? Are you working on another one?

BB: Half of our recent album was recorded in Dazz’s mom’s living room and the other half was recorded at Capitol View Studios, one of our prizes for winning the 2017 Arkansas Times Showcase.

At the moment, we’re writing but we haven’t felt the pressure to release a new project just yet because we’d really like to take the new album on the road, along with our first album, “Can’t Afford California” DM: We are wanting to tour this summer/fall. We are looking forward to spreading our music across the US and then hopefully heading overseas. We plan to stay competitive. We are always looking for songwriting and/or band competitions to participate in. We love being exposed to new places & Music and being competitive has been a fun way to accomplish both.

BB: Our band is a collective of creative geniuses. Gavin Lenard has been with us for about two years now. He’s so flexible, and knows how to play every instrument, but I love him rocking out on guitar and accordion most. When we had our first gig in Brooklyn, NY, it was us and Gavin. He’s versatile and dependable, and it’s an honor to play with him. Kami Shaw is both an extraordinary bassist, but also vocalist. She’s always so calm and is easily the most easy-going person in the band. Darius Blanton is a force in his own right, both on the drums, but also on the keyboard.

It’s pretty insane to see his fingers move up and down the keys. Last, but certainly not least is Hope Dixon, a vocal powerhouse. She’s got the perfect depth of your favorite

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FILM

PAINTED WOMAN

A new Western with Northwest Arkansas roots makes its mark in independent cinema.

WRITTEN / KODY FORD

The Sunrise Ceremony (na’ii’ees) is an Apache coming-of-age ritual. During the ceremony, young women seek strength, courage, wisdom and goodness from the first woman, referred to as the White Painted Woman. A recent western, Painted Woman, draws on the legends associated with the ritual to tell the story of Julie Richards, a woman who overcomes abuse and forced prostitution.

NWA resident Amber Lindley.

The pair adapted the novel into a screenplay. Painted Woman premiered in 2017 and won many awards including Best Film, Best Director, Best Actor, and Best Actress at the Wild Bunch Film Festival and Best Director at the Manchester International Film Festival (U.K.), where it was chosen as the opening film. It stars Stef Dawson, Matt Dallas and David Thomas Jenkins.

Early on, Julie lands at the feet of Kyle Allison, a wealthy powerbroker of the old west town of Goldfield, who takes young Julie into his home and makes her his trophy, a life of abuse in a disconcertingly luxurious setting. After Allison discards Julia, she sets out on her own to find her inner strength while living in the shadow of two very different men – Frank Dean, a hired assassin working for Allison, and Vince Wagner, a wayward horse trainer with a dark past.

With a gentle score, beautiful cinematography and moving performances, it is hard to believe Painted Woman was made on a small (undisclosed) budget, but Cotten, a veteran of independent filmmaking, knows how to stretch a dollar.

Additionally, some production decisions helped bring authenticity to the film. Lindley credits Brian Allison, the boss wrangler of the horses, as one of their best decisions. Allison and his crew have done many films including Tombstone and Lonesome Dove. Not only did he bring experience, but also period-correct saddles, costumes, hats, shoes, badges, wagons, props, and horses.

Based upon the novel The Mustanger and the Lady by the late Dusty Richards, a prolific novelist from Northwest Arkansas, Painted Woman is directed by Fort Smith native James Cotten and produced by

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In the film, Dawson provides a powerful performance as

Julie, bringing an ethos to the character that might be lost in less skilled hands.

Her chemistry with Thomas Jenkins, who plays Wagner, is undeniable. Cotten has crafted a remarkable story about a woman finding her place in a hostile world.

Cotten says, “One thing Amber and I talked about early on is that the book Dusty wrote is about a man and woman coming together and the man protecting the woman – a classic western John Wayne type film.

We wanted to flip that and tell the story about a woman who’s overcoming the elements of the West. I thought that was special – to tell a western from the point of view of not a damsel-in-distress but rather maybe a damsel-in-distress who learns not to be one by the end of the picture – a real female empowerment movie in a time where was not much female empowerment. And that’s something you can really grab onto and make interesting.”

Painted Woman is now available purchase on DVD in Barnes & Noble, WalMart or Amazon; for streaming on iTunes, Vudu, GooglePlay, and Amazon Prime; or Video-on-Demand on Direct TV.

Free for all artists Everyone welcome!

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LETTER FROM THE GUEST EDITOR When I first came back to Northwest Arkansas fresh out of graduate school five years ago, an opportunity jumped out to me to help make my hometown—a place I have always appreciated—to become a united and respected arts’ hub.

I realized that my hometown was no longer Fayetteville, but with the creation of a new museum in Bentonville and revitalization efforts in all the regions’ downtowns, that I was now a part of the Northwest Arkansas arts community.

I have wanted to throw myself into every aspect of this creative world here to see how it can best work together. In the last five years I have run a local art gallery, started a DIY venue, curated shows at several local spaces, helped organize festivals, award shows, conferences, and parties, served on the Public Arts Committee for Fayetteville, written about art, and worked on visitor engagement at a top-tier museum.

When Kody asked me to guest edit this issue, I knew I wanted to highlight folks like me in Arkansas—people who do something when they see a need, people with a passion for what they do for their communities.

Through looking at what artists and arts organizations are doing in their regions, these stories are by, about, and for creative Arkansans that may not always get the notice they deserve. Not an artist myself, I have a deep appreciation for those who are forwarding Arkansas arts in a variety of ways, showing that it takes all of us with different skills to make cool things happen.

In many instances in this issue, I have asked the people running spaces or working in studios to directly write about what they are doing, really highlighting in their own words what matters to them and why they do what they do—creating places for those in need of a welcoming community. This is the reason I love the arts when they are at their best, the ability to create a home for others.

Next up for the arts community on my end will be working to foster interest in critical responses to exhibitions, curatorial techniques, broadening and diversifying who we work with, and investigating ways to best organize shows through working directly with Arkansas artists, emerging historians and arts professionals to raise all of this up together. I always look forward to more connections, projects, and experiments!

K. SAMANTHA SIGMON GUEST EDITOR

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WHEN YOUR CREATIVITY HAS HIT A WALL,

‘Bearly Illegal’ by Ernest Zacharevic

.COM

Find yourself here...

101 W Mountain, Fayetteville, AR 479.871.2722 ArtVenturesNWA.org Front Yard © John L Newman

SHIFTING FOCUS WRITER / SANDRA SPOTTS PHOTOS / MEREDITH MASHBURN George Dombek hones in on the details with his new abstract paintings.

“Through the years, I’ve gone backand-forth from abstraction, but now I am really attuned to it. If you look at some of my paintings from thirty years ago, you will see abstraction.”

PORTRAIT / Courtesy of the Scout Guide

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LANDMARKS / 30x30 Watercolor

Viewers who know the previous work of watercolor artist George Dombek will most likely regard the Arkansas barns, the rocks, the trees and bikes as realism while the artist sees them as abstract works.

For him, subject matter has always been secondary. He is not so concerned about the subject as the formal issues in the painting.

For the last several months, Dombek has concentrated on pure abstraction and color. Although the works appear as complexly structured grids, the artist finds spontaneity in the splashing of paint onto the grid surfaces and his use of

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SOME TIME TOO SOON / 30x60 Watercolor

more brilliant color than in the previous Arkansas barns series.

“There is a lot of spontaneity in my paintings, although it is difficult to see.

I manipulate the image a lot.

I’ve always felt more akin to abstract artists than to realist painters.”

When Dombek was a high school sophomore, he did his first watercolor. While the class moved on to the second watercolor, he concentrated on the first. During his senior year, his parents subscribed to Time, which featured at different times, the work of Franz Klein and Jackson Pollock.

“It blew me away. I thought, ‘What in the world is this?

Is this a painting?’ I then

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became a little Pollock and a little Franz Klein.”

A number of years ago, Dombek gave a botanical garden one of his paintings which was the image of a blue zinnia. Someone from the organization called and requested a different painting. When asked the reason, the representative said there are no blue zinnias. The artist informed them that it was not a flower but a painting.

When the artist’s work was shown at the Butler Institute of American Art, the director, Dr. Lou Zona, commented that what is nice about his work is that people can appreciate the work on different levels-those who know about art can appreciate it on that level

LIGHT ENOUGH / 40x40 Watercolor

MOONLIGHT / 40x40 Watercolor

and people who do not know about art can relate to the realism.

Dombek says he has always set limits for himself although working in a more abstract way has provided a sense of freedom.

He appreciates both the freedom of abstraction as well as limits that are either imposed by subject matter or by the artist himself. He always has a controlling factor and regards these limits as a guidance for the work.

The artist’s technical process constantly evolves daily and from one painting to another, even as he works on several paintings simultaneously. For him, that is what makes it fun to paint.

“I’m very conscious of the shortness of life. I feel that anytime I’m not painting, I’m wasting my time.”

George Dombek’s recent paintings and art glass can been seen at his Spring Open Studio 2018 May 1920 and May 26-28 from 1 to 6 p.m. and also by appointment. There will be a first-time showing at David Lusk Gallery in Nashville, Tennessee, May 6 through May 26.

His fall open studio dates are Sept. 29-30, Oct. 6-7, Oct. 13-14, Oct. 20-21 and Oct. 27-28 from 1 to 6 p.m.

GeorgeDombek.com

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...

Gustav Carlson is an illustrator and comic book artist best known for Eve of the Ozarks and Tourist Unknown. For this section on artists’ work spaces Carlson was tasked to create a comic that described him working in his secluded cabin in the Ozarks where he lived in 2016-2017. ...

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THE ART OF THE SPACE PHOTOS / AARON BREWER, DANIEL CALDWELL, HEATHER CANTERBURY, KRISTOFFER JOHNSON AND BRANDON MARKIN

EVE SMITH 1 Seventeen Create

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The artist’s studio is often presented as some mystical, romanticized space where magic happens.

In reality, it is a space where artists spend hours upon hours scrutinizing minute details, honing skills, thinking about process, using power tools, or maybe procrastinating until a big idea or deadline can spur them forward.

This section looks most specifically at group studio spaces and how the artists in these spaces can influence each other and build community. On the other hand, some artists treat their studios as solitary places to grapple with their production.

We investigate both approaches, offering insight into how an artist’s creative space influences their work and how that can then influence community.

1 SEVENTEEN CREATE DOWNTOWN SPRINGDALE WRITER / K.SAMANTHA SIGMON

Entrepreneurs, investors and business people are all beginning to realize how important local artists are to the health of their communities. When Derek Gibson, a board member of the Arts Center of the Ozarks for several years, purchased a building in the heart of downtown Springdale, he envisioned the space as a revitalization opportunity to activate art and as a professional place for artists to create and share. Having opened just last year, this is already underway: There are multiple workstations and open studios for artists to create and show work and talk of resident artistled classes. Artists working here are also beginning a

downtown monthly art night with these studios as the anchor.

1 Seventeen Create itself is mostly private although there are open, communal spots. Artists have access to the space at any time and, unlike other models with open studios, the space is largely closed to public traffic during the day so artists can focus. This is a safe space where artists feel secure to work and stimulate their creativity. Artists sign on for a six or twelve month terms to rent a workstation.

Current tenants include Shawna Elliot, Octavio Logo, Scarlet Simis and Eve Smith.

Octavio Logo has made a name for himself as a community artist with his studio at 1 Seventeen Create and his participation in the Fenix Fayetteville collective.

He calls his space “freeing and personal...a private and amazing space.” He takes up the back studio, a spot with brick walls that looks much more like a workshop.

He likes this because he can experiment with materials without worrying about the building.

“I believe that this place is like a white canvas for me,” he says. His backdoor leads out to the alley which he also wants to use to paint a mural on the red wall behind, with aspirations to work with the community to paint even more of these back areas. He loves working in a space that is so vibrant and diverse, “in a brown and black community where everything is just happening.”

OCTAVIO LOGO 1 Seventeen Create

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ROBERT LEMMING’S Ozark Mountain Studio

ROBERT LEMMING’S CUSTOM MOUNTAIN STUDIO OUTSIDE HUNTSVILLE WRITER / DONNA SMITH

In Northwest Arkansas, we see urban growth and rural solitude side-byside. For sculptor Robert Lemming, this dichotomy manifests itself in both his space and his practice.

While an active part of the Northwest Arkansas arts scene, Lemming lives and works in the deep Ozarks, making art that at times abstractly resembles forms found on his land in a studio next to his home. I checked in with Robert to see how his purposefully-considered plan affects his making process and work.

With your studio on 26 acres in the beautiful woods of Arkansas, it seems like your work fits in perfectly in the wilds of the Ozarks.

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How has your process changed now that you are creating in a natural setting as opposed to a studio with others like when you attended the UA for art?

Truly, the rustic location and abundant natural beauty inform the work and my sense of being. The initial fossils that inspired me are stacked outside the studio, and I find more of them hiking on my property and other places around the region. It is obviously nice to not have to worry about others when I fill the space with my stuff. I can spread out and have a few things going at the same time.

A thing I miss from the college days is the proximity to other artists and the friendly competition to do better work. The urban setting has more frenetic energy from which to draw.

That being said, I’m in my mid-30s and the more monastic and quiet qualities of the area really appeal to

my current sensibilities. . . . Working flanked by trees allows the decisions to be more intimate and personal.

With creativity and making, I feel there also comes a sense of overload. How do you take time to recharge to keep that spark it takes to get back into the studio?

The studio itself is a constant project. I’m always trying to upgrade it to be more functional. The end goal is to have it be a workspace that can be converted into a respectable gallery space for events. I do a lot of work outdoors still, and between that, teaching, and art, I end up wearing a lot of hats. This suits my personality best, I like staying busy but I enjoy variety.

TRAILSIDE VILLAGE / A HISTORY OF SUPPORTING CREATIVES DOWNTOWN FAYETTEVILLE WRITER / K. SAMANTHA SIGMON

Landlord and local author Denele Campbell speaks to The Idle Class about her passion for helping creative types through affordable studio space. In additional to Trailside Village made specifically for artists and entrepreneurs, she also rents out studios for band practice space across town.

“Renting to aspiring entrepreneurs and artists gives me great pleasure. . . I keep rents as low as I can and don’t require more than thirty days’ notice because prospective tenants usually have no idea if their project is going to be successful. There’s nothing nice about a lease that has to be broken because things aren’t working out. The original property rarely sees a vacancy.

It’s partly the great location but I think more of the demand is people wanting to pursue their dreams in businesses of all kinds. It’s thrilling!”

Trisha Guting, an artist with a studio practice and a small business called Out of Hand loves it here has a place to experiment. “I feel like I’m still in the experimentation phase of my art and honing my craft, so a space like Trailside, that is rough and raw, is the best environment for me at this time. . . We need to keep in mind we also need to protect emerging artists to keep the heart of what made NWA attractive in the first place. What’s cool about Fayetteville is that there’s a space for everybody, it’s what makes our community strong and our people thrive.

In my studio, Out of Hand, I’ve invited other artists to work and show along with me in the hopes that they

can get a little closer to making their art transform from a passion project to their full time deal. In only the one year we’ve been open I’ve already had quite a few artists pass through, and we’ve all managed to inspire each other and keep our craft growing so that vibe is pretty motivating!”

Another artist, Tonya Tubbs, is working on uniting the studios and businesses for larger events: “I moved here in 1998 and these Quonset huts have always been a staple of Fayetteville creatively. . . . Trailside makes the perfect place for my studio. Being in the company of such vibrant artists keeps me appreciative of this amazing space. I’ve always wanted to create an art scene with a nighttime atmosphere and a new kind of intention. Trailside gave me that opportunity.”

Video artist Dillon Dooms is almost always working in his space: “I spend nearly everyday at Trailside working in my studio. To have the space to work comfortably and lug my equipment and build installations is such a gift to my creative process. My favorite part of using the space is my back wall that I painted white so I could do projection mapping and create varying video installations.”

DILLON DOOMS Trailside Village

TONYA TUBBS / OTHER PERSON Trailside Village

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HOUSE OF ART / HOME FOR ALL NORTH LITTLE ROCK WRITER / KODY FORD

Chris James, a poet in central Arkansas, established The House of Art in November 2014 because of a growing frustration about the lack of a permanent venue dedicated to artists. His experience hosting arts events involved renting a space that he was promptly rushed out of afterhours. He longed for a home for artists to come and express themselves and be fed by the arts they too witnessed. The Idle Class chatted with James about the venue.

What is your space like?

My space is like home. A home for the arts and artists.

Artists usually come and immediately feel a level of comfort and they often don’t

want to leave. Our bright walls and unapologetic art is a pure example of our personality – bold, passionate, fearless and full of life. [Argenta] is an area that’s growing in a beautiful way.

How does the House of Art fill the needs of the community?

The House runs on the hearts and souls of every human that walks through the door. We serve the underserved artists in the community – the artists who don’t get recognition from the prestigious galleries and the performing artists who need a place to share new work. We host open mics every Friday night: poetry, comedy, live music, and more. We also rent out of space for artists and organizations looking for an affordable and high-quality space to help grow their brands. The House of Art operates as a 501(c)(3) with

no paid staff. Everyone on our team is volunteer. People love it and they understand the importance of this space for the community. The vision behind what we do is simple, to be a home for everyone creative and for them to come here and meet like-minded humans and to grow with us as artists and as people.

What are you proud of?

I am most proud of the experiences that The House of Art has created for so many. Hundreds of young and old artists have displayed or performed their art for the very first time on our stage. I’m proud to say that The House of Art has served as a launchpad for so many beautiful things.

What are you planning for House of Art in the future?

We are planning to continue growing by adding new and innovative people to our team. Soon we will begin an artist residency, allowing artists to curate and market their own show at no initial cost to them. We also plan to offer housing for artists through our main entity, The Roots Art Connection, by the summer of 2018.

The House of Art is a place for everyone no matter your age, ethnicity, economic status, gender, sexual preference, etc. Here, you are loved and accepted. It is a true safe space. Lastly, The House of Art belongs to no one person but instead to us all, to the entire community.

Come and claim your seat.

You are a brother, a sister, a cousin, a favorite uncle or aunt here.

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KEVIN KRESSE / STUDIO SPOTLIGHT NORTH LITTLE ROCK WRITER / KODY FORD

Located in a century-old building that has served as an orphanage, nursing home, school and more, this structure was revitalized as a non-profit multi-use space with classrooms, art galleries, studios and an urban farming venture in 2010. Artist Kevin Kresse talks about working in this unique space.

How did you come to work here?

I was invited to come out a few years ago by Sandy DeCoursey, who heads up the center. She was aware that Matthew Kresse, my great uncle, had built the furniture for the orphanage.

I was unaware of this fact, although I knew my parents KATHY THOMPSON / QUINTESSENTIALLY FAYETTEVILLE FAYETTEVILLE SQUARE WRITER / JULIA TRUPP

Mixed media artist Kathy P. Thompson has been in her downtown studio for thirty years, and she isn’t planning on stopping any time soon. She might be bestknown in Fayetteville as an after-school art teacher. She recently started Re-Do, a company dedicated to re-energizing home spaces.

Although she started as “a clay person,” even owning a pottery studio with four other women in a shop behind George’s Majestic Lounge

met at a St. Joseph’s carnival when they were teenagers.

Do you like having other artists working on site?

I do...although quite frankly it’s changed since our dear friend Steve Rockwell suddenly passed away a few months ago. Steve and his wife Jane would have drop in figure drawing sessions for artists. It was nice to be able to walk down the hall and keep up the chops with some life drawing. Steve was a beautiful, pure, artist and had such a big and generous heart. I’m still getting over him not being there.

How do you maintain privacy in a shared space like this?

It’s not hard. It’s a big, old, beautiful building with a ton of rooms. A lot of times I think others don’t even know when I’m there.

How do you prepare your space for productivity?

My space isn’t huge, but I’ve divided it up into areas

for different projects. I’m making a mold on a table in one spot, I have sculpture stands in another, easel in another spot, paints on another table. I’ve placed tape on the floor to mark where chairs were, when I want to set it back up for a continuing portrait session.

It’s loosely organized so that it can quickly change depending on what I’m working on.

from 1977-1981, she has dipped her toes in every kind of mixed media throughout her time in Northwest Arkansas. Over the years, Thompson has seen growing artists come and go through her window-installation-filled studio off Mountain Street, a space she now considers a second home. In fact, she built a house with a studio on Mount Sequoyah with the intention to transition there and let her current space go, but at this point, she can’t see herself doing that. There are too many paint-splattered memories on the walls.

“I keep trying to think about not being here, and it’s hard,” she says.

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VISUAL POETS SOCIETY BENTONVILLE ARTS DISTRICT WRITER / HUBERT NEAL, JR. FOUNDER

Hubert Neal Jr. is founder of the visual poets society, a new arts space in Northwest Arkansas. An artist of Belizean descent from Chicago, Neal now lives and works in Bentonville, where he creates art that addresses social issues and personal experiences.

I got started here by working with Mike and Steve Abb who arranged for me to paint my mural Happy Happy Joy Joy behind Pedaler’s Pub and Bike Rack Brewing Company. The owner of the townhouse I rented was also the owner of A Street Books, a defunct bookstore and antique

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shop. I told him I had an idea of how to transform the space and make it viable again. And ‘the visual poets society’ was born.

The first ‘show’ was a reception for my mural unveiling. I didn’t know what to expect since I was new here, but after the mural unveiling so many people came over to my gallery/studio that I figured there was a need.

Since then we’ve had 2 more exhibitions. The current show is called Diastopian. which showcases five artists of African descent. My focus is on showing good work from artists who don’t have an opportunity to show otherwise.

Programming that involves the community, reflects the community, and uplifts the community is my biggest focus. I’d like it to be known as

the premiere space for artists to show and grow.

I want it to function as an incubator, and safe place, where any idea will be considered.

FENIX / GROWS WITH NEW SPACES DOWNTOWN FAYETTEVILLE WRITER / FENIX FAYETTEVILLE LEADERSHIP TEAM / LAURIE FOSTER / JOANN KAMINSKY / OCTAVIO LOGO / JEANNIE PARHAM / SABINE SCHMIDT

Fenix Fayetteville Art, LLC, is an artist-run collective founded in 2016. Think of Fenix as the conduit which connects artist to audience. We function as the “back office” for our member artists by finding low overhead venues for exhibition and providing curation, installation, sales and staffing support during exhibitions as well as insurance for exhibited work. We also conduct all promotional activities and organize collaboration with other artistic disciplines in a genre-blending place-making experience. The beauty is in the community created within the artist collective.

PRISM / SHINES NWA WRITER / RAIN RUES

PRISM exists as an idea that

then serves to take over spaces for various creative community events. Board Member Rain Rues shares the vision of this inspiring group.

PRISM is a queer philanthropic collective in Northwest Arkansas creating safe, brave, and fabulous spaces for LGBTQ folks, especially LGBTQ folks of color. The group was founded in March of 2017 by a group of local queer activists who identified the crucial need for loving and empowering spaces in the NWA queer community.

Their suspicions about the need for these spaces were confirmed after the stunning success of their first philanthropic queer

Our first formal exhibition, Fenix and Friends: Art at The Walker Stone, was held in April 2017 with tours of the house, music and art with in the same space. The monthlong exhibition featured several special events including classes and workshops by Fenix artists, poetry, music and plays from artists and organizations in Northwest Arkansas. The group returned to the Walker Stone House for a summer collective show as well. Fenix Fayetteville’s most recent partnership is with The Chancellor Hotel: Fenix at The Chancellor.

Consequently, we have formalized collaborative partnerships with three other arts organizations: Art Experience, Inverse Performance Art and Arkansas Staged.

To expand, we have leased and are working on renovating a space at 16 W. Center St. and will be able to use the outdoor walkway on the side of Arvest Bank, which provides a pedestrian thoroughfare from Block Street to the Square.

Our leased space includes a basement with a cool, artsy feel that will expand our ability to host installations and performances.

dance party and they have gone on to raise $2000 to date for various community-based organizations in NWA. While creating these spaces and donating to local nonprofits, it became obvious that the larger community also needs queer voices and talent. The mission of their newest project, PRISM Takeover, is first to provide a space for queer people to thrive in, but it also strives to provide a platform for queer voices in different mediums of art, performance, music, and fashion.

Perry, creator of the amazing video installations at PRISM events and the brilliant Clay Wilson, who creates PRISM’s mind-bending posters.

PRISM will always move forward in its mission to protect and empower queer folks in Northwest Arkansas.

When queer culture thrives, our society grows healthier.

When our greater culture grows healthier and more tolerant, queer youth are given more opportunities to shine. This virtuous cycle inspires PRISM to support gifted artists like Ryan Harrison and Haley Smith, the artistic visionaries behind PRISM’s online presence, Cory

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GENE SPARLING’S / WOODWORKING PARADISE OUTSIDE HOT SPRINGS WRITER / KODY FORD

How long have you been in the studio? Did you personally design it?

My Dad always had a workshop when I was a kid and as soon as I was on my own I had one. I set up my present shop about 12 or 15 years ago. I designed it, if of course you recognize necessity as the mother of invention.

Is it secluded?

I live in paradise on the banks of a spring fed creek in an old forest. I own the mountains where the springs are that make the creek. The creek runs from the hills through the meadow where I have built a pavilion and planted thousands of daffodils before then running past my home and studio. I am a very lucky man.

ARKANSAS ARTISTS WORK ENRICHMENT COLLABORATION / RETHINKS PUBLIC ART NWA WRITER / DANA HALROYD CREATIVE DIRECTOR / SIMPLEMACHINE DESIGNS

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Arkansas Artists Work Enrichment, or AAWE, is the newest Arkansas beautification project.

Launched in January of 2017 in association with Simplemachine and Ashby St. Outdoor, AAWE hosts Arkansas-based artists’ work on billboards around the Northwest Arkansas area in

Do you prefer to work alone and why?

I work alone. My work is about following my intuition and also about finding and experiencing the state of flow. I love the zen of making. The art of making is near to meditation and for me is best done in solitude.

How do you prepare your studio for productivity?

For wood turning, my tools are arranged so that everything is within a step or two. I have a mobile tool cart with my gouges so that I can just reach to find what I need. My grinder for the frequent sharpening required is just a step away. Though it might appear as chaos, in fact, I have a specific place for the tools I use, and I depend on them to be in that place so that I can work smoothly without interrupting my thoughts to find a misplaced or missing tool I need.

order to promote local arts and culture. These artworks are on display for three months at a time and rotated throughout the year.

AAWE is dedicated to cultivating an environment where unique talent can emerge and thrive and to nurturing a culture where local artists and organizations flourish. By hosting local artists on large scale billboards throughout the region, AAWE gives the community an open view of our own talented artists.

People that are unable or unaccustomed to visiting museums or galleries in order to view artworks are now able to see some of the most talented voices in our area on their daily commute.

FEAST GALLERY / BLENDS CREATIVE AND COMFORTABLE WILSON PARK FAYETTEVILLE WRITER / DANNY BASKIN AND ASHLEY BYERS CO-DIRECTORS / FEAST GALLERY

FEAST gallery is our home. We sleep, eat, mow the lawn, paint the dining room, and pet our dog here. We also curate and host art exhibits featuring contemporary artists from around the country and world. We’ve hosted openings, tours, performances, group discussions, and meals that deal with topics ranging from cowboys to first-generation Americans.

FEAST began January of 2017 in what was once the incredible Bottle Rocket Gallery. We lived in a renovated barn on the property and had shows within the white cube space just a few yards away. The idea was to create a new art gallery that fo-

cused on contemporary, out-ofstate, emerging and mid-career artists within an immersive and interactive space. We wanted to create shows that were thoughtful, accessible, affordable, and unintimidating. Our home was open along with the gallery space, and lines between the two began to blur. Often, events would last late into the night and felt more like an art party than an art exhibition. In order to integrate ourselves further into the heart of Fayetteville, we decided to buy a house close to Wilson Park and continued the work that we started.

Our goal is to continue creating a space that feels welcoming, comfortable, and open. We like talking deeply and eating well, and creating shows that encourage others to do the same.

Our first show in the new space runs from January 27th to April 7th. Titled HOUSE, the show focuses on artists that use materials and techniques usually associated with home goods to make contemporary, abstract works, including artworks akin to rugs, throw pillows, and vases. As with all of our shows, there is food, found objects, and writings intertwined with the artworks.

ROGERS EXPERIMENTAL HOUSE / A BEGINNING OF DOWNTOWN ROGERS WRITER / DAYTON CASTLEMAN CO-FOUNDER

Dayton Castleman, artist, Experimental House co-founder and museum manager at 21c Museum Hotel Bentonville, describes the reasoning behind the creation of Rogers Experimental House and his hopes for the future. This space looks to be just the beginning of an idea that continues to grow.

Being a making space to us is about providing a venue and resources for makers of all sorts.

“Our pop-up in Rogers is an effort to lay the groundwork for establishing a permanent multidisciplinary making space in Rogers. It’s a large, flexible space where we host exhibitions, classes, community studio sessions, photo-shoots, lectures and just about anything that the space can accommodate that will further the creative life of our region.

“Our long-term goal is to provide specialized studio space, material support and tool resources that are accessible to anyone in the community.”

“Rogers Experimental House is about making space for making. It is a community-driven creative studio devoted to providing space and resources to help independent and community-generated creative projects develop and become a reality.

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CURATING / ONE NITE STANDARD SOUTH FAYETTEVILLE WRITER / ARTIST / CURATOR MIKAYLA HOFFMAN

One Nite Standard is a series of art exhibitions at Lalaland, a diy arts/music projects space located at 641 Martin Luther King Jr Blvd. just behind the Art Experience. ONS hosts small group exhibitions which feature one work per artist for one night only, with participating artists who either work in or near Northwest Arkansas. There are a few shows each month, always on Thursdays from 7–9 p.m. The series was founded in 2015 by Sam King, and I was able to take it over in 2016.

When I curate I start with an adjective and then find artists whose work best fits that theme. One thing that I focus

STAGE 18 / OFFERING VISUAL ARTISTS A PLATFORM SOUTH FAYETTEVILLE WRITER / C.FNDR / OWNER LAUREN EMBREE

“So, what is this place?” It’s the question almost everyone who walks into Stage Eighteen for the first time asks. For years we had imagined opening a performance venue that would showcase the wide array of talent here in Northwest Arkansas. It was important to us to build a stage that would put the spotlight on our local community.When we found our home at 18 E Center St in Fayetteville (thus the name Stage Eighteen), we knew that the high ceilings and wide walls would be the perfect backdrop for showcasing the region’s visual artists as well.

As a performance venue, art gallery, and bar, Stage Eighteen hosts hundreds of events each year. Through our partnership with local arts organizer

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hard on when curating One Nite Standard shows is variety— finding different mediums to show together: artists associated with the University and those who are not, artists who are well known and those who may

have not ever shown their work before. I also try to make the themes a little hard to discern at first, to encourage viewers to really study each work and how it may relate to the show as a whole.

Samantha Sigmon and now artist Suzannah Schreckhise, our walls change monthly with new exhibitions of exciting artwork created by some of the top upand-coming and established talent in the region. Each week’s events has an incredibly diverse audience that might not otherwise venture into a traditional art gallery. As such, we’ve helped put local artists in the homes of first-time buyers, seasoned collectors, touring musicians, even celebrities who have stopped in for a show.

Our 2018 visual arts lineup is

a mix of solo and group shows featuring a variety of works by established artists like Greg Moore and Sabine Schmidt, and group shows by MFA students at the University of Arkansas, artists from the Arkansas Artist Work Enrichment project, artists of Lifestyles, Inc, and other themed exhibitions.

So, what is this place? This place facilitates the merging of visual art, performance art, and community. This place is for artists and art lovers. This place is for you.

UPTOWN APARTMENTS / COMBINING ART WITH MODERN LIVING NORTH FAYETTEVILLE WRITER / KODY FORD

Uptown Apartments in north Fayetteville has garnered a reputation for high end, modern living. One way they have developed their urban aesthetic is by recruiting Northwest Arkansas artists Steve Adair, Olivia Trimble, Craig Colorusso and Lee Porter to create artwork on-site. Sarah King, who handles marketing and community outreach for the property owners, Specialized Realty, told The Idle Class how this came about.

Uptown Fayetteville Apartments + Shops is a modern, green-built property

ROBERT ROSS’ / STUDIO REFLECTS HIS PSYCHE SOUTH FAYETTEVILLE WRITER / GARY WEIDNER

If an artist’s soul can be deciphered by the way his studio looks, Robert Ross has more facets within than is evident on the exterior.

Outside, Ross’ studio is a modest stone cottage, built around the 1930s. Enter the front door though and you’re greeted by a visual potpourri of paintings, drawings, art supplies, memorabilia, books and hand-made figurines on every inch of floor, table and wall space.

Although it looks like it’s been a working studio for decades, Ross says he occupied a number of spaces in town before finding this one.

designed with wellness in mind...Recruiting artists was an organic process and it kind of snowballed. We have three garage buildings that had big blank walls and someone said maybe we should consider murals there. That’s all it took, and I had a handful of proposals by the next week. In the case of Lee Porter’s work, we loved her “Little Canada” utility box painting and it just seemed natural to ask her to beautify one of our boxes.

the photos of kids and dogs and groups of friends taken at Uptown Quilt (by Trimble).

Our experience with art at Uptown was eye-opening and now we see art as a must for future developments. We’ve got good things in the works for our new Brick Ave. Lofts in Bentonville.

We feel that there’s an art and a science to building healthy communities. Good architecture is certainly part of the equation, and original public art is that magic piece that weaves an element of discovery and delight into every corner. One of the most beautiful things about the art at Uptown is how it brings people together. We regularly have people visit just to try Sound Swings (by Colorusso) and it delights me to see all

“I had a studio on campus that was part of the deal when I was seduced into coming to the University of Arkansas,” he says.

“My most favorite place was a building that was given to the art department. It was an old sea captain’s house.”

Ross’s motivation is deeply philosophical. “I think that a good studio is a birthing room. It’s a place where you want to allow the creative energy to become manifest. You either are part of the birthing of that or you’re not.”

Ross came by his current studio in 2000. “I liked working in an old cottage… at first I didn’t want to change the nature of what was here.”

After about a year, though, Ross opened up the work area with vaulted ceilings, skylights and white birch paneling. He still works there five or six days a week.

“There was a long period of time when I would tend to do watercolors early in the day and then get to the studio, but it has drifted later and later in the day because I’ve tended to work later and later at night. I think I managed to get out of the studio by 1 a.m. last night.”

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HEARNE ART GALLERY / CELEBRATES AFRICAN AMERICAN ARTISTS LITTLE ROCK WRITER / MELISSA TUCKER

Thirty years ago, Garbo and Archie Hearne created a way to promote African-American creativity and culture and simultaneously patched a hole in the state’s art scene.

“We wanted to use art to tell the story of our culture, but there was not a gallery in the state of Arkansas that focused on African-American culture,” says Garbo Hearne. “So, if you want something just do it. And that’s what happened, we just did it.”

She and her husband opened Pyramid Art Gallery in June of 1988, eventually adding books and framing services.

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They quickly learned the business of art and bookselling and will celebrate 30 years this summer at Hearne Fine Art Gallery with a special exhibition, book signings and a general celebration of literature and fine art.

Garbo recalls their humble beginnings as a print gallery and the evolution into selling original pieces and custom framing.

“We brought in artists to do solo shows once or twice a year and people really appreciated meeting the artist,” she said. “But I felt guilty for selling a print for $40 while someone spent $200 on the frame, when they could’ve purchased an original piece of art which continues to appreciate in value.”

She loves to watch patrons connect with art and she says that’s how people make a decision to purchase a piece.

“You see it. You love it. I can’t sell you a piece of art. You walk into a gallery and some things you’re not going to like, but you don’t know what you like until you see what you don’t like.”

Everyday people decide how to decorate walls in their homes, offices and other personal spaces, she adds.

“Art is everywhere, every building you go in, there has to be a choice of what you’re going to put on the wall. It’s a personal decision what you’re going to hang on the wall. We help people get into their personal space and use art as an investment and also to give them a sense of peace and solidarity.”

Also avid readers, the Hearnes decided early on to add bookselling and a focus on literacy to the gallery. Hearne Fine Art, which is located at 1001 W. Wright Ave. in Little Rock, has a reading section resting under the bright sculpture of a Baobab tree. Each year on their birthdays community members

are encouraged to visit, touch the tree with a special wand and commit to reading 30 to 45 minutes per day.

“That 365 days of reading, 30 to 45 minutes per day will make you one year wiser. We do that with the children, if any adults are present we ask them to participate as well.

It’s one of the things that make our bookstore special,” she said.

“The Baobab is the oldest tree in the world and has its beginnings

ARTSPACE / COMES TO NWA WRITER / K. SAMANTHA SIGMON

As Northwest Arkansas grows and developers buy up inexpensive property, affordable studio space is becoming less prevalent. This is not a new problem for developing cities and one organization, Artspace, exists specifically to address these issues. The Minneapolisbased non-profit organization develops real estate to create affordable, appropriate places where artists can live and work. Artspace is currently carrying out feasibility studies in Northwest Arkansas, hosting open forums on what residents need and what Artspace might do for the community.

They have completed two preliminary feasibility studies in Springdale and Bentonville

in Madagascar, in Africa. It’s the knowledge tree.”

The books and commitment to literacy serve the local community just as the gallery has served as a launching platform for many authors and local artists, like Marjorie Williams-Smith. Her first exhibition pieces, done in silverpoint, were displayed by the Hearnes.

She’s known them from the beginning.

and are planning two more for Rogers and Fayetteville in April.

Combined, these will inform a regional arts market study on how many creative people need space and what kind of space they need, such as a living, working, or makerspace.

The Idle Class spoke to Wendy Holmes, Senior Vice President, Consulting and Strategic Partnerships of Artspace.

Artspace is currently looking at “how the space for artists overlaps or is compatible with broader community goals like long-term affordability, residential spaces, and bigger goals that a project like this complements,” said Holmes.

At the end of 2018, they’ll have a much better idea of what kind of project around the arts makes most sense in each of the four communities. They are looking at what already exists in terms of arts infrastructure and

“They’ve moved a few times but each time the location was little bit bigger. This location puts the gallery right in the middle of the community they are trying to serve,” she said. “That’s really made it accessible. You’ve got a school right across the street and kids can come in and take tours and meet the artists. It’s really had an impact on making the community more aware that there are African-American artists.”

don’t want to duplicate current efforts.

For housing, they follow low-income housing tax credit which requires developers to focus on building units at 30 to 60 percent of area’s median income. Once you qualify, you go through interview process.

The organization looking at commitment and passion to an art from over income from your art. Locals interview the tenants.

“It’s a challenge getting public/ private funds, but it’s a challenge we have lots of experience with,” Holmes said. “We work in twenty states now. There’s a learning curve with each one, but the process is not something unfamiliar. As someone in Springdale said, ‘An artist is the soul of a community.’

That’s absolutely true. The places and cities people want to live in also have a strong arts community.

It’s important for attracting people and keeping them in a place.”

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LIKE MOTHER LIKE DAUGHTER / CELESTINE AND AMY EICHLER ON SHARING A STUDIO FAYETTEVILLE SQUARE WRITER / KODY FORD The studio on the the square—the former Fayetteville Underground— is now known as Art Ventures, but still offers artists’ studios within the same building as the gallery space, uniting practice and exhibition to the public.

Studio artists Amy Eichler, who has had a studio here since November 2015, and her mother Celestine (with whom she shares a studio) answer some questions about what this space means to them: What is it like sharing the space?

Celestine: It been a lot of fun to share the space with Amy. She is not only my daughter, but also an excellent artist. So, we

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share ideas and critique one another’s work. We also share some of our equipment or supplies when needed. I find that painting with Amy inspires and challenges me to grow as an artist.

How is it conducive to work in a shared studio space that is also a gallery?

Amy: I love being in an ever-changing art environment which allows the community to see artwork from creation to completion. The gallery gives the studio artists a continuous flow of people which would not be possible in a home or secluded studio. I love being able to work when there are people around. Getting to talk to people about my work and allowing them to see my art process encourages me to create more!

How do you maintain the private/public balance when creating?

Amy: I love creating art around others. While I still paint at home when I want

to paint in sweats or my pjs, painting around people in the gallery gives me energy and focus to keep going.

Sometimes my home is just too distracting to work in.

What inspires you about working at Art Ventures?

Celestine: I am inspired by both the visitors, patrons, and the other artists.

It’s very uplifting to be a part of a thriving artistic community that reaches out to the community in many diverse ways and to many groups. Each artist’s work is different and we learn from and inspire one another.

We share a bond and ideas with not only the on-site studio artists, but also the large number of represented artists that we have gotten to know through Art Ventures.

Each new on-site show is a new adventure to discover what the exhibiting artists will be bringing in. So, there is continually a variety, and increasing amount of inspiration going on at Art Ventures!

I’M WITH HER WITH SPECIAL GUESTS SMOKEY AND THE MIRROR

TUESDAY, APRIL 17

Featuring Sara Watkins, Sarah Jarosz and Aoife O’Donovan

Education in Exile:

Student Experience at Rohwer open through June 30

Shannon Joy Art and Other Creations @shannonjoy9005

Butler Center Galleries 401 President Clinton Ave. • 320-5790

www.butlercenter.org

This project was funded, in part, by a grant from the U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, Japanese American Confinement Sites Grant Program.

IN MEMORIAM We honor visual artists who were also educators and community leaders we lost in the last year. While this list is by no means complete, each artist is remembered by people they inspired

STEVE ROCKWELL

“What are you still doing here?” A deep, booming voice would ask every time I got out of my car at my studio. “I’m leaving one day!” I would reply. “To be honest, I’m surprised you’re still here” he would say back. “You need to go” as he made a shooing motion in the air with his hand.

Not only was he an incredibly talented artist, but he also had an uncanny ability to see what was inside others when they weren’t ready to see it for themselves. He was calm, always composed and one of the most dedicated artists I have ever had the privilege to know.

Our studios were in the same building together and the light in his studio, like his spirit of encouragement and hope, was always on.

It was Steve Rockwell. My friend, fellow artist and, well, the one whom I loved enough to allow to ‘poke the bear’ without me taking it the wrong way.

He knew the creative fire that burned inside of me. And he knew it was time for me to fly from the nest and grow.

He had more faith in me than I did, but that was his gift.

Nobody knows why things happen the way that they do, but when Steve died, he was hin the middle of an amazing project called “Flying Women,” which were portraits of local female artists painted on canvas. It wasn’t just a portrait though. Steve captured their true essence. Their spirit. The ‘life spark’ that only a woman

WRITER / V. L. COX

WILLIAM FLANAGAN WRITER / SLOAN DAVIS

I knew William Flanagan for over 25 years. We took long strolls in the streets of Paris, France during two different summers, but it was our walks in the Ozarks that cemented our friendship and let our imaginations take us on so many deep conversations and unique journeys.

One thing I was always aware of during our walks was how Flanagan’s special Ozark blue would be there in the night sky above us. His watercolor paintings captured that incredible blue.

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carries inside her that exudes creativity, femininity, power and truth. I knew these woman well but I had never seen them like this before. I felt like I was given a secret, intimate, invitation into their souls when I saw the completed pieces.

This man was gifted beyond comprehension. A bold, fierce, creative giant of a man who I was incredibly blessed to call my friend.

I look forward to one day seeing how colorful, beautiful and creative the afterlife is now that Steve’s there. I realized that his “Flying Women” project wasn’t just an idea he came up with.

It was his destiny. He was the special one chosen to place the wings on those around him and in doing so, earn his own.

Bill said it was Ozark magic. It certainly was atmosphere.

I know of no other painter whose perspective caught the mood of Northwest Arkansas with such detail. And as his palette grew, he painted barns and houses reflected under a pale moon. It was this dance of moonlight and the glowing Ozarks that Flanagan captured perfectly. If you have never seen a Flanagan night sky in Fayetteville, then you have either never been to Fayetteville, or you have not paid attention. Bill did.

MIKE PEVEN WRITER / LYNN F. JACOBS

The School of Art at the University of Arkansas suffered a terrible loss when its most senior member, mike peven, professor of photography, unexpectedly passed away this summer. mike, who never wanted to have his name capitalized, was a fixture of the studio art program since 1977. He was passionate about teaching traditional methods of photography as well as nontraditional and digital methods.

His devotion to his teaching and concern for his students was boundless. He received numerous teaching awards at the University of Arkansas, as well as the 2014 Honored Educator award from the Society for Photographic Education, but the impact of his teaching is manifested most strongly by the esteem in which he was and is still held by those who studied with him.

CARMEN CASTORENA WRITERS / CRYSTAL BRIDGES MUSEUM STORE TEAM

To put it simply, Carmen Castorena was beautiful, inside and out. Her smile and laughter were contagious. She was kind-hearted and no one was considered a stranger to her. Carmen loved people, she loved to find out their stories and to make a connection. She was passionate and motivated, always willing to go the extra mile for her friends, family, and her art. One of the best traits about Carmen was her ability to see the beauty in anything, whether it be people or works of art. Naturally, Carmen was a dedicated friend and family member, but what set her apart from all others was her talent as an artist. Her artwork was deeply personal and meaningful.

She approached each new piece with an unparalleled

During his long term of service as Art Department chair, he single-handedly ushered the program into the digital age.

It was not until recently that he was able to move all his photographic facilities out of the basement (which he quite rightly found to be very unpleasant and was more than happy to tell you so); he was working on fixing up his new photography studios practically up to the day he died. mike maintained a very active artistic practice, exhibiting his photographs and artist books widely, and his works are held in the collections of many prestigious museums. An ardent Chicago Cubs fan (having been born in the Windy City), he was filled with delight at the Cubs triumph in the World Series last year. He was a smart, iconoclastic, witty, energetic, occasionally cigar chomping, larger-than-life personality in the Art Department. The likes of mike peven will not walk the halls of the Fine Arts Center again, and he will be very much missed. focus and hours of her time.

Passionate about current events, especially immigration, she was unapologetic about the message her artwork conveyed.

Most importantly, she strived to create a more educated public.

Carmen was an integral part of the store team, she helped make this team into a family and changed it for the better.

Her presence was impactful and she influenced us all in different ways. Without question, Carmen left an everlasting mark on all of our hearts.

We love and miss you, Carmen.

Love, The Crystal Bridges Museum Store: Diana Walpole, Cary Harralston, Carly Sandidge, Lisa Atherton, Sutton Foxx, Tina Williams, Kevin Lujano, Angie Teeter, Nichole Walch, Kelly Magoulick, Cameron Crowe, and Lee Gorman

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UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS SCHOOL OF ARTS / THE ARTIST BEHIND THE EXPANSION FAYETTEVILLE

offer state of the art museum experiences and performances, but also a prestigious arts education. When Hulen joined the Art Department in 2002, she was excited about how much she could help the program grow.

WRITER / K. SAMANTHA SIGMON PHOTOS / DANIEL CALDWELL

As she was teaching and creating, focused principally on ceramics, something huge was happening to the region, the building of Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Arkansas. She put the sUgAR student gallery in Bentonville after she became Chair of the art department in 2010. “We need to respect the community and they need to respect what we do. We need to make sure people know we’re not ivory tower isolationists. We know community is important.

But nobody knew what we were doing. When you start a garden, you have to get you’re ground ready and takes a while.” As arts interest grew, so did respect for the department and its chair.

It doesn’t seem often that artists are raised on prison grounds. Jeannie Hulen’s father, a preacher in the Texas prison system near Houston, worked many additional odd jobs to get his five children into a private school where Hulen took a ceramics class and “that was it,” she said. From there it has lead her to where she is today, newly appointed Associate Dean of Fine Arts for the J. William Fulbright College of Arts & Sciences.

Last summer, it was announced that the Walton Family Foundation gifted the Art Department $120 million to position them as a “school of art,” meaning adding more degree programs and making their offerings internationally competitive in both graduate and undergraduate fine art, arts education and art history. Then in December, the School made public the Windgate Charitable Foundation gift of $40 million to create a new arts and design district in south Fayetteville to accommodate the expanding programming. All of this shores up Northwest Arkansas as an arts hub that will not only

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Hulen utilized this new interest in art to the department’s advantage. She feels like her job in administration is to reassure staff when they come up with a great idea that they feel they can’t do for reasons like funding. Her answer is, “‘that is not your problem that is my problem.’ I say, ‘yes we should implement [these ideas]. I’ll figure out how to do that.’ . . . My job isn’t to say no, it’s to try to get it done. . . . It’s a lot easier to say no than to find the solution. I probably get myself in trouble a lot because I always question the answer ‘that’s just

the way it is.’ I don’t want to be an administrator. That’s never my goal. I like getting things done.”

One vital step in her administrative accomplishments was revisioning the foundations curriculum for art students to professionalize themselves and feel like a part of the department. The department also created grant opportunities for students to spend summers in arts programs in various places.This was one successful step toward writing the Walton Family and Windgate grants, a secretive process that took two years to write.

Similarly to how the reorganizing of foundations set a tone for expanding the department, the Windgate Art and Design District was prototyped with the new sculpture building off Martin Luther King Blvd. which officially opened in early 2017.

“We could have crammed a whole lot of stuff into that building or do something right and use it as a model.

Sculpture was needed for space and materials and that set the tone for everything else.

Sculpture’s facilities are used by everybody.”

Jeannie Hulen seems confident in being able to balance her three professional roles and see how they work together.

“There is an an aspect of teaching, research and service in everything i do. Administration is a creative process when you try to think out of the box, create new boxes and redefine everything.”

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THE EMERGENCE OF TECH IN ART Often we still think of technology as only a tool, like a mode of transportation. Most of us just want to get someplace fast and comfortably. If that happens to be by train, car, boat, or airplane, we’re fine with any of them, but we often tend to overlook how integral technology is becoming in art and culture.

More than just giving us information, often the experience or information we seek is ingrained in the technology itself.

Performance, installation and new media artists have been on the forefront of using technology to create an experience and to connect with viewers, but now cultural institutions are using technology, not only to have a presence outside of gallery walls by providing open data and high-quality images, but to facilitate a variety of learning inside the spaces. Jonathan Cromer, Jeremy Munro, and Shane Ritchey each have specific jobs looking, thinking, and working with the future of technology and art in varied ways. Here are some of their thoughts:

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TECHNOLOGY / INTEGRAL TO ART / PRACTICE / EDUCATION FAYETTEVILLE WRITER / ARTIST / INSTRUCTOR / JONATHAN CROMER

Technology is ever-changing and so are the materials, methodologies, and concepts used when creating and teaching art practices.

Augmented reality, virtual reality, and interactive robotics continuously offer new modes of interpretation and interaction with the world around us. As a multidisciplinary new media artist, this is where I engage with the most interest. Whether it is repurposing old, discarded technologies to perform new functions, using holograms to simulate outdoor experiences, programing micro-controllers to interact with participants, or using video projections to create immersive environments, my work focuses on the cybernetic relationships between human, machine, and environment – feedback loops and responses.

I create mostly time-based, hybridized landscapes of organic elements situated within chaotic networks of digital and analog

technologies. For my practice, technology is not just a tool for creation, it is the material and framework for most concepts.

As an educator, I believe it is important for students to learn diverse methodologies for creating and thinking about art. I incorporate technological processes into project assignments to engage their interests. This enables them to think about works created in different ways and hopefully give new possibilities for future works. As an example, for one foundations-level 3D assignment, students created three-dimensional objects, installed them in a site-specific context, documented them with a virtual reality application, then presented their VR documentation as the finished artwork. As a class, we viewed each student project virtually.

This gave students control over the amount of information given, orientation, placement, and perspective of object-toviewer. In an advanced sculpture course this past spring, students learned how to program microcontrollers and use analog sensors that read real time data such as proximity, motion, and touch to create an interaction between art object and viewer.

THOUGHTS / ARCHIVING NEW MEDIA FAYETTEVILLE

MUSEUM TECH / IN A FEW HUNDRED WORDS BENTONVILLE

WRITER / COORDINATOR / JEREMY MUNRO

WRITER / DIRECTOR / SHANE RITCHEY

As a museum database administrator and enthusiast in the archiving of new media or time-based media, my primary concerns with digital materials are longevity and access. Digital files can be deleted or destroyed just like any other object. No artistic medium is perfect, but destruction of a digital file is as easy as deletion or destroying the unit it is housed upon, however, copies are easily made.

In archivist circles we are concerned about the longevity not just of a digital file or the hardware it is stored on, but also the ability to access the file itself. Trevor Owens, a leader in digital preservation at the Library of Congress, points out in his forthcoming book, Theory and Craft of Digital Preservation, that “Nothing has been preserved, there are only things being preserved.”

I encourage artists, collectors, and institutions to take a more holistic view of artistic production, acquisition, and care as artworks with digital elements become more and more prevalent.

The relationship between art and technology is messy. It’s exciting, and it’s complicated.

Figuring out when to use technology is one of the most challenging parts of my job. A museum’s role is to make art accessible to the public. At the most basic level, technology gives museums (and artists) new tools to improve interaction between people and the art in our galleries, but that accessibility can come at a cost.

Poorly designed interactives and mobile apps can be an unnecessary layer between art and the public, dulling the experience that a person could have had with a work of art. It can be distracting, but worst of all, it can be unnecessary.

Artists should ask themselves: am I creating a work that will be accessible 50 years from now, 100? How is it stored and backed up? What is the lifetime of the hardware? What is my duty to inform buyers of my work of the unique challenges of artworks with digital or time-based elements? Collectors should take the long view of all of their artworks, especially ones with digital components.

Each major advance in technology is a crisis for cultural institutions. We can ignore it or wait for somebody else to do the dirty work of figuring it out, but then we quickly become irrelevant. And if we jump in without fully understanding the environment, it can lead to backlash that embarrassingly displays a better understanding of the technology and issues at play. But there are times when we get it right and create something that changes the way people experience and understand art.

doesn’t require an app, or even a URL, it’s just there waiting for you to text it a penguin emoji.

It’s brilliant, simple, and one of those ideas that causes museum technologists everywhere to slap their foreheads in frustration for not thinking of it first.

In many cases, the organizations responsible for developing the tech are reaching back towards the artists for help shaping these tools, such as Felice Grodin’s augmented reality exhibition Invasive Species (pamm.org/ar) that opened at PAMM during Art Basel Miami last year.

Technology will continue to confound and amaze us. We will probably continue to use it irresponsibly, at times, and piss off museum goers. But if we focus on the goal of humanizing tech with the user in mind, then we’re bound to continue to amaze. Recent advances in augmented reality still blow my mind on a weekly basis, and as soon as we can all get through that Holy-shit-it’s-augmentedreality phase, then I predict that we’re going to start seeing some real neat stuff happening in the galleries.

SFMoMA released a cute little text bot last summer called Send Me (bit.ly/sendmetxtbot).

Send Me works by texting “send me…” followed by a keyword or emoji to 572-51, it’ll reply with a work from SFMoMA’s massive collection that relates to your request. Most museum collections are so large (and gallery space so limited) that a very small percentage of the collection is actually on view, and making the rest of the collection available to the public is an eternal challenge. Send Me

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ARTISTS WE LOVE DAWN HOLDER / SCULPTURE & INSTALLATION CLARKSVILLE WEBSITE / DawnHolder.com

Dawn Holder is a sculptor and installation artist who investigates various elements of landscape and their sociocultural significance through porcelain and mixed media.

As Associate Professor of Art at the University of the Ozarks, she currently teaches ceramics, sculpture, and art history. Holder is the recipient of various awards and grants,

including the Arkansas Arts Council 2015 Individual Artist Fellowship Grant for Sculpture and Installation Art, the Bagwell Outstanding Faculty Award in 2016, and the Grand Prize at the 59th Delta Exhibition at the Arkansas Arts Center.

The word landscape refers to the visible features of an area of land: physical elements of terrain and land formations; groundcover and vegetation; human-made buildings and structures; and the transitory elements of light and weather.

The idea of landscape encompasses the integration of both natural and cultural elements, for the existence

of landscape is predicated on either humankind’s appreciation or manipulation of the natural world. My work employs the trope of landscape as a metaphorical, terrestrial, emotional, and psychological space. I am specifically interested in using sculpture and installation to reflect and react to the ways local populations alter, cultivate, and mythologize the landscape around them.

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STACY BATES / PEN & INK / PAINTING / DIGITAL ILLUSTRATION / FORT SMITH INSTAGRAM / TWITTER / @StacyBeeArt

rights illustrations. Over the past two years, she has completed six murals in Arkansas and Oklahoma and her illustrations have been featured in three separate books.

Stacy Bates of Stacy Bee Art is an artist and illustrator from Fort Smith, Arkansas.

She graduated with a BA degree in Art and a minor in Education from the University of the Ozarks in Clarksville, Arkansas.

She specializes in creating black-and-white pen-andink illustrations, along with murals, that combine her two favorite styles— drawing and printmaking.

The result is her signature vintage-esque imagery. Her most recent focus has been creating a series of animal DOLORES JUSTUS / PAINTING HOT SPRINGS WEBSITE / JustusFineArt.com

“Inspired by nature, my paintings are loosely rendered, blurring the line between abstraction and representation.

Focusing on patterns of light and form, I seek to capture the rhythms of the natural world within compositions that engage the viewer. Despite all the variety in nature, there are essential elements in it and in us all, that we respond to. It is those universal, underlying truths that I seek to communicate in my own work.”

In her exploration of the confluence of optics and painterly abstraction, her work belongs to the “new landscape” movement of contemporary American art.

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Justus earned a B.F.A. from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock in 1988. Her work has been exhibited in solo and group shows throughout the nation and abroad for more than 20 years. Justus is currently represented by Greg Thompson Fine Art in North Little Rock, Arkansas; the Degas Gallery in New Orleans, Louisiana; and at her own gallery, Justus Fine Art in Hot Springs, Arkansas. In addition to painting, Justus is also an accomplished art director/ designer operating the Justus Design & Marketing firm.

KASTEN SEARLES / WATERCOLOR / ACRYLIC / INKS LITTLE ROCK WEBSITE / StudioKasten.com

“My current work has grown from an intuitive practice in the studio. These paintings were formed without a driving concept but with repetition and reflection I began to draw connections between the individual pieces. As the work emerged, the form of a nest reappeared in varied and fractured states. My line works became reflections on sleep and the unconscious mind.

These paintings are flattened depictions of flowing striped bed sheets. Some of the larger works are painted on stretched bedsheets. The works respond

NANCY WILSON / METALS / WATERCOLOR / LITTLE ROCK WEBSITE / BoswellMourot.com

Nancy Wilson was born in Detroit Michigan in 1951 and moved to Arkansas in 1968.

She graduated from the University of Central Arkansas in 1973 in Art Education and in 1975 received a MA in painting from Stephen F. Austin State University.

She began teaching public school in Batesville in 1975 and concluded at Little Rock Central in 2013. Wilson still continues to teach various disciplines, primarily small metals, at the Arkansas Arts Center.

to an unpredictable canvas.

Whether paper or fabric, I stain, cut apart and stitch together swatches to create something that I could not have predicted initially. Lined fabric and leaves on a stem are simple forms, but I am drawn to how complex they can become when twisted in the 3 dimensions of our reality and then translated again to the 2 dimensions of a painted surface.”

and metal work, I try to reveal my discoveries of the water’s creativity. The things torn by the streams and tossed to the edges form a frame of my art.

Flowers, leaves and branches float or are pushed through, rising or sinking with the pressure of the water. It wasn’t until I read the words of Norman Maclean that I truly understood my love of water: ‘the river was cut by the world’s great flood and runs over rocks from the basement of time. On some of the rocks are timeless raindrops.

Under the rocks are the words, and some of the words are theirs. I am haunted by waters.’”

“I have always been drawn to water… In both my paintings

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TANIA KNUDSEN / PAINTING ROGERS WEBSITE / TaniaKnudsen.com

Tania Knudsen has been chasing the creative life since childhood.

She spent her youth playing outside, loving animals and painting in a local art studio.

Not much has changed over the years - she still paints, hangs out in the studio with friends and firmly believes in the importance of play. Between the playing and painting, Tania found time to raise two children,

CINDEE ZIMMERMAN / PAINTING NOEL / MISSOURI INSTAGRAM / @Cznine

Cindi Zimmerman creates both figurative and abstract acrylic paintings influenced by personal relationships, poetry, music and mood. The canvas is her place for imagination and freedom and she often favors her fingers over a paintbrush to merge rich colors with elements of intuition, symbolism, emotion and whimsy. Her preferred approach is to create multiple layers of random marks without

Tania Knudsen holds a BSE in art education and elementary education. She is founder and director of Studio 7, a creative learning center for visual arts, and Art on the Creeks, an annual arts festival.

intention, allowing the canvas to take on a life of its own until the chaos evokes a message that begs to be painted. Using the “Blind Contour” drawing technique, the artist never looks down at her paper while locking her eyes only on her subject and commits to a single line by never lifting her pen. The result is an engaging reflection of the energy and humanity of each subject, and the wonkiness is wonderfully relatable.

KARL KILLIAN / WATERCOLOR FAYETTEVILLE Karl Killian has painted since age three. He majored in art and English at U of A and attended the fashion institute of Technology in New York City, pursuing a career in advertising and returned to Fayetteville to work on his art.

Currently, he creates hand painted art cards and sells them at White Lotus Salon and Massage along with his original paintings. Killian prefers floral arrangements, landscapes and seascapes. He said, “I love the

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earn an art degree and launch a teaching studio. She now learns from and loves her students and creates events to bring artists and the community together.

spontaneity and joy of creation, the explosion of the color.

Makes me feel very happy. I like the sensation of creating something, hopefully of beauty that will give people a sense of peace or evoke some emotion.

I like calm sea-scapes that give people a sense of the eternal.”

“Art is everything that we touch and feel and experience every day.

We wake up in the morning and we have a new canvas, whether we acknowledge it or not, and try to take in the beauty and forgive the flaws in ourselves and each other.

I do [art] because I love it. And you really have to do it because you love it. If your love’s not in it, that translates.”

BRANDON BULETTE / PAINTING FAYETTEVILLE WEBSITE / INSTAGRAM / BrandonBulletteArt.com @BrandonBulletteArt

Brandon Bullette earned his BA in Fine Arts at Missouri State University. Most of his early work was created on paper and canvas, but now he has moved to murals and live painting with various materials.

Bullette has also developed his own woodworking technique, in which he shapes small to large chunks of wood, flowing with the organic nature of the piece. He then illustrates and paints with the flow and shape of the surface. Bullette has always been fascinated with the concept of “Wabi Sabi,” which represents a comprehensive Japanese world view or aesthetic centered on the acceptance of transience and imperfection.

The aesthetic is sometimes described as one of beauty that is “imperfect, impermanent

DAVID MUDRINICH / PAINTING / DRAWING / POPE COUNTY WEBSITE / CantrellGallery.com/DavidMudrinich.html

David Mudrinich lives in Pope County, Arkansas, and is a drawing and painting professor in the Department of Art at Arkansas Tech University.

He was born in western Pennsylvania and studied at Penn State University and then at the University of Georgia. His work is exhibited widely and has received awards on both the regional and national level.

and incomplete.” His works have an undertone of whimsy.

Even pieces with seemingly mundane content are brought to life with hints of surrealism, distorted figures, or fantastic creatures hiding in the shadows, or within other forms. His active imagination springs from a love for reading that developed from childhood.

“Every piece is an experiment.

I paint, sand and burn images of personal moments onto found objects. I incorporate the surface of the object into the composition.

This allows the condition of the object on which the paint is applied to contribute to the overall atmosphere of the image. . . . In my murals, I often aim to portray a sense of community. I strongly believe that public art is a very important artistic expression, as a way to bring beauty to public spaces, make a statement, start a conversation and to bring people together. I’m very proud be a part of the Northwest Arkansas Community and value its diversity and unique personalities.”

in the studio. I rely on memory and will occasionally include a photo to help as a reference, but the full experience of actually being within the color and sound of a particular place is what I find motivating. Patterns, rhythms and interrelationships become more revealed. Everything within the environment is subject to change, whether it is the movement of the wind, the transition from day to night, the cycle change of the seasons or human alterations to the land. This continuous change allows me to visit a place repeatedly and always experience something new.”

“As an artist, I have always been interested in a sense of place and the various characteristics that make any location unique. These could be artworks of expansive panoramic views or more intimate, smaller locations. I mostly do drawings and smaller color studies on site and then work a larger piece

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DANIELLA NAPOLITANO / PRINTMAKING LITTLE ROCK INSTAGRAM / @TheGhostCaptain

Printmaker Daniella Napolitano draws her inspiration from nature and ecology. Her art explores the diverse and complex relationships between animals, humans, and the environment. She highlights the unique personalities of her subjects with detailed line work and bright color. Napolitano was born in Winston-Salem, NC and currently lives and works in Little Rock. She studied at American University in Washington, DC where she received her Bachelors of Arts in studio art and minor in graphic design. She sees printmaking as a combination of fine art and design and is drawn to linocut and screenprinting techniques that lend themselves to bold visual interpretation.

“To keep it simple, I draw animals...I focus on anatomical accuracy over drawing generalized figures that represent animals, often referencing dozens of source photos at a time. Having this kind of clarity in my research informs the clarity of my precise line work in my prints. While all the research can sound clinical, I try to have a little bit of fun in each of my prints. I put “gross” insects in wildflowers because I know people will ignore things they find unpleasant if the overall picture is beautiful. I create regal portraits of beloved invasive species...

By examining the relationship between various animal species and their surroundings, my work pushes the viewer toward a greater awareness of the ecological relationship between man, animal, and environment.”

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MELISSA COWPER-SMITH / PAINTING / VIDEO / PAPER / DIGITAL PRNT. MORRILTON INSTAGRAM / WEBSITE @CowperSmith / CowperSmith.com

Melissa Cowper-Smith is a multimedia artist who uses projected video animation, digital printing, hand papermaking, collage and painting to explore our contemporary fear of disaster, abandonment, displacement, forgetting and the passing of time. Her works depict natural and agricultural landscapes, objects and domestic interiors.

Melissa has a BFA from the University of Victoria in British Columbia and an MFA from Hunter College in New York City. She is a founding member of tART, an all female artcollective based in New York

City. In 2013, she founded a second all-female art collective, Culture Shock, based in Arkansas.

“In my recent work, I explore the physical intimacy of the objects, clothing and spaces left behind as people move on, are pushed away, or leave their homes. In my prints and stop-motion videos there are paths, roads, doors, windows— ways to travel out and beyond. To move. The movement is impeded by fences, fires, trees, smoke. These are unnavigable places punctuated with shifting photographic perspectives, painted drips and the swirling movement of the paper fibers. In the images of rooms, the chairs and beds lay empty. Where have their inhabitants gone? What has happened?”

MARYAMSADAT AMIRVAGHEFI / PAPER FAYETTEVILLE INSTAGRAM / @Marivaghefi

“To me, Art is a game, while I wish there were no winners or losers, it is clear that within the art-world there are people who are deemed successful and unsuccessful. There are a number of variables, some legitimate and other spurious, which determine the trajectory of a contemporary artist. Politics, gender, social standing and ethnic background all play a large part in the evaluation of an artist’s work while other aspects go overlooked. I cannot help but feel that certain groups of artists are automatically categorized based on the aforementioned classifications. As a female artist born in Iran, a predominantlyMuslim country known for violent dictators and discriminatory views towards women, I am forced to acknowledge my relationship to masculinity and the perception of individuals around the world.

I wonder if it is possible for me to ‘win’; whether in life or the art-world. By putting myself at the center of the work and by focusing on the autobiographical, I am able to consider the political and personal views surrounding a young Muslim woman who lives with constant uncertainty in the United States.I have arrived at a place where I now ask the following question: if I were to win (become successful), does the game end and will I have incentive to continue?”

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AIMEE PAPAZIAN / CERAMICS NWA WEBSITE / AimeePapazian.com

Aimée Papazian has a BA in Art-Semiotics from Brown University and an MFA in Film/ Video from Bard College. Her ceramic sculptures and films have been exhibited across the United States. Originally an experimental filmmaker, she switched her primary medium to ceramics around 5 years ago.

“Made out of ceramic, thread, wire and wood, the work is an investigation of phenomena that make my heart lift for a second— lately, constellations and murmurations,” says Papazian. “Looking at a murmuration (a flock of birds that are all flying together), it can look like one giant organism. But to form this moving cloud, each bird only has to pay attention to its distance from the bird closest to it. This idea makes me feel hopeful that there is some meaning in the mundane routines of my life—that if I go through life paying attention to my closest “birds,” I might be part of some cosmic dance that is bigger than I can understand from my perspective, and maybe beautiful.”

ANA SOPHIA CARAMAGO / PAINTING / PERFORMANCE ART / CLARKSVILLE TUMBLR / AnaSofiaCamargoArt.Tumblr

Originally from Panama, Ana Sofía Camargo is an Art and Strategic Communication senior at the University of the Ozarks. Camargo discovered art at the age of 15. Being the only artist in her family, she taught herself by copying Renoir nudes.

Camargo’s art explores diverse themes related to her identity as a Latin American female, in diverse mediums ranging from painting to performance art.

Her imagery is both narrative

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and conceptual, frequently metaphorical and sarcastic, drawing references from art history, popular culture and the different social contexts she has been exposed to in her travels to Europe, Mexico and the United States. In addition, Camargo is an avid supporter of women’s rights, which has influenced greatly her most recent series of artwork that explores the relations between the color pink and the female gender.

AARON CALVERT / CERAMICS ARKADELPHIA Aaron Calvert is an American artist who is best known for his ceramic works. Raised in northern Ohio, Aaron attended nearby Kent State University where he earned his BFA degree in Crafts.

In 2003 he graduated with an MFA in ceramics from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania. Currently Aaron is a Professor of Art at Henderson State University, where he teaches all levels of ceramics and directs the Russell Fine Arts Gallery.

My current ceramic work, which I refer to as The Brain Rattles Series, represents my connection to those studio practices that offer me personal meaning and joy. Words such as soul, ritual, integrity, primal, and craft are reoccurring thoughts or “brain rattles” that come in and out of focus during quite periods of construction.

JESSICA MONGEON / PAINTING RUSSELLVILLE WEBSITE / JessicaMongeon.com

Jessica Mongeon explores geographic formations, organisms and natural phenomena through the medium of acrylic paint. She received a Master of Fine Arts in Painting from Montana State University and a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Visual Arts from the University of North Dakota. She grew up in rural North Dakota and now resides in Russellville where she is a Visiting Assistant Professor of Studio Foundations at Arkansas Tech University.

Though I’ve never felt the need to define these words through my art, I have a sense of these attributes when I deem a form successful.

Like a filter, some things pass through and are forgotten while others remain. What remains becomes the collage of images that cover my forms. I may share an experience or appreciate the same things as another but the total or collective of images is unique to me alone.

They depict the important and the mundane. They represent me as a curious observer, artist, student, parent, husband, and enjoyer of all things wild.

change the scale, e.g. by looking at an object in a microscope or from a distance, the object will look the same. Temporality and scale are examined as I depict human neurons on the same scale as lichen or roots. By acknowledging our embodiment of nature, perhaps we can care for the ecosystems that sustain us as much as we care for our own bodies.”

“I observe nature through photography and scientific illustration and then abstract it through intuitive painting. Acrylic paintings on tree-free eco-friendly paper explore the idea of scale in nature based on self-similarity.

Self-similarity is when an object is similar to a part of itself; if you

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BEAU JONES / PAINTING JONESBORO WEBSITE / INSTAGRAM / BeauToxArt.com Beautox_Art

how we seem to glorify those who have these procedures done. The face is very exaggerated to show how toxic it really is to us and how changing our looks are so important to us in order to be perfect and have a social presence today.

Beau Jones uses an abstract approach in his art to make it a unique statement piece. He uses a variety of vibrant colors against soft neutrals to create very loose, abstract faces called BEAUTOX. The idea behind the faces is a take on what society today sees as beauty, and how we get Botox, lip injections, fillers, etc in our faces to change ourselves in a way that changes how we previously were. The crown represents perfection and

ANDREW MARKUS BELL / PAINTING FAYETTEVILLE WEBSITE / AndrewMarkusBell.wixsite. com

“In the process of an intense personal excavation I developed skills I want to contribute to society.

I am a writer of commentary and poetry, singer (and ventriloquist) of old ballads, artist of various media, social activist for child abuse prevention and domestic violence awareness, political and social organizer for progressive causes, reader of anything, yogi in Bhakti and Hatha practice, international traveler, student

of religion. . . . I apply a diverse breadth of intelligence and life experience to make dynamically balanced, compositionally sound, inimitable works aesthetically impactful from all directions. . . . All the effort I put forth, most especially in my artwork, speaks of tumult, bliss, failed endeavors, triumphant successes, hard knocks, self-discovery and the sense of purpose I have since making the decision to know myself better each day. . . .I want the viewer to feel the range of emotions and thoughts I experience while making each piece. There is liberation, doubt, abandon, hesitation, starting, stopping, perseverance, love, despair, rejection and acceptance in each piece.”

SARAH PIERSON / SCULPTURE FAYETTEVILLE Sarah ‘Tex’ Pierson was born in Austin, Texas, and is very proud of her southern roots. In high school, Pierson focused her interests on being a steward for our earth. Recycling at its core was her goal, beginning with resale clothing and styling, then as a horticulture and a landscape design graduate at the U of A. Ever the shape-shifter, her new

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passion has become creating art through upcycled materials.

Pierson’s art is about creating new life from traditions, heirlooms and keepsakes.

Her work with textures and repurposed fabrics will conjure feelings of nostalgia and comfort. Just like Picasso had his blue period, she considers this her shades of white period.

CHERI BOHN / SCULPTURE FAYETTEVILLE WEBSITE / INSTAGRAM CheriBohn.org @CheriBohn

After working with stained glass for many years, my family and I moved to the Ozark mountains in Arkansas. I began to notice the unique growth patterns in the roots. After throwing these roots around my yard one day in 2001 I had an epiphany. I saw a dragon in one. This led to the idea to combine tree roots and stained glass to create one-ofa-kind sculptures. I study the

design of the roots to see what it wants to be.

The sculptures create different creatures, objects and abstractions. I love the fact that my inspiration comes from the trees. It is not all me. I read what nature has provided.

CALEB QUINN / PAINTING FAYETTEVILLE / GERMANY INSTAGRAM / @CalebQuinn

Caleb Quin is drawn by the allure of what lies around the corner. For him the streets and backroads, the highways and nature trails, are where life really takes place; life is truly about the journey.

Other people would chronicle their journey with paper and pen. Quin captures the story in the paint. He fell in love with

SHABANA KAUSER / CERAMICS FAYETTEVILLE INSTAGRAM / @ShabanaKauserArt

British artist, Shabana Kauser creates vibrant oil paintings that capture detail and light.

Her most recent work is heavily influenced by her rich British and Pakistani roots. Her realistic paintings include a diverse range of cultural sources that carry depth and history. From the red rose (British floral emblem), to the traditional ‘Dupatta’ (scarf worn in South Asian countries), each work has

the loud, sometimes jumbled, but innately beautiful graffiti he found around his home town of Fayetteville, Arkansas. He was enamored by the work that would come through town on the side of a train and just as quickly leave again. His art is rarely realistic, it often eschews realism in favor of capturing the feeling. Although not easily described, it makes you feel exactly as he felt when it came to life and that is what makes it special. Quin settled in Tucson for a little more than five years, was in the circus for a few years, and now resides in Germany, learning to snowboard in the Alps. His life is in his journey and his journey is in his art.

a story behind it. She moved to the Fayetteville in 2009 and here she discovered her love for creating art. In 2013 she painted her first ever portrait.

She is now a part of solo and group exhibits, and local and international juried shows. She currently has a studio at Art Ventures.

“My work tells a story of the two cultures that influenced me, British and Pakistani. My parents emigrated from Pakistan and I born, raised, and lived in the UK for 30 years. My home life obviously incorporated various aspects of the Pakistani culture, all while growing up and embracing the British way of life.”

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POEM / WE CALLED IT WALKABOUT FOR / WILLIAM FLANAGAN WRITER / SLOAN DAVIS

Ozark night blue splashed against a hollow moon You showed me in watercolor Explained your process in East Sutton attic Spilt Mickey’s in the Underground, mad discussions Spilling out onto Dixie wet streets Our tongues and teeth spit out thirst for art and words

When the cement paths came, our walkabout territory expanded We wandered through woods and rolling hills Further and further from downtown You showed me new bars with new beers, and more fries We met and talked to almost anyone who had an ear To hear our crescendo of art and literature and ecstatic comradery

We crossed Dickson, crossed minds Crossed all the different paths our Flapping and rapping could take us You showed me how to close Evergreen Cemetery How each gravestone, each tomb told a story And the largest full moon rose up from behind Mt. Sequoia

Vagabonds of the Ozarks For at least for one night Strangers saw us as a peculiarity You showed me not to give a shit We rolled on, laughing, almost howling Late, we stumbled back to East Sutton

Walkabout is what we called it A beer or two at the house, then “see you later, Barbara” “I won’t wait up” Followed us out the creaking screen door You showed me good rhythm Our feet shuffled fast, our breath billowed in late autumn

We tried so hard not to wake Barbara But debate in the kitchen could not be stopped We cracked more Mickeys, tried to whisper You showed me the view from your back deck Showed me that special Ozark blue, right there Hovering above your vast universe That you held in cracked, water colored, stained fingers

We argued politics, religion, sex, and the past And we walked, we covered all of Fayetteville You showed me cannonball marks from Civil War battles Your old hippy stomping grounds in early Seventies Then a bar, some cold lagers, maybe some hot fries, And then we were off again, shuffling, rapping

a creative studio building an army of freelancers Let’s share stories we@giveadamn.co

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