ArkansasArtists.com

Jon Shannon Rogers

2008-12-20T08:13:00.000-08:00

December through January at
110 North State Street, Little Rock, AR 72201
By Appointment Only
Contact Shannon Rogers at 501-580-1882
or John Rogers at 502-372-2130

Jon Shannon Rogers was born in Little Rock, Arkansas. His instruction in art began at a young age with art classes in elementary school at Gibbs Magnet. In first grade he won a state art competition for a drawing of fellow classmates modeling in Mrs. Purvis’ art class. By eighth grade he was taking figure-drawing classes at the Arkansas Arts Center. After high school in 2003, Shannon enrolled with the University of Arkansas. Realizing art was more than a hobby for him, he decided to transfer to the University of Arkansas at Little Rock to take higher level art classes in preparation for his intended transfer to art school. By next fall he was in attendance at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, where he received the Presidents Scholarship as well as a Private Grant. For three years he studied rigorously with the faculty of the Art Institute in refining his skills in a variety of medium, but with a concentration on painting and drawing largely from observation, the last two years receiving the school’s leadership award. In the summer of 2007, Shannon attended the International School of Painting, Drawing, and Sculpture, a 6-week program of daily landscape and figure-in-landscape painting as well as drawing and figure sculpture in the Italian hilltop town of Montecastello di Vibio, taking weekend art history trips to surrounding cities like Florence, Rome, Bologna, etc. After the summer intensive, Shannon returned to Chicago to finish out his degree with the Art Institute and graduated in the spring of 2008. He has spent the subsequent months painting in and around his neighborhood of Pilsen on Chicago’s southwest side, and recently has moved back to Arkansas where he is managing The Art Scene gallery in downtown Little Rock and applying for graduate school.

Hairstyling is an Art!

2008-11-22T08:52:00.000-08:00

M2 Gallery Tomorrow!

2008-11-15T09:00:00.000-08:00

Art & Soul this Friday Night

2008-11-05T16:01:00.000-08:00

Charlotte Bailey Rierson's "The Journey Home"

2008-09-27T09:00:00.000-07:00

Charlotte Bailey Rierson's watercolor painting "The Journey Home" was chosen to be in Fellowship Bible Church's Prodigal 2008 Art Festival .

The Painting was the recipient of one of the 10 Judges Choice Awards in the Professional Category. The festival is part of the Mustard tree Arts program and sponsored by Fellowship Bible Church.The Art Festival dates are Sept. 27-Oct. 11, 501-224-7171 Fellowship Bible Church, 1401 Kirk Road, Little Rock.

M2 Gallery Reception Tonight!

2008-09-26T15:31:00.000-07:00

Arts & Science Center in Pine Bluff

2008-09-24T10:34:00.001-07:00

Live@5, Saturday Scholars, Backstage Pass class,
after-school programs continue at Arts & Science Center

Classes, performances, exhibits and after-school programs continue to fill the calendar for fall at The Arts & Science Center for Southeast Arkansas, 701 Main St., Pine Bluff.
Live@5 to feature sounds of acoustic guitar Oct. 3
Singer-songwriter Mike Tripp, whose repertoire of songs ranges from Hank Williams to Pink Floyd to original compositions, will work his magic on acoustic guitar at The Arts & Science Center’s monthly music series, Live@5, set for 5-7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 3, at the Center.
Tripp, originally a classically trained brass musician on trumpet, trombone and French horn, has been performing professionally for more than 33 years. His band, RPM, was a finalist at the first Arkansas Acoustic Showdown at University of Central Arkansas in Conway.
Live@5 is offered the first Friday of the month by The Arts & Science Center for Southeast Arkansas. Cost of the evening is $5 and includes light refreshments. For more information contact Pat Hopkins at (870) 536-3375.
Saturday Scholars look at such topics as sand and tornadoes
Saturday Scholars, the Center’s art and science classes for children ages K-6th grade, will combine art and science from 1-4 p.m. on two Saturdays in October, Oct. 4 and 11. Using the science stations from the Center’s interactive exhibit, Good Vibrations, the classes will take part in hands-on activities that explore things like sand – where does it come from, how does it move around the earth and how do artists use sand to create art. Cost of each session is $20 for members of the Center and $25 for non-members.
Class teaches what happens backstage at a theater
Have you ever wanted to know what goes on behind stage? How do the lights work in a theater? What’s a pin rail? How does the backstage crew get the lights and sound to work together for a successful show?
If this interests you, then come learn this fun and marketable skill at The Arts & Science Center’s backstage theater training workshops continuing 6-8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 2 and 9, with sessions focusing on how to use a pin rail and sound to create a finished play production. Cost of each session is $12 for members and $15 for non-members of the Center.
Good Vibrations hands-on kids’ science exhibit closes Oct. 12
Good Vibrations, the free children’s science exhibit about everything and anything that vibrates, will close Oct. 12 which leaves you only a few more weeks to explore the hows and whys of tornadoes, sound, sand and wind – just to name a few of the 15 interesting hands-on stations in this exhibit. Good Vibrations, which was built by the world-renown Exploratorium in San Francisco, has been made possible by the Arkansas Discovery Network, funded by the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation.
Galleries look ahead to Frederic Remington exhibit
The Arts & Science Center is busy making plans for the opening of the exhibit of works by western artist and sculptor Frederic Remington on Nov. 22.
Remington, born 1861, rose to fame in the mid-1880s as an illustrator of western subjects for the most popular magazines of the day including “Harper’s” and “Collier’s.” The exhibit will feature original prints first published in the various magazines. The Center is also planning a family fun day to kick off the exhibit on Nov. 22. For more information about the exhibit or to be involved as a docent or other volunteer contact the Center at (870) 536-3375.
Also continuing in the galleries through October are the works by watercolorist Janis Gill Ward, formerly of Pine Bluff, and the Pine Bluff Art League’s Annual Show. The juried Pine Bluff Art League Exhibit features 40 works of art from its 100-plus membership. Gill Ward’s watercolors depict trees, woods, birds, flowers, sunsets, farms, beach scenes and water.
Opening in the galleries in October will be the pottery – described as free-flowing with deep glazes, sharp contrasts and vibrant colors – of Dumas artist Gail Miller. Miller of Millers Mud Mill in Dumas has spent years perfecting her craft and over the years her work has moved from predictable and traditional to unpredictable and avant-garde. Miller says her pottery expresses growth and healing in her life, a life that has survived cancer, knee replacement surgery and the loss of her home in a tornado.
Admission to all galleries at the Center is free.
After-school programs full of activity at the Arts & Science Center
The Arts & Science Center’s newest program, the After-School Scholars Program, continues with fun, healthy and hands-on learning experiences from 4-5:30 p.m. on Terrific Tuesdays and Wellness Wednesdays.
Terrific Tuesdays focuses on the visual arts and interactive science fun. Wellness Wednesdays is a 25-week health and wellness education and science.
The After-School Scholars Program is open to children from 3rd-6th grades. Pre-registration is required. Scholarships are available by calling 870-536-3375. For more information contact the Center at (870) 536-3375.
The program is funded in part by grants from the Arkansas Black Hall of Fame, Synergy Forum and the Pine Bluff Area Community Foundation through the Youth Advisory Committee.
The center, 701 Main St. in Pine Bluff, is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, 1-4 p.m. Saturday and closed on Sunday. For more information, contact the center at (870) 536-3375 or visit the website at www.artssciencecenter.org.

Lyle and Rick this Friday Night!

2008-09-18T06:16:00.000-07:00

Enjoy all your favorite tunes by Lyle and Rick at the Salty Parrot on the river at 100 Riverfront Park Drive, North Little Rock, Arkansas next to the Arkansas Queen and the Razorback Submarine this Friday night September 19th from 5:00 PM to 10:00 PM. Outstanding food, libations and music with a beautiful moonlit view of the river and the downtown Little Rock skyline!

Hotsprings, Arkansas Airport Art Exhibit

2008-09-05T11:18:00.001-07:00

The public is invited to an opening reception featuring the works of Traditional Art Guild Artist Nina Louton from 1 to 3 p.m. on Saturday, September 20 in the terminal building at Hot Springs Memorial Field, 525 Airport Road. The collection will remain on display until Mid-October.
Born ninth of ten children on a farm near Lake Ouachita’s Denby Point, Louton began studying art with her mother using paper, clay, cloth, wax, and gourd art as well as clothing design and gardening. She earned a Bachelor of Science and Education degree from Henderson State University in 1970, and a Masters degree in 1991. Married to husband Jimmy in 1969, Louton raised three children. She taught first, third, fifth, and special education for twenty-nine years at Mountain Pine School, near Hot Springs.

Believing that supporting the arts is an important part of being an artist, Louton is a former board secretary of The Fine Arts Center of Hot Springs, member of several Fine Arts Center committees, Mid-Southern watercolorist, and president of the 2007-2008 Traditional Arts Guild.

The airport is partnering with the Traditional Art Guild to offer a year-long schedule of rotating exhibits, with an opening reception on the third Saturday of each month. For more information on the airport exhibit, contact Louton at 622-3100.

Two Top Barbecue Tours Add Hot Springs Balloons & BBQ Festival to Their Schedules

"If you have ever wanted to take your barbecuing to the next level, then be sure to check out the Great American BBQ Tour," said Ronnie Cates, organizer of Smoke On The Water. The Legends Hot-Air Balloon Rally, which has 25 teams entered, will also be held at the airport, Arrison said. There will be fly-in, hound-and-hare races, target races and other ballooning events. In addition, there will be a free public concert by country music legend Tracy Byrd on Friday night, September 19, at 8 p.m. The Parrots of the Caribbean, a Jimmy Buffett tribute band, will perform a free public concert at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, September 20. Also, there will be a free classic car show on Saturday from noon to 4 p.m. All the activities are free and open to the public. Certain rules for attending the events will apply, Arrison said: No coolers; no dogs; bring lawn chairs as there will be no seating provided; vendors will be on site selling food and beverages; there will be no balloon rides. For more information about the festival call Steve Arrison at 501-321-2027.

Ouachita Art Trails, Studio Tour October 10-12 Mena, Arkansas

2008-09-04T11:56:00.000-07:00

The artists of the Ouachita valley would like to welcome you into their studios during the Ouachita Art Trails, Studio Tour. Here, there is no lack of talent and diversity, including award winning, recognized names. There is something for everyone.

This is your opportunity to see the latest works, work in progress, meet the artists on a personal basis, ask questions, and buy beautiful, original art for yourself, or as a gift. This is your invitation to come and enjoy the weekend with us. Our doors will be open to welcome you.
The "Natural State" has been a source of inspiration for artist for many generations. No where is more beautiful than the Ouachita Mountains with its great vistas, diverse wildlife, and clean, bubbling streams. This is especially true in October, when fall foliage season begins. We invite you to come share it's beauty, created by nature and the artists who share this wonderful land.
For more information, and to register,
click here to visit the tour website.

http://www.ouachitaarttrails.com

Zoo Seeks Artists to Get Back to Nature at First Juried Art Event

2008-09-04T07:28:00.000-07:00

Zoo Seeks Artists to Get Back to Nature at First Juried Art Event
Salvador Monkey & Van Goat to Feature Original, Animal-Related Visual Art

WHO: Arkansas artists
Little Rock Zoo

WHAT: Salvador Monkey & Van Goat:
The inaugural juried art event benefiting the Little Rock Zoo

WHEN: 5 p.m., Monday, September 29 – Postmark deadline for accepted artwork
• 4 p.m., Wednesday, October 1, 2008 – Artwork accepted at the Zoo
• Thursday, October 2 – Juror selections
• Friday, October 3 – Winners notified
• 6 p.m., Saturday, October 4 – Reception

WHERE: Little Rock Zoo, #1 Jonesboro Drive, Little Rock, AR 72205

BACKGROUND: Salvador Monkey & Van Goat is the inaugural juried art event, exhibition and fundraiser sponsored by and benefiting the Little Rock Zoo. The event is open to any visual artist in Arkansas.

Any kind of visual art – paintings, drawings, photography, sculpture, etc. – created by Arkansas artists for the event must be original, animal-oriented and completed within the timeframe of the competition. Robert Reep, an artist and gallery owner in Little Rock, will jury the entered pieces and select the top 25.

The top 25 selected works will be on display at the Zoo on Saturday, October 4. Prizes for winning artists include a free family membership to the Little Rock Zoo and:
• $1,000 First Place
• $500 Second Place
• $250 Third Place
• $250 Audience Favorite
The first place winner of the juried art event also will have his or her image used in marketing and promotion for the Zoo in 2009. Awards will be presented at the October 4 reception in Cafe Africa featuring a silent auction with paintings by animal artists; tickets to the reception are $25 per person.
For an application outlining event specifics or more information, call Susan Altrui at 501-661-7208 or email saltrui@littlerock.org.

About the Little Rock Zoo
The Little Rock Zoo has long been one of Arkansas' great treasures. It all began modestly in 1926, with just two animals — an abandoned timber wolf and a circus-trained brown bear. Today, the Zoo has grown to include more than 725 animals representing 200+ species, many on the endangered list. The Zoo itself has become one of the state's greatest educational and conservation resources.

The Little Rock Zoo is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). Look for the AZA logo whenever you visit a zoo or aquarium as your assurance that you are supporting a facility dedicated to providing excellent care for animals, a great experience for you and a better future for all living things. With its more than 200 accredited members, AZA is a leader in global wildlife conservation and your link to helping animals in their native habitats. For more information, visit www.aza.org.

For More Information, Contact:

Susan Altrui, 501-661-7208 or saltrui@littlerock.org

Lyle and Rick at the Salty Parrot this Friday and Saturday Night

2008-08-28T19:12:00.000-07:00

Enjoy all your favorite tunes at the Salty Parrot on the river at 100 Riverfront Park Drive, North Little Rock, Arkansas next to the Arkansas Queen and the Razorback Submarine this Friday and Saturday night August 29th and 30th from 5:00 PM to 10:00 PM. Outstanding food, libations and music with a beautiful moonlit view of the river and the downtown Little Rock skyline!

ArkansasArtists.com New Membership Guidelines!

2008-08-28T17:57:00.000-07:00

We have experienced overwhelming response by Artists and Musicians from our state. Our website hits per day are in the hundreds and ArkansasArtists.com pops up first when you Google Arkansas Artists. We try to keep our community up to date on upcoming events. Just recently an out of state developer contacted us to purchase a painting for a project that will open later this month at the Little Rock Airport and will buy two of our artist's submissions. We want to keep the site free for our Artists but we have to have income to try to grow our site and be of continuing value to Artists from our state. Therefore we have established the following new membership guidelines:

Free Membership - Includes your picture, bio with email address and four pictures of your work that do not change.
Bronze Membership $25.00 per year - Your picture, bio with email address and four pictures of your work that you can change out twice a year.
Silver Membership $50.00 per year - Your picture, bio with email address, phone number, website link and six pictures of your work that you can you can change out four times per year.
Gold Membership $100.00 per year - Your picture, bio with email address, phone number, website link and eight pictures of your work with size and medium that you can change out six times per year. We will also include the galleries or restaurants where your work can be seen as long as they are an ArkansasArtists.com sponsor.

Keep in mind, when you Google my name it takes you to my page at ArkansasArtists.com so there is no need to have the expense of creating and maintaining your own website. We support the arts and our members and are starting to catch the eys of art collectors and placement companies from outside our state. I personally received a commision to do a piece for UAMS from an art placement firm out of Texas that found our website online through a Google search. We will continue to update our Artists and Art Patrons with alll the latest news and events on Art and Music in our state via our ArkansasArtists.com newsletter, just click on the links in Quick Links or copy and paste the link to your internet browser.

New ArkansasArtists.com Loft Work Space and Gallery in Downtown Little Rock!

2008-08-05T17:18:00.000-07:00

Matt Lile and ArkansasArtists.com are in the process of developing an Artists Loft Work space in the historic Mathis Building above Lulav’s Eatery on the corner of 6th and Center Street in beautiful downtown Little Rock. We will be able to accommodate approximately 18 to 20 Artists in an environment that will absolutely inspire your creativity.

Picture, if you will separate work areas where you can set up multiple canvas to work on while you sip your favorite wine and listen to soothing inspiring music from an outstanding sound system. If you’re hungry you can walk downstairs to dine in or order the exquisite cuisine from one of Little Rock’s finest chefs delivered up to your work space.

When you at a stopping point in your work you simply lock your supplies in your personal cabinet and leave your paintings to dry. You will have a code to enter the building whenever your feeling inspired any time of day and when your work is complete you are welcome to hang you work throughout the historic Mathis Building and Lulav’s restaurant with your bio and your selling price.

The spaces will lease for 75 dollars per month and there will be 20 % commission for selling your work if you choose to display it in the gallery and throughout the building. All your work will be insured and payments received for your work will be paid at the end of each week.

Since space is limited we need your indication of interest as soon as possible. There is metered parking along the street and ample parking space by the hour or month across the street. The Loft is under construction and but you are welcome to visit the building for a tour of the Artist’s Work Space and the Gallery area as well as stop in and have dinner at Lulav’s .

The Mathis building address is 220 West 6th Street between Louisiana and Center Streets and you can enter through the lobby next to Lulav. Send me your questions via email at lcogbill@comcast.net or call my cell 501 416-7266.

2nd Friday Art Walk in Beautiful Downtown Little Rock from 5-8PM

2008-08-05T16:46:00.001-07:00

Please join Marlene Gremillion and Miller's Mud Mill Pottery at the Cox Creative Gallery for the 2nd Friday Art Walk in Beautiful Downtown Little Rock from 5-8PM

Lyle and Rick at the Salty Parrot this Friday Night!

2008-07-26T10:40:00.000-07:00

Enjoy all your favorite tunes at the Salty Parrot on the river at 100 Riverfront Park Drive, North Little Rock, Arkansas next to the Arkansas Queen and the Razorback Submarine this Friday, August 1st from 5:00 PM to 10:00 PM. Outstanding food, libations and music with a beautiful moonlit view of the river and the downtown Little Rock skyline!

ArkansasArtists.com is looking for your support, comments and input.

2008-07-26T10:34:00.000-07:00

We have experienced overwhelming response by Artists and Musicians from our state. Our website hits per day are in the hundreds and ArkansasArtists.com pops up first when you Google Arkansas Artists. We try to keep our community up to date on upcoming events. Just recently an out of state developer contacted us to purchase a painting for a project that will open later this month at the Little Rock Airport and will buy two of our artist’s submissions. We want to keep the site free for our Artists but we have to have income to try to grow our site and be of continuing value to Artists from our state. Therefore we are considering these following new membership guidelines:

Free Membership – Includes your picture, bio with email address and four pictures of your work that do not change.

Bronze Membership $25.00 per year – Your picture, bio with email address and four pictures of your work that you can change out twice a year.

Silver Membership $50.00 per year – Your picture, bio with email address, phone number, website link and six pictures of your work that you can you can change out four times per year.

Gold Membership $100.00 per year – Your picture, bio with email address, phone number, website link and eight pictures of your work with size and medium that you can change out six times per year. We will also include the galleries or restaurants where your work can be seen as long as they are an ArkansasArtists.com sponsor.

Keep in mind, when you Google my name it takes you to my page at ArkansasArtists.com so there is no need to have the expense of creating and maintaining your own website. We welcome your support, comments and input in this new membership drive. As usual for all the latest news and events over the next few weeks about Art and Music in our state, just click on the links in Quick Links or copy and paste the link to your internet browser.

Lyle and Rick at the Wrought Iron Grill this Friday Night!

2008-07-13T14:57:00.000-07:00

Enjoy all your favorite tunes on the Underground Patio at the Wrought Iron Grill this Friday, July 18th from 6:00 PM to 9:00; great entertainment, excellent food and libations.

Wrought Iron
Grill & Pub
614 Pres. Clinton Ave. (east end of River Market District)
Next to the Clinton Museum store.

Duane Hada's White River Watercolor Workshop

2008-07-13T14:10:00.000-07:00

Duane Hada's White River Watercolor Workshop
August 8, 9, and 10, 2008

Friday 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Saturday 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Sunday 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon

At the Fred Berry Conservation Education Center -�Yellville, Arkansas

The workshop will be a combination of studio and plein air painting the natural beauty of the workshop location on Crooked Creek.

For additional information please reply to this email�Sandy Barksdale at sbarksdale@centurytel.net, call Duane Hada at (870) 435-2787, or stop by Rivertown Gallery at 102 Harding Blvd., Cotter, Arkansas.

Cost of the three day workshop is $250.00 - a deposit of $125.00 will reserve your space in the workshop.

To view Duane's Gallery go to�http://www.rivertowngallery.com/

Lyle and Rick at Rolando's this Friday and Saturday Night

2008-07-04T06:47:00.000-07:00

Lyle and Rick will be playing at Rolando's Nuevo Latino Restaurante in beautiful downtown Hot Springs this weekend July 4th and 5th from 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. Enjoy the 1st Friday Art Walk and afterwards come by and listen to your favorite tunes and enjoy some delicious Cuban cuisine along with the best margaritas in town. Rolando’s is located across the street from the Arlington on Central Avenue.

One Woman Art Exhibit at Garvan Woodland Gardens

2008-06-30T17:22:00.000-07:00

Fairfield Bay Artist, Charlotte Rierson invites you to come to her One Woman Art Exhibit and Reception, July 10, 5:30-7:30 pm, Garvan Woodland Gardens Magnolia Room. Garvan Woodland Gardens is located 540 Arkansas Ridge Rd., Hot Springs. Exhibit dates June 20-July 31, Hours Mon. thru Sun. 9:00 am-8:00 pm. Admission is free for viewing the artwork. You may tour the Gardens for a fee. For more information and directions go to the Garden’s website: http://www.garvangardens.org/

Painting Exhibit at Artists Workshop in Hot Springs

2008-06-30T16:58:00.000-07:00

Jim Oberst will be the featured artist at the Artists Workshop Gallery on Central Avenue in Hot Springs this weekend. The reception will be during the Gallery Walk this Friday evening July 4th from 5 to 9 p.m. Try to drop by and say hello to Jim and enjoy the art.

Jim will be showing many new paintings of all sizes, including seascapes and landscapes. Several paintings accepted for the 2008 and 2009 Arkansas Artists Calendars published by the Governor's Mansion Association will be included. There will be several new paintings of Hot Springs landmarks as well.

If you can't make it on July 4th Jim’s paintings will be on display at the gallery for the month of July. Their hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

M2 Gallery Showing Friday June 27

2008-06-29T13:23:00.000-07:00

Last Friday’s Gallery Showing at M2 was perfect with music, libations and exquisite appetizers available while you view two excellent artists from our state. Nathan Beatty’s depictions in oil on canvas were amazing. His abstract renditions of surrealistic 2 dimensional scenes were intriguing and captivating drawing your attention to the symmetrical brush strokes where he would occasionally hide the image of an Angel in the upper right hand corner of his piece. This is a must see for the all art patrons. Jason Gammel’s distinct style in acrylic abstract with freehand swirls and visual effects were astounding and held your attention as you went from painting to painting. Everyone had a great time and we are looking forward to more M2’s Gallery events.

17th Annual Mid-Southern Watercolorists Open Membership Exhibit

2008-06-22T10:45:00.000-07:00

Cantrell Gallery will be hosting the 17th Annual Mid-Southern Watercolorists Open Membership Exhibit. There will be a reception celebrating the opening of the show Sunday, June 29, 2008, from 2-4:00 in the afternoon. Over fifty members of this regional artist's organization are participating. Many of the featured artists will be present at the reception. Refreshments will be served. The public is invited. Admission is free. The exhibit will continue through August 16.

The aim of the Mid-Southern Watercolorists is to elevate the stature of watercolor and educate the public to the significance of watercolor as an important, creative permanent painting medium. They are dedicated to the highest aesthetic standards and seek to further interest in watercolor by their programs and exhibitions.

Cantrell Gallery is located at 8206 Cantrell Rd., across from Pavilion in the Park. Gallery hours are Monday - Saturday, 10-5:00. For further information, please feel free to contact Cindy Scott-Huisman by replying to this email or calling 501-224-1335.

There is a small preview of images available for viewing on our website. Just click the link below, and scroll down past the Deering Family images.

http://www.cantrellgallery.com/gallery.nxg

If the link does not work, just go to cantrellgallery.com, and then to our Gallery page.

Cantrell Gallery
8206 Cantrell Road
Little Rock, AR 72227
(501)224-1335
www.cantrellgallery.com
cantrellgallery@sbcglobal.net

"The Sisterhood of the Traveling Paints"

2008-06-22T10:10:00.000-07:00

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Paints Artist Reception Friday, August 1 from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM at the South Arkansas Arts Center in El Dorado, Arkansas will be featuring Sandy Bennett and Sharon Saunders:

Sharon Saunders and Sandy Bennett were born six years apart to the Giese family in Houston, Texas. After the family was transferred to Arkansas in the early 60’s, Sandy remained there while Sharon returned to Texas. They were always close and enjoyed each others company, but the years spent raising families, working, and living hundreds of miles apart takes its toll on that bond. It wasn’t until a few years ago, when Sandy retired from teaching, that they “rediscovered” each other. They packed their painting gear and went out to the Hill Country of Texas to spend the first of many idyllic weeks. Hiking through the woods carting their supplies, enduring the stifling heat and swarms of ‘no-see-ums’, racing each other to get the best spot, and giggling the whole time like the two young girls they once had been, brought a renewed closeness. They joined a plein air group together and have been on several painting expeditions, the latest being Big Bend National Park. This collection of paintings was done in various locales, sometimes together, sometimes apart, but always shared now through their love of nature and art and each other.

"Energy" at M2 Gallery featuring Nathan Beatty and Jason Gammel will open Friday, June 27, 6-9 p.m.

2008-06-22T09:47:00.000-07:00

Come explode into summer with us and experience the energy of form and color with new works from Jason Gammel and Nathan Beatty. The gallery will be alive with Energy as the two artists tackle the theme in their own unique ways.

The show will be hung June 25 with the opening being Friday, June 27, from 6-9 p.m.

(Top left, "The Flashback" by Nathan; Right, "Untitled Energy Series" by Jason Gammel)

Marlene Gremillion "One Woman Show" at the at the Arts and Science Center in Pine Bluff

2008-06-17T16:13:00.000-07:00

Artist Marlene Gremillion, a seven year Hot Springs Village resident, is active in the visual arts in the Village and surrounding areas. She is a member of Brushstrokes, a Hot Springs Village artist organization, a member of Mid-Southern Watercolorists, an instructor at the Arkansas Art Center in Little Rock, and an instructor at National Park Community College Continuing Education. Her works are collected by many across the country.
The Arts and Science Center of Pine Bluff, an exceptional gallery and museum in Arkansas’ Delta country, will host her one woman exhibition. The exhibit displays her versatility of media (watercolor, oil, pastel, collage, and mixed media), and her variety of subjects (landscape, portrait, floral, and abstracts). Marlene draws on nature for inspiration and enjoys sharing her knowledge with others. At this exhibit of over fifty paintings, the artist will discuss her work with a follow up question and answer session. Admission is free and open to the public.
The reception is Sunday, June 22, 2008, from 2 to 4 PM. The show will hang until the end of July. The Arts and Science Center for Southeast Arkansas at 701 Main St., Pine Bluff, AR 71601 (phone 870-536-3375) will host the event.
This is a chance to discover how a productive artist delivers art to the public. She first captures the original core image from nature and life experiences. The second step is to choose an interesting and inspiriting image to paint, and selecting the media carefully that has the color and texture to flesh out the subject. Landscape , where some images are captured in plein aire, is suited for pastel and oil media. The subtle, soft effects of watercolor fit well with floral and abstract subjects. Collage media collates well with spontaneity and abstract works.
Marlene’s works are also on display at the downtown Little Rock Cox Creative Gallery, the El Dorado Backwoods Gallery, the Hot Springs Artist Workshop Gallery, and the West Monroe, LA Ouachita River Art Gallery.

Lyle and Rick at the Wrought Iron Grill

2008-06-15T16:23:00.000-07:00

Wrought Iron
Grill & Pub
614 Pres. Clinton Ave. (east end of River Market District)
Next to the Clinton Museum store.

Enjoy all your favorite tunes on the Underground Patio at the Wrought Iron Grill THIS Friday, June 20th from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM. Great music, food and libations!!!!!!

Arts in the Air Professional Art Exhibit and Sale

2008-05-31T08:50:00.000-07:00

The work of 25 select artists will be featured at the Winthrop Rockefeller Institute’s third annual Arts in the Air Professional Art Exhibit and Sale from June 7 to July 5. The purpose of this month-long exhibit and sale is to support the creativity of Arkansas’ artists and promote art awareness and appreciation. http://www.uawri.org/page/281/AIA-professional
The event also serves as the main fundraiser for our scholarship fund used to support participants of our AmeriCorps program and internships by college students.
To kick off the annual exhibit and sale, the Rockefeller Institute will host an opening reception June 7 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Tickets for the reception are $10, and reservations are required. Click here to register online or call (501) 727-5435. http://www.prestoregister.com/cgi-bin/order.pl?ref=uawrc.net&fm=9

Beginning June 9, the exhibit will be open Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and again from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Other times are available by appointment – call the front desk at (501) 727-5435 to make arrangements before you arrive. The exhibit is closed on Sundays.
The Arkansas artists selected to participate in this year’s Arts in the Air 2008 event are listed above.

Lyle and Rick at the Salty Parrot

2008-05-30T19:17:00.000-07:00

Sunday June the 1st from 2:00 PM to 7:00 PM Lyle and Rick will be playing all your favorite tunes. Come join us for food, fun and libations:

Song List:

Against The Wind
Always On My Mind
All in My Head
Angel Flying Too Close to the Ground
Amy
A Pirate Looks At 40
Baby What You Want Me to Do
Beautiful
Big Boss Man
Brown Eyed Girl
Can’t You See
Carefree Highways
Changes in Latitudes
Carolina in My Mind
City of New Orleans
Cotton Jenny
Come Monday
Country Road
Damaged By Love
Desperado
Desperadoes Waiting for a Train
Everybody’s Talkin
Fire and Rain
Fire on the Mountain
Have You Ever Seen the Rain
Go Down Easy
Good Ole Rock & Roll
Heard It in a Love Song
If You Could Read My Mind
I Heard It through the Grapevine
I Keep Coming Back For More
I Won’t Back Down
I Shot the Sheriff
L.A. Freeway
London Homesick Blues
Lodi
Lost Highway
Lying Eyes
Margaretville
Grow Up To Be Cowboys
Me and Bobby McGee
Midnight Rider
Miss You So Badly
Mr. Bo jangles
Maybaliene
Nautical Wheelers
Old Tennessee
Panama Red
Peaceful Easy Feeling
Paradise
Please Don’t Burry Me
Please Come To Boston
Ramblin Man
Rainy Day People
Runaround
Running Away From Yesterday
Rolling Down the River
Reason to Believe
Saving Grace
Shower the People
Shelly’s Blues
Steamroller Blues
Stories We Could Tell
Sweet Baby James
Sweet Caroline
Take It Easy
Teach Your Children
Tequila Sunrise
The Boxer
The Midnight Special
The House at Pooh Corner
Three Little Birds
The Way That I Feel
Tin Cup Chalice
Trying to Reason With Hurricane Season
Unchained Melody
When the Morning Comes
Will You Think of Me
Who’ll stop the Rain
We All Want to Be Free
Why Don’t We Get Drunk
Wonderful Tonight
You Never Even Called Me by My Name

Featured Artist Teresa Hardin

2008-05-30T16:45:00.000-07:00

Featured Artist Teresa Hardin
June 2 to June 30
Pasmore Gallery
Located in the
Jonesboro Public Library

Visit anytime during Library Hours
HoursMon.- Tues. 9:00 - 8:30Wed. - Fri. 9:00 - 6:00Saturday 9:00 - 5:00Sunday 1:00 - 5:00
Reception June 14th, Saturday, In the Gallery 2:00-3:30
Please sign my book and let me know what you think. If you are interested in having a pencil sketch portrait of your own take a card the prices are on the back for graphite portraits and pen & inks only. During June 2 through June 30 if you commission me to draw you a portrait I will give you $50 off your commissioned portrait price. (This is not to be used with any gift certificates.)
Give me a call 933-9066 or
email at tkayhardin@yahoo.com.TeresaVisit my web page and sign my guest book.http://www.thardin.com

Calling All Arkansas Artists: 2008 Annual Juried Art Competition

2008-05-04T12:32:00.000-07:00

South Arkansas Arts Center

CALL FOR ENTRIES

2008 Annual Juried Art Competitionfor 2-D and 3-D Fine Art MediaENTRY DEADLINE MAY 14 2008Download Prospectus HereSEND DIGITAL IMAGES ON CD1 view for two-dimensional artwork2 views for three-dimensional artworkExhibition July 3-30 Merkle and Price Gallery

ELIGIBILITY
1. The exhibition is competitive and open to artists 18 years of age or
older residing in the United States. All 2-D and 3-D fine arts media
accepted, including photography and computer generated work.
2. Pieces must be original and completed in the last two years. Artwork
completed under classroom supervision and/or reproduced from work
by other artists or published material is not accepted.
3. 2-D works can not exceed 60”x 60” or weigh more than 50 pounds
and must be completely ready for display. This means framed in a clean,
neat and professional manner with a secure wire hanger and if subject to
damage, must be framed under plexi or glass. If the work is not framed
and ready to hang, it may be disqualified from judging.
4. 3-D work must be display ready. Work weighing over 50 pounds or
presenting complex installation problems must be installed by the artist
with approval by the gallery manager. If the work is unsuitably prepared
it may be disqualified from judging.
5. Pieces may not have been previously shown at SAAC.
6. The juror and show chairperson have final authority to define what
constitutes an acceptable entry. Works may be rated unacceptable if
they are not adequately prepared for display, considered unsafe, or
appear to be significantly different from the image submitted to the juror.

Entry DEADLINE May 14
Notification Cards Mailed June 4
Accepted Works Delivered June 25
Opening July 3
Reception July 12, 6:00-7:30 Awards 6:30
Last Day of Exhibit July 30
Artists Pick-up Work July 31
Shipped Artwork Returned Aug. 1

Go to ArknasasArtists.com for more details or contact:

South Arkansas Arts Center
Juried Art Competition
110 E. 5th Street
El Dorado, AR 71730
870-862-5474
http://www.saac-arts.org/

Wrought Iron Grill Grand Opening and Art Show

2008-04-29T16:50:00.000-07:00

The Arts Scene is sponsoring an art show with 21 Arkansas Artists in the River Market and everyone is invited. Art will be on display Thursday & Friday from 11:00 am till 9:00 pm and Saturday from 10:00 am till 5:00 pm:

Wrought Iron Grill
Grand Opening
Thurs., May 1
Music by Tonya Leeks & Co.
Live on the Patio
4:30 - 7:30 p.m.
Art Show & Sale by
The Arts Scene
Fun for all Ages • Gifts for the Kids
Food & Drink Specials
Thurs. 11 a.m. - Sat. 10 p.m.
Home Cookin’ with a Twist!
614 President Clinton Ave., 11 a.m. - 10 p.m.

3rd Annual Gentlemen's Wine Dinner

2008-04-12T07:47:00.000-07:00

Join us for this special one night event.
Thursday, April 24th - 6:30pm

"An Evening for the Men"

There will be 2 tickets available for this event; Estate & Reserve Selections.
Both selections include dinner and choice of wine pairings. The Reserve Selection
features 2 main course wines. Prices are $95 for Estate Selections & $165 for the Reserve Selections.

We will also follow this event with a Ladies Wine Dinner Friday, May 2nd.

The Dinner
Infused Vodka MartiniSelect European Cheeses with Toasted Almonds & Asian PearsCornmeal Crusted Prawn with Jalapeno/Pineapple RelishEnglish Stilton Crumbled Wedge Salad with Spiced PecansPan Seared Duck Breast with Morel RagoutChateaubriand of Beef with Béarnaise & Turned PotatoesDecadent Dark Chocolate Crème BruleFinished with flambee Mixed Berries

The Wines
Estate Selections $95 Reserve Selections $165
Chehalem (Pinot Noir) Ambullneo Reserve (Pinot Noir)
Montes Alpha (Syrah) Peter Lehmann 'Mentor' (Blend)
Grant Burge (GSM) Franciscan ' Magnificat' (Meritage)
Paul Hobbs (Cabernet Sav) Duckhorn 3 Palms (Merlot)
Viader (Cabernet Franc/Sav) Bv Georges DeLatour (Cabernet Sav)
Chateau Leoville Poyferre (Bordeaux)
Ramos Pinto Vintage Port Fonseca Vintage Port

Faux Pas will be presenting models featuring accesories & jewlery during dessert for 'take home' items for your special someone.
Art/Photography Show presented by Jennifer Heimbaugh
Stay after for cigars & entertainment

Limited seating available
RSVP 501~374~5100

Dinner and a Show

2008-04-12T07:36:00.000-07:00

Starving Artist Cafe'
416 W. 7th St.
Downtown Little Rock, Arkansas 72201

Reserve Now! Starving Artist Cafe' has teamed up with Celebrity Attractions to offer Dinner and a Show for incredible shows at Robinson Auditorium. These Dinner and a Show specials are RESERVATIONS ONLY, and reservations must be made no later than Monday for Tuesday and Wednesday, no later than Tuesday for Thursday. They will not be open to the general public and will offer 3 different 3 - course menus to choose from, including a glass of wine, for $25, $30, and $35.

Call NOW: 372-7976 to reserve your table for Dinner on Tuesday, April 15, Wednesday April 16, or Thursday, April 17. Dinner times are 5:15pm, 5:30pm, and 5:45pm. The show starts at 7:30pm each night. ADVANCE RESERVATIONS ONLY.

ABOUT THE SHOW 5-time Grammy winner Billy Joel and legendary director/choreographer Twyla Tharp have joined forces to create the spectacular new musical Time Magazine declares "The #1 show of the year!" The New York Times calls MOVIN' OUT "a shimmering portrait of an American generation. These tornado driven dancers and rock musicians propel the audience into delirious ovations." MOVIN' OUT brings 24 Billy Joel classics to electrifying new life as it tells the story of five life-long friends over two turbulent decades. It all adds up to one unforgettable Broadway musical. For more information or to order tickets, call Celebrity Attractions: (501)244-8800

Hope to see you at this incredible offering!

Blues & BBQ - Bryant, Arkansas

2008-04-12T07:31:00.000-07:00

High On The Hog is featuring Live Blues on the 1st and 3rd Friday Nights each month from 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm. No Cover with purchase of a BBQ.

Come on out to support the blues, and hog down on some mighty fine BBQ.

High On The Hog, 5407 Highway 5 North, Suite 19, Bryant, AR 72022 (Behind Letta's Flowers) I-30 to exit 123 - Reynolds Road, to Hwy 5, turn left (north) and when you see Walgreens, High On The Hog is on your right.
For more info contact Jon Brock 501-847-7720

Blues Guitar News - Benton, AR www.bluesguitarnews.com

Pssst: Pass the word. Thanks Mike Dollins www.mikedollins.biz

Invitation to all ArkansasArtists

2008-03-27T19:43:00.000-07:00

This is an invitation to all ArkansasArtists that would like to paint in the gardens at the Governor’s Mansion on Wednesday or Thursday, April 8th and 9th. They have just recently completed the formal gardens designed by P.Allan Smith and are hoping that artists will donate a 12"x16" painting to the Gardens Fundraising event on Friday, April 11th. All canvas boards will be supplied, so all you need to do is bring your paints and spend some time in the beautiful garden. Please let Bess Sanders know ASAP and also state your medium. RSVP to gallerycentral@sbcglobal.net

Arkansas Artists Calendar 2009

2008-03-27T18:44:00.000-07:00

Calling all ArkansasArtists:

The Governor and Ginger Beebe enjoy welcoming many visitors to our State and to their beautiful home, the Governor’s Mansion. As the cultural community in Arkansas expands its literary, performance, and visual arts offerings, the Mansion Association and Ginger Beebe continue to work closely together to secure and display the work of Arkansas artists throughout the Mansion.

Last year, the Mansion Art Committee initiated the first Arkansas Artists Calendar, a day-planner featuring the work of ninety artists from our State. Because of their initial success, the Committee is planning to publish a 2009 desk calendar featuring two- and three-dimensional artwork produced by Arkansas artists. A panel of jurors will choose the works to be included in the calendar, and from those entries, several will be purchased for the Mansion’s private collection. We hope that each of you will participate in this project.

All artists who submit an image for consideration, as well as all sponsors of the day-planner calendar, are invited to join the Governor and Ginger Beebe for a reception on Wednesday, September 10, 2008, from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. We deeply appreciate your participation and support of the arts in Arkansas, and we look forward to seeing you at the reception. Look for the link on ArkansasArtists.com to view the rules and print the entry form.

Pulaski Heights Picassos

2008-03-27T18:41:00.000-07:00

Join us for the 10th annual Pulaski Heights Picassos benefiting Pulaski Heights Elementary. This casual event boasts art from over 100 adult artists and 325 budding Picassos from PHE. Fabulous food, beverages and a kids’ café are part of the fun!

This has become such an important event, not only to our school, but to the larger community. In the past, we’ve had an average attendance of 500 people. Between 120-150 adult/professional artists contribute artwork to the event, and we also sell our students’ artwork. Most artwork is sold through the silent auction, but we normally reserve 10-15 pieces to be auctioned live.

Funds raised through this event are used to support PTA projects and programs, including paying for Spanish language instruction for all of our students, purchasing books for the library, offering teachers grants for special projects, enhancing our visual arts and music education programs, etc.

Tickets are $5 per child and $10 per adult. Food and beverages (both for kids and adults) are included in the ticket price. This is a casual event and all are welcome.

Pulaski Heights Picassos will be held:

Saturday, April 19, 2008
6-9 p.m. at

Ricks Armory
4700 West 8th St.
Little Rock, AR 72205

Call Monica Kimbrell at 661.1931 to purchase tickets.

ArkansasArtists beware of picture purchase scam!

2007-11-18T12:57:00.000-08:00

Someone named M. Landry contacted several artists through our web-site
Supposedly from the UK. She gave them a shipping contact with elite shipping that did not have a phone number just an -email contact. We called elite shipping in the UK and they do not have a branch where this one is supposed to be. M. Landry wants to send a check for 3 paintings and 2500.- for shipping. She wants the artist to pay the 2500.- to the shipping company when they come and pick up the paintings. Supposedly the paintings and some larger items are to be picked up and the artist is paying for all that shipping out of the money she sends the artist a check. I am assuming this is a good copy of a non-valid check so by the time the bank would figure out it is fake they would be gone not only with several paintings but also with a valid 2500$ check from the artist to the fake moving company. The FBI showed no interest according to a phone conversation one of our artists. So far M. Landry has contacted three of our artists but if anyone has any questions or has been contacted by this lady e-mail Heike Talbert at HeikeET@aol.com or call her at 821-2055 or 690-0669

Mid-Southern Watercolorists Meeting 7-9 PM

2007-11-11T06:05:00.000-08:00

Mid-Southern Watercolorist, one of the largest artist societies in the South and headquartered in Little Rock, is having a special meeting on Wednesday, November 14th at the Arkansas Arts Center that is open to all artists and the public.
The meeting will feature Barry Thomas (www.barrythomasart.com ) and Bob Snider (www.bobsniderwatercolors.com ) who will be painting a live portrait of TV personality Tiffany Butler of KARK, Channel 4. The paintings and MSW will be featured on KARK at 11:00 am on Thursday, November 15th.
Mid-Southern Watercolorists has over 220 members from ten states in our region. The artists of MSW are active supporters of art education, having donated over 1,650 hours of instruction to students and adults. Over the past three years, the artists of MSW have donated over 175 paintings in a total value exceeding $160,000 to 75 charities in our state.
The MSW Annual Exhibition, which is one of Arkansas' most prominent juried art competitions, will be held at the Historic Arkansas Museum from May 9 through August 10, 2008.

Wild Evening to benefit Turpentine Creek Wild Life Refuge

2007-10-30T17:18:00.000-07:00

Tickets are now on sale for the 6th Annual “Cats are Coming” Evening of Animals and Art, sponsored by Hot Springs artists, Lisa and D. Arthur Wilson. Dr. Marion Smith’s generous donation of the historic Hamilton House Bed & Breakfast Estate will be the location for a Wild Evening to benefit Arkansas’ own Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge, in Eureka Springs on Thursday, November 8, 2007, from 6 – 9pm. A favored event by the locals, the Hamilton House will be transformed into a gallery setting from the heart of Africa itself, with D. Arthur’s expressionistic Wildlife Art, to Lisa’s soulful, passionate Abstract Art, as well as a rare opportunity to purchase originals of their unique Collaborative art. Both have recently been named as selected artists to be represented by the Donald Trump Art Collection which premiers October 1, 2007, see trump.com for more information.
Flaming torches will light the night as International Wildlife artist D. Arthur puts charcoal to canvas to sketch the “Special 700-pound Feline Guest” from the refuge, as African music plays on. Along with the art, each sketch will be available for purchase as well as gift merchandise from the Refuge, Weekend-Getaway packages for Lodging at the newly completed Zulu Safari Lodge at the refuge, with profits directly benefiting Turpentine Creek. Along with admission to the event, savory hors d’ oeuvres, decadent desserts and fine wine will be included in the ticketed price, and a cash bar will be open.
The Wilson’s became temporary residents of the refuge this past spring when their efforts from last year’s benefit proved to be lucrative enough to begin building their dream contribution of the Zulu Safari Lodge. “I just asked Scott what was at the top of their wish list for the refuge,” D. Arthur states, “and he said they were in need of lodging. So, I simply said, they should have a great Safari Lodge….and he said, ‘when would you like to start’!” After meticulous architectural design and execution, the Wilson’s have successfully completed the first three of five African style “tented cabins”, luxuriously furnished with original art, cozy fireplaces; one cabin boasts a double cedar lined shower and among other amenities comes with snuggly Spa robes for the guests. The cabins border the 40’ octagonal deck centered around the gazebo and fire pit, while the hot tub is always ready, and the background of the carols of the big cats is mesmerizing. “TCWR has truly been an honor to be a part of,” Lisa says, “The extraordinary work that the staff at TCWR does is amazing. Everyone from the interns to the secretary give 100% to creatures that otherwise would not even be alive.” After living at the refuge the better part of four months, the Wilson’s saw first hand a fraction of the unceasing amount of work that goes into the daily routine at the refuge. “Sometimes I’d see Tanya and she’d already have been up since 3am!” says Lisa.
For more information contact Wilson Studios at 501-525-4245. To purchase tickets contact Wilson Studios 501-525-4245 or Hamilton House 501-520-4040. To visit Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge, see turpentinecreek.org.

Art and Soul is a benefit show for Easter Seals

2007-10-29T17:27:00.000-07:00

Friday evening November 2nd from 6:30-9 p.m. at the Pleasant Ridge Open Air Mall on Cantrell in front of M2 Gallery, Easter Seals presents its benefit show “Art and Soul”. There will be a huge tent set up in front of the M2 gallery, and they will be auctioning off around 50 pieces of artwork from various local artists, as well as 50 pieces of Easter Seals' Children’s artwork that we have framed up for the event. Imagine will be catering the event (with a very tasty menu) and Glaziers will be providing the drinks for the evening (Martinis, Cosmos, Red/White Wine, Beer, and non-alcoholic offerings as well). M2 will have live music, as well as a gallery filled with new artwork, and several artists present. Tickets for the event are available at the gallery ahead of time for a $35 donation to Easter Seals, or $40 the night of the event. Tickets are also available through Easter Seals. Easter Seals is one of the main charities that M2 Gallery partners with throughout the year, and this is one of their biggest fund-raising events of the year. Please come out and support a worthy cause, get some great artwork and food, and HAVE FUN!!! We will see you Friday! Call Mac, Ashley, John or Kim at 225-6257 to reserve your tickets or you can purchase them on-line at http://ar.easterseals.com

Ark. artists compiled in 2008 art calendar

2007-10-25T19:30:00.000-07:00

BY JOHN LOVETT The Sentinel-Record

Those who buy the newly released 2008 Arkansas Artists Calendar will notice most of the paintings are by Hot Springs artists, or those who show in Hot Springs; names such as D. Arthur Wilson, Richard Stephens, Longhua Xu, Steve Griffith, Suzi Dennis, Nancy Dunaway, Arden Boyce, Jim Oberst, Barbara Siebel, Marlene Gremillion, Warren Criswell, Lynette Cox, Debi Fendley, James Hayes, Heike Ta l b ert and Matt McLoed. It is more because the city has the highest concentration of fine art galleries�� and possibly artists :�� than any place in the state. Is��s not because Bess Sanders, owner of Gallery Central, waved a wand and made it that way. The Arkansas Arts Council appointee says she did borrow the idea from Highland and University Park in Dallas, but did not jury the 270 submissions. That honor was left to two out-of-town art critics, Sanders said. In a rare moment of Arkansas art history, all 88 artists chosen for the calendar got together for a party at the Arkansas Governor��s Mansion to celebrate the release. A sign of the calendaqမs popularity is that in the first 10 days of being out, more than 1,500 of the 6,000 made have been sold for the $20 asking price. The colorful variety of art includes portraits, still lifes, landscapes, and sculpture. Since the books were already paid for through sponsors, (25 from Hot Springs alone), all of the proceeds go to build the first permanent Arkansas Art Collection, which will be housed at the governor��s mansion. "Wd��re hoping that people will send them to out-of-state relatives to show off all our artists," Sanders said. The mansion, 1800 Center St., schedules tours on an individual basis. Requests may be made to tour by calling 501-324-9805. To urs are scheduled according to house availability, between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. No tours are scheduled in the evenings or on weekends. The tours consist of the public rooms (living room, dining room, foyer, east conference room) and the Grand Hall, Atrium, and Courtyard Cafe. There is no admission fee. "Not all of these paintings are going to the Governoq��s Mansion," Sanders said. "The fund will be able to purchase a few of them, the cover pieces at the very least. The most exciting thing, aside from these artists being given recognition, is that these pieces will be purchased. So many times artists are asked to donate their work to something like this, and finally thex��re getting paid for it." For the next calendar, submissions of photography and student works will be requested. Sanders will join Arkansas First Lady Ginger Beebe on 18 of the 20 city stops to promote the 2008 Arkansas Artists Calendar. Beebe will be at Gallery Central for the Nov. 2 Hot Springs Gallery Walk. An Arkansas Governoq��s Mansion Association art committee solicited sponsors at $500 a page. The sponsors are listed in the back of the book. Following is a list of locations in Hot Springs where the book is available. American Art Gallery, 724 Central Ave.; Artist Workshop Gallery, 810 Central Ave.; Blue Moon Gallery, 718 Central Ave.; Gallery Central, 800 Central Ave.; Justus Fine Art Gallery, 827-A Central Ave.; Linda Palmer Gallery, 800-B Central Ave.; Legacy Fine Art, 804 Central Ave.; Tayl o rမs Co n t emporanea, 205 Exchange St.; XU International, 610 Central Ave.
ARKANSAS ART: Matt McLoec��s oil painting "Capi tal Traffic" decorates the cover of the newly released 2008 Arkansas Artists Calendar, a project from the Governoqမs Mansion Associa tion to fund a permanent Arkansas Art Collection. McLoed shows at Blue Moon Gallery in Hot Springs. The books are $20 at most local galleries.

Have a Happy LULAV Halloween!!

2007-10-25T19:24:00.000-07:00

It's a Halloween COSTUME PARTY !

When: This Saturday October 27
Time: 8:00PM Until the GHOSTS Vanish !

$3 Infused VODKA Martinis (Is it infused with blood)
FREE Appetizers for All Costumed Guests
$20 Lounge Dinner Specials

$100 Gift Certificate for the BEST Costume !

Lulav "A Modern Eatery"

An Exotic Culinary Experience for the Mind, Body and Soul

220 W 6th St ~ Little Rock, AR ~ 501.374.5100

THEA's Art Closet

2007-10-14T13:02:00.000-07:00

THEA Foundation

THEA's Art Closet - Providing Art Supplies for the 100 Public School Art Teachers in Pulaski County

The THEA Foundation needs several volunteers with a van or pick-up truck to move materials for THEA's Art Closet. SanLori of Little Rock has donated materials that will be distributed to Art Teachers all over Pulaski County and we need several volunteers with a truck to pick up these materials and deliver them to the three school district warehouses in Little Rock. This should not take more than two hours to complete.

To Volunteer Please Call:

Paul Leopoulos or Jo Paulus
501-833-8304

THEA Foundation P.O. Box 94234 North Little Rock AR 72190

This Week at Starving Artist Cafe'

2007-10-02T18:44:00.000-07:00

This Week at Starving Artist Cafe' Tuesday, October 211:30-1:30pmPainter Ludwik "Koz" KozlowskiKoz is a retired MD from Poland, and his works are actively collected in the United States, Poland, and Germany. His miniatures are some of the most popular pieces we sell at the cafe'.

Thursday, October 411:30-1:30pmPainter Ludwik "Koz" KozlowskiKoz is a retired MD from Poland, and his works are actively collected in the United States, Poland, and Germany. His miniatures are some of the most popular pieces we sell at the cafe'.

Saturday, October 66:30-8:30pmCollage Artist Byron WernerByron's "psychedelic eye candy" collages are made from gift wrap paper and are collected worldwide. All dates subject to change. Please call to confirm.

Artists with Works For Sale At Starving Artist Cafe'

Chef's Table Thursday Night Each Thursday we offer an exclusive Chef's Table for $50 all-inclusive (food, wine, tax, gratuity). Chef Jason will serve you and chat with you, and your dinner will be fabulous!Click Here for Menu

Reservations Required by 5pm Wednesday. 372- 7976.

Call for Artists Attention Artists! We have openings to paint/create during lunch or dinner in October. Put out a tip jar, bring other works for sale, get some great exposure, and have lunch or dinner on us! Artists get 100% of the retail price when you're here creating. Call Paula for availability: 372-7976.

Make this Holiday Season Special !!!

2007-10-02T18:19:00.000-07:00

Make this Holiday Season Special !!!

LULAV
"A Modern Eatery"

Available for groups of 6 – 200

Reserve our intimate wine cellar or the entire restaurant

A Culinary experience Designed for your event

Prices starting at $7.00 per person (butler passed appetizers & wine)

Basic Buffets to Wine Themed Dinners

Party at the office? LULAV will come to you.

Call for sample menu or to further discuss your event
Complimentary tastings available

LULAV (est. 2004) is a four star restaurant serving California Mediterranean Cuisine. LULAV offers the very comfortable VLounge with over 100 wine selections, 30 wines by the glass, Expansive vodka selection, and live entertainment 3 nights per week.

220A W. 6th St. ~ Little Rock, AR 72201 ~ 501.374.5100

Last Night at M2 Gallery in the Pleasant Ridge Mall

2007-09-29T15:31:00.000-07:00

Last night at M2 Gallery in the Pleasant Ridge Mall excitement was in the air as Drew Pickens soothed everyone’s ears with light jazz and contemporary sounds from his guitar. The main event was the outstanding new art from featured artists Nathan Beatty, Megan Chapman, Sean Fitzgibbon, Christina Mariotti, and Eric Smith.

The gallery was filled with new amazing works from the NW corner of the state, and I got to talk to several of the new artists who were present. Aside from the fantastic music and art, the owners Mac Murphy and John Magee provided an assortment of libations and appetizers that were extremely delicious. When I got their John was sitting in for Drew Pickens and entertained the crowd. I got to speak with artist Sean Fitzgibbon about his intriguing work with mixed media and how he created his piece Inner Workings, which seemed to be a combination of drawing and digital overlay that pulled you into the picture and stimulated your imagination. I also spoke with Megan Chapman another outstanding artist whose abstract work was exceptional and seemed to come alive with texture and color.

A good time was had by all and especially me after meeting some friends and moving over to Crew for continued libations. Many thanks go out to Mac and Ashley Murphy and John and Kim Magee as well as all the attendees, for making M2 Gallery’s Friday night event one of their best.

Thursday’s exhibit at T. Lamar Interiors

2007-09-29T10:03:00.000-07:00

Thursday’s exhibit at T. Lamar Interiors was an outstanding event with food, libations and wonderful art featuring Tonya McNair, Richard Sutton, Mat McCloud and Virginia McKimmey (all pictured above). Melissa Morgan, VP of Sales & Marketing was there to greet the crowd and offer expertise in showing me around their wonderful establishment while pointing out some outstanding designer furnishings and exquisite art. Mat McCloud is also featured on the cover of Arkansas Governors Mansion new calendar picture book which also includes one of Tonya McNair’s stunning pieces. Richard Sutton was there showing off his intriguing and delightful pin and ink renditions, while Virginia McKimmey showed me her excellent portraits, with vivid colors of expressions in oil on canvas.

Petit Jean Mountain Workshop Registration Extended!

2007-09-29T08:09:00.000-07:00

REGISTRATION DEADLINE EXTENDED:
The Winthrop Rockefeller Institute has extended the registration deadline
for their Fall 2007 Art Escapes Program to Thursday, October 4, 2007.
The program includes an Acrylics Workshop by MSW member, Charles Harrington, AWS, ISAP.

Workshop dates: October 11 - 14, 2007

Don't miss this opportunity to sharpen your painting skills while enjoying October at the beautiful WRI facilities on Petit Jean Mountain.

For more details or to register, contact:
Julie Hall
Program Coordinator
Winthrop Rockefeller Institute
University of Arkansas System
Petit Jean Mountain
Phone: 501-727-6220
jhall@uawri.org

Gallery Central TWO PERSPECTIVES OF YOSEMITE

2007-09-23T08:05:00.000-07:00

The First Friday Art Walk October 5th in beautiful downtown Hot Springs, Gallery Central will present TWO PERSPECTIVES OF YOSEMITE featuring artists Bill Garrison - Oils and Gloria Garrison - Watercolors. You will not want tho miss seeing Yosemite from these artist's perspectives.

Mansion Art Calendar Book Signing Tour

2007-09-06T18:53:00.000-07:00

Saturday, Sept. 8- 2:30-4:00
The Mall at Turtle Creek
3000 East Highland DriveJonesboro, AR 72401

Sunday, Sept. 9- 2:00-4:00
University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public ServiceSturgis Hall1200 President Clinton Ave. Little Rock, AR 72201

Monday, Sept. 10- Searcy, Newport 10am-12pm

Searcy
Heart & Soul Gift Store 1627 Beebe Capps ExpresswaySearcy, AR 72143

Newport Time: 2pm-4pm

Darling's 1303 McLain Street Newport, AR 72112

Tuesday, Sept. 11- Conway and Russellville

Russellville 11am-12:30-
Location: Russellville River Valley Arts Center
1001 East B Street
Russellville, Arkansas 72801

Conway 2pm-4pm

Hastings
Fax 501-336-8425
1360 Highway 64
Conway, AR 72023

Monday, Sept 17-Paragould and Blytheville

Paragould: Ima’s in Paragould- Time: 12-1:30
Ima’s
309 West Garland, Paragould AR 72450

That Bookstore in Blytheville Time: 3:30-5:00
716 W. Main
Blytheville, AR 72315

Monday, Oct. 1- Rogers, Fayetteville, Springdale, Bentonville
Fayetteville 11am-12pm
Fayetteville Library
401 W. Mountain St., Fayetteville, AR 72701

Springdale Time 1-2
Jones Center
922 E Emma AveSpringdale, AR 72764

Rogers Time: 3-4:30
Poor Richards Art
116 South First Street
Rogers, AR 72756

Bentonville 5-6pm
Bentonville- Bentonville Public Library
125 W Central Ave # 100Bentonville, AR 72712

Tuesday, October 2-Texarkana
11:00-12:00 Lonoke Baptist Church
1500 Kline Street, Texarkana

Thursday, October 18th- North Little Rock and Fort Smith

North Little Rock 10:00-11:30am
Red Door Gallery
3715 John F Kennedy BlvdN Little Rock, AR 72116
Fort Smith 5:30-7:30
Fort Smith Art Center
423 North 6th Street
Fort Smith, AR

Monday, October 22- Warren, Lake Village, Dumas and Pine Bluff

Warren Time: 10:30-12:00
Martins Department Store
200 S Main StWarren, AR 71671
Lake Village : 1:30-2:30
Paul Michael Co.
Home Décor Warehouse OutletHwy 65 & 82

Dumas 3:30-4:00
The Gift Shop 535 E. Farmer Street Dumas, AR 71639

This Friday Atypical Affair Playing at Lulavs

2007-09-06T18:42:00.000-07:00

You are invited to join
A Typical Affair in celebrating the
release of their new cd
'Alone Feels Alive'

Friday, September 7th 8:30 p.m.
At Lulav located in downtown Little Rock
220 W. 6th St.

Join A Typical Affair in previewing their new
cd, followed by an acoustic performance of
selected tracks.

There will be no cover. Appetizers will be
provided, as well as drink specials all night.
CD's will be for sale.

This Week at Starving Artist Cafe

2007-09-06T18:41:00.000-07:00

This Week at Starving Artist Cafe'
Thursday, September 6
6:30-8:30pm
Painter Courtney Crews
Courtney Crews is a 16-year-old junior at Episcopal Collegiate School. Most of her work is either Mixed media or Pen and Ink. She has taken many classes in Painting, Darkroom Photography, Figure Drawing and several different design classes. She has also attended two Summer College programs-- one being the California State Summer School of the Arts program at CalArts in Valencia, CA. It is a 5 week program that only accepts about 12 out of state students every year and is one of the highest awards a high school art student in California can receive. Her artwork has won several statewide awards. She is looking forward to pursuing a career in the fine arts as an illustrator, and perhaps in pursuing music since she also loves singing. She is an accomplished classical singer and available to sing at weddings or other events.

Saturday, September 8
5:30-8:30pm
Collage Artist Byron Werner
Bryon's "psychedelic eye-candy" work is actively collection worldwide.

Attention Artists! We have openings to paint/create during lunch or dinner in September. Put out a tip jar, bring other works for sale, get some great exposure, and have lunch or dinner on us! Artists get 100% of the retail price when you're here creating.
Call Paula for availability: 372-7976.

Artists with Works For Sale At Starving Artist Cafe'

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chef's Table Thursday Night
Each Thursday we offer an exclusive Chef's Table for $50 all-inclusive (food, wine, tax, gratuity). Chef Jason will serve you and chat with you, and your dinner will be fabulous!

Reservations Required by 5pm Wednesday. 372- 7976.

Last Saturday Night Grand Opening of Stephano's Gallery

2007-09-03T13:49:00.000-07:00

"If I make a painting, it should be seen for what it's set out to do too. A lot of the things that I do, it's not all art. Some of it's design, some of it's illustration, some of it's graphics, some of it's concept, some of it's business and some of it, hopefully, is art." -----Ken Done Quotes

Greetings Artists and Patrons of ArkansasArtists.com

Last Saturday night’s grand opening of Stephano's new Gallery in the Heights was standing room only. I got to talk with many of the artists who are apart of the gallery. D. Arthur and Lisa Wilson, Kelly Edwards, Diana Ashley and Stephano. All were extremely busy talking with art patrons and sharing stories about their work. Libations and appetizers were abundant as well as live music; the gallery was alive with excitement and merriment.

When the musicians took a break Stephano took the microphone and invited the participating artists up for introductions. After the introductions of the artists Linda Leopoulos, the founder of the THEA Foundation, gave a very moving speech about her late daughter, her unfulfilled artistic dreams and the Foundation’s accomplishments and their goals in promoting the arts through out the schools in our state. If you want to learn more about helping promote the arts through the THEA Foundation you can visit their web site at www.theafoundation.org.

After leaving Stephano’s Gallery Grand Opening we headed to the Underground Pub for more libations, food and music from the Crisis Classic Rock Band. A good time was had by all and who attended and I got to talk with many interesting people, not to mention the leader of the band Gregg Herning. To him music is all about fun and getting the crowd involved which they did many times with the dance floor packed during their sets. You can learn more about the band by clicking on their logo on ArkansasArtists.com under the musicians tab.

Remember this next Friday will be the First Friday Art Walk in beautiful downtown Hot Springs. I will be looking for you there.

Tonight M2 Gallery Presents the Woman and Chlildren's First Chairty Event

2007-08-23T20:43:00.001-07:00

The Woman and Children’s First Charity event was outstanding tonight at M2 Gallery and I was ecstatic just to be a participant of the event. The art was outstanding and I got to interview one of M2s newest additions Amy Laser of Little Rock. Her work is as exquisite as her personal beauty. She is a trainer at the Studio Wellness in the Heights and if she can get you looking as wonderfully fit as she looks than it is well worth the money. She is beautiful with a pleasant personality and very in to her art. She works in mixed media with some print and deco plague thrown in that makes it intriguing, as well as interesting, drawing the viewer in and capturing their attention as they become consumed by the beauty which she has created. She is one of he most talented artists I have viewed in the past few months whose originality is so distinctive that it will take your breath away. If you want to view her art drop by M2 Gallery on Cantrell and Mac or Ashley will give you the grand tour. They have some of the finest artists in Little Rock, and the Pleasant Ridge shopping plaza is a great place to spend the afternoon. Mac and Ashley Murphy and John and Kim Magee are some of the best art promoters in the state with one of the finest galleries in west Little Rock. Tonight’s event raised money for a worthy cause and promoted talented artists from our state. I want to personally thank them for their efforts in showcasing artists from our great state. ArkansasArtists.com is privileged to have them as a sponsor.

M2 Gallery Presents the Woman and Chlildren

2007-08-23T20:43:00.000-07:00

The Woman and Children’s First Charity event was outstanding tonight at M2 Gallery and I was ecstatic just to be a participant of the event. The art was outstanding and I got to interview one of M2s newest additions Amy Laser of Little Rock. Her work is as exquisite as her personal beauty. She is a trainer at the Studio Wellness in the Heights and if she can get you looking as wonderfully fit as she does than it is worth the money. She is perky, beautiful, pleasant and very in to her art which is mixed media with some print and deco plague thrown in that makes it intriguing, as well as interesting, drawing the viewer in and capturing their attention as they become consumed by the beauty which she has created. She is one of he most talented artists I have viewed in the last few months whose originality is so distinctive that it will take your breath away. If you want to view her art drop by M2 Gallery on Cantrell and Mac or Ashley will give you the grand tour. They have some of the finest artists Little Rock and the Pleasant Ridge shopping plaza is a great place to spend the afternoon. Mac and Ashley Murphy and John and Kim Magee are some of the best art promoters in the state with one of the finest galleries in west Little Rock. Tonight’s event raised money for a worthy cause and promoted talented artists for our state. I want to personally thank them for their efforts in showcasing artists from our great state. ArkansasArtists.com is privileged to have them as a sponsor.

Stephano's Fine Art Gallery Grand Opening

2007-08-23T16:14:00.000-07:00

Little Rock,AR- August 5th, 2007 - Well known, local artist Stephano has recently announced the opening of his new gallery, Stephano's Fine Art Gallery located on Kavanuagh Blvd. . Stephano will feature established artist, as well as, some new up and coming faces in the art world. Stephano's Fine Art Gallery officially opened August 1st, 2007 . The GRAND Opening will be held Saturday, August 25th, 2007 starting at 6PM and is open to the public. To find out more about the artist, please visit www.stephanostudios.com or call 501.563.4218 to schedule a private viewing.

M2 Gallery Event to benefit Women and Children First Arkansas -- The Center Against Family Violence.

2007-08-19T14:00:00.000-07:00

The event will be Thursday, August 23, from 6-9 p.m. and will benefit Women and Children First Arkansas -- The Center Against Family Violence.

The show will feature new works by ALL of our artists and we will also be introducing a new artist for the first time. She's been voted Best Artist for several years in Northwest Arkansas and will be making her Little Rock debut!

This Art and Appetizers event will have a $10 donation at the door to attend, and we will have appetizers supplied by Crew Restaurant. We will also supply wine and other refreshments. Drew Pickens will be playing guitar in the gallery, and 10% of all sales will be donated to Women and Children First. We will have several artists present that evening, and a lot of GREAT artwork. This is your chance to get that perfect piece of artwork, while also helping a great cause!

If you would like more information about the charity, please visit their website at www.wcfarkansas.org

We hope to see you August 23rd!

-Mac, Ash, John and Kim

A three day "Art Escape" on beautiful Petit Jean Mountain

2007-08-19T12:47:00.000-07:00

I’m not an abstractionist. I’m not interested in the relationship of color or form or anything else. I’m interested only in expressing basic human emotions: tragedy, ecstasy, doom, and so on.
……. Mark Rothko

A three day "Art Escape" awaits you at the Winthrop Rockefeller Institute of the University of Arkansas System.

Choose from these three great workshops, each taught by a working artist: Landscapes in Pastel with Jack Hetterich; Loosen Up with MM Kent: Impressionist Oil Painting; Acrylics: A Watercolor Alternative with Charles Harrington. The artists will provide 16 hours of instruction, including individual assistance and critiques. Meals and evening programming will allow more time for students and instructors to interact. Registration deadline is September 26. Space is limited. For more information, visit www.uawri.org or call 501.727.6220.

M2 Gallery Presents "Icons and Archetypes"

2007-07-28T13:42:00.000-07:00

“Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep.”------Scott Adams

Greatings Artists and Patrons of ArkansasArtists.com

Friday evening July 27th M2 Gallery presented the “Icons and Archetypes” exhibit and I have to say that I was amazed, captivated and awestruck by the excellent creations of artists Cathy Burns of North Little Rock and Lea Barton of Flora, Mississippi. Mac and Ashley Murphy put on an exquisite exhibit and the crowd was ecstatic with excitement. The weather was perfect and guitarist Dru Pickens entertained the guests with his combination jazz/classical style as they entered the gallery. Dru’s music featured a laid back eclectic blend that soothed the soul and excited the imagination. Upon entering the exhibit I got to speak with Cathy Burns who explained her mixed media work with such enthusiasm and emotions that it made me feel as if I were apart of the her creation. Lea Barton’s work bordered on spiritualism and was very enlightening as each peace seamed to pull you in to the creation. Mac and Ashley always provide refreshing libations and exquisitely delicious appetizers to partake as you make your way through all their excellent artist’s creations.

After we left the exhibit we treated ourselves to an outstanding dinner at the new Bonefish Grill on the other side of the plaza. The crab cake appetizers were “to die for” and for my main course, I had the grilled Chilean Sea Bass which was absolutely wonderful. This restaurant is an absolute “must go to” place for exquisite dining and esthetic atmosphere, but be sure you stop in and say hello to Mac and Ashley at M2 Gallery before you have dinner and you will have the makings of an outstanding evening.

I will be sure to look for you at the First Friday Art Walk next week in beautiful downtown Hot Springs, I here it will be one to remember, but until then I hope you have a wonderful week and from all of us at ArkansasArtists.com we appreciate you allowing us to bring you closer to some of the most talented artists in the great state of Arkansas.

Cantrell Gallery and Mid-Southern Watercolor Exhibit

2007-07-28T13:26:00.000-07:00

“A sincere artist is not one who makes a faithful attempt to put on to canvas what is in front of him, but one who tries to create something which is, in itself, a living thing.” -----William Dobell

Greetings Artists and Patrons of ArkansasArtists.com

Sunday July 14th Helen, Cindy and Clarke at Cantrell Gallery featured the Mid-Southern Watercolor Artists Event. The event started with a reception for the artists and friends with a wonderfully delightful spread of wine, cheese, fruit and other delisious finger foods. Everyone who attended had a wonderful time and I got to visit with Arkansas Artists: Marlene Gremillion, Diane Ziemski, Terry and Debi Bean, Duane Hada and many others. Most of the artists present were entrants and winners of the Arkansas Governor’s Mansion Association art calendar competition that was announced several weeks ago. ArkansasArtists.com play an important roll in helping organize, create and run the competition along with Ginger Beebe and many other wonderful volunteers from the Governor’s Mansion Association.

Helen tells me that the watercolorist’s exhibit will be displayed for several months so please make it a point to drop by Cantrell Gallery to see all the wonderful art created by some of the most talented artists from our state. Also, join me in congratulating all the artists that participated in the gallery exhibit and I promise you will be captivated by all the exquisite art, not to mention that Helen, Cindy and Clarke are delightful conversationalists so you will not be disappointed when you stop in to view their collection. Cantrell Gallery will soon be one ArkansasArtists.com’s coveted sponsors and we want to welcome and thank them for being part of Arkansas’s best website that showcases Artists from the great State of Arkansas.

2007-07-08T17:28:00.000-07:00

"My emotions, dreams and feelings transformed into the colors and images on the canvas are my paintings."::: Nick Japaridze :::

Greetings Artists and Patrons of ArkansasArtists.com,

My apologies for being remiss in my postings but we have been busy with the Arkansas Governor’s Mansion Art Calendar Competition which is finally coming to an end with the calendar picks being announced this weekend.

Thursday June the 28, I had the pleasure of attending a reception for the newly formed Partners Insurance Agency at Lulav’s Modern Eatery. I got to talk with the President of Partners Insurance Morgan Pile as well as Jay Davidson and the lovely Jennifer Davis. I talked with Matt Lile who is also one of the owners of Lulav. There was an excellent selection of wine, beer, cocktails and some amazing appetizers that were created by the head chef at Lulav which were magnificently delicious. A great time was had by all who attended, as seen above, and the esthetics of the building and the ambiance of the restaurant were delightful. Matt told me he could accommodate as many as 200 people in their reception area and restaurant. After the reception I set with some friends who were eating on the restaurant side and they said the service was awesome and the entrees were absolutely exquisite. They were on they way to see “The Full Monty” which I got a chance to enjoy the last night of the season a week later and I must say, it was a fabulous presentation which had us rolling with laughter in our seats. This coming “Second Friday Art Walk” in beautiful downtown Little Rock you will find me finishing the evening at Lulav restaurant for some of the downtown areas finest dining. I hope to see you there.

Second Friday Art Walk Downtown Little Rock

2007-06-10T15:50:00.000-07:00

Greetings Artists and patrons of ArkansasArtists.com:

The weather was perfect for the Second Friday Art Walk in beautiful downtown Little Rock. The streets were bustling with anxious art patrons and people generally just out for a well earned good time at the end of their busy work week. The trolleys were glistening by in reds and yellows and as you walked by you could hear music and merriment beaming from each establishment. Their were street musicians, dancers and a living Michael Jackson statue (my personal favorite) as you navigated through the multitudes making you way down Clinton Avenue.

It was a business as usual scene at the local art galleries with wine, soft drinks and appetizers but much to my chagrin, I did not get to talk with any featured artists this evening. Feeling rather vexed we moseyed over to Rumbas for a bite to eat out on the back porch where Barrett Baber supplied a delightful repertoire of originals and his renditions of many famous artists. His acoustic guitar sounded awesome and his voice was reminiscence of Dave Mathews. All in all, a great time was had by all who were there.

I had Rumbas’ Cuban style Ahi Tuna with black beans and rice which was absolutely exquisite and the top-shelf margaritas’ were outstanding. We stayed for two or three of Barrett’s sets and bid beautiful downtown Little Rock adieu. So until next time, we hope your glasses stay filled and your expectations are gratified.

M2 Gallery Grand Opening

2007-06-03T12:55:00.000-07:00

M2 Gallery Grand Opening

We have been remiss in posting the last three to four weeks because of the immense flow of art entrees we have had to process for the Arkansas Governor’s Mansion Art Competition. With that said, thank goodness the dead line for entries was Friday June 1st so now we can concentrate on ArkansasArtists.com.

M2 Gallery had their Grand Opening featuring two distinguished Arkansas Artists; V.L. Cox and Jason Gammell. John and Kim Magee, and Mac and Ashley Murphy, the owners of M2 Gallery in the new Pleasant Ridge Town Center on Cantrell in Little Rock, were present and I spoke with them about the interesting artists and the exquisite art on display. M2 is a prestigious gallery with some great artists from our state and around the world. They had live music, wine, beer and some awesome appetizers, so all who attended had a wonderful time.

I got to speak with Jason Gammell about his intriguing style and the way he manipulates his acrylic medium to produce his exceptional abstract renditions of time, space and dimension that seem to draw you into his creation.

I also had the pleasure of visiting with the delightfully perky V.L. Cox who is always a pleasure to talk with. She is one of the most assiduously creative artists that I know, whose genius blend of acrylic, mixed media and excitingly unusual objects will capture you gaze for hours. Each of her pieces is like a marvelous novel that you just can not put down, one that captures your imagination as you try to visualize her inner most emotions.

After our immensely enjoyable tour of the M2 Gallery we walked next door to one of Little Rocks newest sensational restaurants called Crew for an exquisite dinner. I had the delectable grilled yellow fin tuna which was presented in an art like form. The food and the wine were both excellent and the service was outstanding bringing our evening of art, music and dining to a delightful end. I hope to see you next Friday at the 2nd Friday Art Walk in beautiful downtown Little Rock.

Al Hooks Gallery in Eureka Springs Grand Opening

2007-06-03T09:17:00.000-07:00

Al Hooks had the Grand opening for his signature gallery in Eureka Springs the 2nd week in May. The Hooks Gallery is at 7 Center Street in the beautiful down town area of Eureka Springs.

Al is one of our premier artists at ArkansasArtists.com. The next time your in Eureka Springs visit Al's fabulas new gallery and let him know you heard about it here at ArkansasArtists.com.

Friday Night at Cantrell Gallery, May 4, 2007

2007-05-09T20:00:00.000-07:00

Greetings Art Patrons and Arkansas Artists:

Friday night May 4, 2007 was an outstanding night at Cantrell Gallery

The Cantrell Gallery is at 8206 Cantrell in the strip center across from Pavilion in the Park in Little Rock. This evening’s exhibit could have been called City of Angels with an awesome display by Virginia Williamson from Junction City. Virginia, pictured above next to one of her pieces, works in a mixed media of acrylic and oil pastels. This particular piece is done on a sheet of tar paper which makes it particularly unique. I loved her use of a technique double layering acrylic paint then dripping alcohol on it to create beautiful expressions of colors. She also incorporates crushed paper soaked in latex paint and for additional effects she uses scrap pieces found at the local scrap metal yard for emphasis.

Cantrell Gallery was packed for the event and I got to speak with Helen Scott who owns Cantrell Gallery along with her husband Norman. Helen has hundreds of exquisite art works from many different Artists from the State of Arkansas. She is also one of the many galleries’ sponsoring the Arkansas Governor’s Mansion Association art competition project to raise money to purchase art for display in the Governor’s Mansion. ArkansasArtists.com hopes to have Cantrell Gallery as one of our sponsors’s to keep ArkansasArtists.com, the premier web site that showcases Artists from our State, free to our Artists.
After a wonderful visit at the Cantrell Gallery exhibit we went journeyed to the downtown area that was bumper to bumper, after which we decided to sojourn our way to Loco Luna’s for a delightful meal. I had the Voodoo Stew which was delicious, and my son had the Brick Oven Pepperoni Pizza which he claims is the best pizza in town. As we bid you farewell we are looking forward to another wonderful 2nd Friday Art Walk May the 11th in beautiful downtown Little Rock.

Hot Springs First Friday Art Walk, April 6, 2007

2007-04-13T07:51:00.000-07:00

Artists and patrons of ArkansasArtists.com

Last Friday night was the First Friday Art Walk in beautiful down town Hot Springs. The weather was quite brisk but we had a great time. We started out visiting Gallery Central and talking with owner Bess Sanders. Her theme this night was “Horses, Horses, and Horses” and we view some of the most awesome equestrian/horse racing art we have seen. We also had the pleasure of speaking with Gallery Central’s Featured Artist Jan Woods who displayed some exquisitely beautiful horse racing sculptures featured in the pictures below.Next we visited the Artists’ Workshop Gallery a few doors down where we spoke with their Featured Artist Shirley Anderson and view some of her wonderful pastel works. I especially loved the piece titled Alpandiere, Espana as seen in the top left of her picture below. We cut our chilly outing short and had dinner at Ristorante Belle Arti across the street where the cuisine was absolutely outstanding and the service was great. All in all we had an extremely wonderful evening despite the cold and are looking forward to returning to the beautiful city of Hot Springs on the next First Friday Art Walk when the weather should be much more conducive to Gallery hopping. We will be sure to look for you there.

2nd Friday Art Night in Little Rock

2007-03-11T14:36:00.000-07:00

Greetings artists and patrons of ArkansasArtists.com.

Last Friday night was the “2nd Friday Art Night” in beautiful downtown Little Rock in the River Market area. The weather was a little uncooperative with brief sprinkles of rain but the temperature was delightful. I got a chance to talk with Art Space gallery owner Debra Wood as several dozens of art patrons shuffled through admiring all different art mediums from the various talented artists from our state. Her gallery is located at 301 President Clinton Avenue.

We then made our way to talk with Reita Miller, the curator, from the Cox Creative Center on the 2nd and 3rd floors at 120 Commerce Street across from Sticky Fingers. Here we able to talk with a local musician Maria Miller who was entertaining the patrons as they perused the works of many talented artists from the surrounding areas. We also talked with one of the featured artists Bill Lewis, a Michigan native and long-time resident of Little Rock, whose water color renditions, gave us vivid illustrations of the Cliffs of Calico Rock, Carriage Ride, First Steps and Church in Eureka Springs.

The weather broke and gave us a dry pass back to the car where we recounted our wonderful evening that started at Rumbas for some Cuban cuisine and margaritas. All the magnificent art and the wonderful people and gallery owners we got to talk with. Reita Miller and Debra Wood were excited about what were doing with our web site and hopefully both will soon have a presence on ArkansasArtists.com. As we made our way back home we looked forward to another exciting evening in beautiful downtown Little Rock at the next 2nd Friday Art Night.

Gallery Walk of Hot Springs, March 2nd

2007-03-04T13:41:00.000-08:00

Greetings Artists and Art Patrons:

Last night in down town Hot Springs for the First Friday Gallery Walk the City was alive with people. The weather was awesome and I got to meet a lot of very nice art patrons and people. First stop was Gallery Central where I talked with featured Artist Sue Norton-Kent whose long neck ladies were dazzling. Next stop was Legacy Fine Art Gallery where I had a very interesting conversation about world travel and tribal music with Artists D. Arthur and Lisa Wilson who have created individual as well as joint pieces that are simply amazing. My last stop was the Artists Workshop Gallery, a co-op owned by about 20 artists, where I had talked with the featured artist Larry Cloyes who works in pastels and other mediums to create vivid horizons in landscapes.

All in all an exciting time was had by all as we perused the streets of beautiful down town Hot Springs. You will not want to miss the First Friday Gallery Walk in Hot Springs as spring arrives there are many galleries to visit, excellent restaurants with outstanding cuisines and numerous sites to take in. The night life is as exciting as you want to make it.

This Friday is the monthly 2nd Friday Art Night so be sure to join us as we take in the Galleries in beautiful down town Little Rock via the Little Rock Trolley system. You can also visit the historic Kodak Camera exhibit from the collection of Bob Bumgardner at the Historic Arkansas Museum where there will be live music by Cliff and Ken, drinks and hors d’oeuvres, espresso provided by SaraLee and Lavazza Espresso. I will be sure to look for you there.
Lyle Cogbill

Art Demo Day at Fellowship Bible Church

2007-02-19T06:35:00.000-08:00

Our own Barry Thomas and Bob Snider were present for the Art Demo Day at Fellowship Bible Church Special Events Center. It was a wonderful turn out with approximately 200 artists in the audience, preparing for the JONAH Arts Festival and competition. Barry showcased his talents in front of the crowd with an amazing portrait he created using his signature colors and style. The crowd was truly amazed.

Amy Hill-Imler, was the second demonstration artist at the event. Amy is a watermedia and collage artist, who received her formal training at the Art Academy of Cincinatti, Ohio. She has lived in Arkansas since 1975, and has been the President of Mid-Southern Watercolor since 1989. She demonstrated her unique talents to the audience.

Bob Snider, the moderator of the event, got the crowd excited about the upcoming art competition and the JONAH Arts Festival. He had a hand in creating his own version of Jonah , seen in the background. The deadline for registration and entry is March 30th. Entries must be submitted through www.callforentry.org.

Gallery Walk in Hot Springs, Friday, March 2nd

2007-02-18T11:14:00.000-08:00

Greetings Artists and patrons of ArkansasArtists.com,

I wanted to remind you that next Friday night, the first Friday of the month of March, there will be a gallery walk in beautiful downtown Hot Springs. Be sure to stop in try the wonderful Cuban cuisine at Rolando's restaurant. You can even take a margarita to go as you peruse the galleries at your leisure.

Please take the opportunity to make comments on the art and artists you enjoy while taking advantage of the wonder sites in Hot Springs.

Enjoy your weekend,

Lyle Cogbill
Marketing and Sales Manager
ArkansasArtists.com

2007-02-18T07:56:00.000-08:00

Welcome to ArkansasArtists.com Web Blog! Our website has been up and running for a couple of weeks now and we're starting to get some interest. Approximately 20 artists are represented on the site, with lots of wonderful artwork to see. If you look under the "musician" section, we've got our first contributor, "The Bob Boyd Sounds." And if you access their webpage, there's some of their original music in the background. It's kind of a cool webpage.

I wanted to say thanks to all the artists who have contributed so far, and in a few months to a year, I'm expecting to see a lot of interest in the site, from our own hometowns in Arkansas, to across the nation. This next year should be a lot of fun to see how the site grows.

If you have any suggestions, or know of any artists interested in having a webpage, just let us know: arkansasartists@comcast.net. Please check out our website: www.arkansasartists.com. Feel free to comment on the site or any of the artists work.