The Arkansas Arts Council has announced artists for the 2023 Small Works on Paper touring exhibition that will open Wednesday, Jan. 4, at the South Arkansas Arts Center, 110 East 5th St., El Dorado. Small Works on Paper is a juried visual art exhibition that showcases artwork no larger than 18 inches by 24 inches.
The exhibition spotlights Arkansas artists who are members of the Arkansas Artist Registry, an online gallery designed to promote and market Arkansas art. Every year, an out-of-state juror selects works for Small Works on Paper from submissions by Registry members.
There will be an opening reception and artist talk on Saturday, Jan. 21, 2023, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at the South Arkansas Arts Center.
“In its 36th year, Small Works on Paper highlights the work of emerging visual artists and fosters their individual talents,” said Stacy Hurst, secretary of the Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism. “The exhibition travels the state, giving Arkansans the opportunity to view and appreciate the work of our local artists.”
The 2023 exhibition will feature 27 artists from across Arkansas and will tour to nine venues statewide. Forty artworks will be on display during the year-long tour. Most works will be available for sale. Admission to the exhibition and Jan. 21 reception are free. The exhibition will run through Jan. 30 at the South Arkansas Arts Center, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Mondays through Fridays. A list of the tour stops for 2023 is available at www.arkansasarts.org.
The 2023 Small Works on Paper entries were juried by Margaret LeJeune, associate professor of photography in the Department of Art and Design at Bradley University in Peoria, Illinois. LeJeune reviewed approximately 275 submitted artworks to select the 40 pieces that are part of the Small Works on Paper exhibition. She also selected five works to receive purchase awards, which are cash prizes equivalent to the value of the artworks. Purchase award pieces become part of the Small Works on Paper permanent collection.
“Small Works on Paper provides an opportunity for new artists to share their portfolios and their insights into the world around them,” said Patrick Ralston, Arkansas Arts Council director. “Through the years, this annual glimpse into the minds and studios of Arkansas’s best artists shows us an evolving reflection of art and culture in Arkansas.”
The artists selected to participate in the exhibit are:
- Tony Baker, Little Rock
- Judith Beale, Jacksonville
- Dustyn Bork, Batesville
- Maria Botti Villegas, El Dorado
- Barbara Cade, Hot Springs
- Gary Cawood, Little Rock
- Terra Fondriest, St. Joe
- Diane Harper, Little Rock
- Neal Harrington, Russellville
- Carol Hart, Fayetteville
- Leigh Jacobs, Little Rock
- Ekaterina Kouznetsova, Bentonville
- Rhaelene Lowther, Magnolia
- Mandy Mooneyham, Paragould
- Jennifer O’Brien, Little Rock
- Rashawn Penister, Pine Bluff
- David Rackley, Russellville
- Tom Richard, Monticello
- Sabine Schmidt, Fayetteville
- Suzannah Schreckhise, Fayetteville
- Trevor Segraves, Siloam Springs
- Dominique Simmons, Little Rock
- Gary Simmons, Hot Springs
- Adrienne Thompson, Little Rock
- Marcus Vasquez, North Little Rock
- Jan Waldon, Bentonville
- Anna Zusman, Magnolia
For more information about Small Works on Paper, contact Cheri Leffew, special events/projects manager, at [email protected] or call 501-324-9767.
