What's Up - Your guide to what's happening in Fayetteville, AR this week!
Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/1380407
JUNE 6-12, 2021 WHAT'S UP! 5 Kathy Siegfried says "midway through my life and career, I could no longer resist the urge to pick up a brush. When I retired in 2012 and moved from New Jersey to Northwest Arkansas, I discovered a vibrant art community that continues to inspire and support." (Courtesy Image) Carol Hart says her "cousin was an artist, and her encouragement and support made a strong and lasting impression on me. It was a joy to visit her in Black Mountain where we would go to the Arboretum to draw." (Courtesy Image) Judy Maurer says "many years ago, I saw a painting in Tulsa by the Russian trained artist Cyrus Afsary. It was a simple forest scene with magical light. I knew that's how I wanted to paint." (Courtesy Image) Gary Johnson says "after patrons view my art, I hope they walk away with a new found appreciation for the artist and what they create. It's gratifying to have someone actually purchase a piece of art that they like and that I produced. That's the ultimate compliment." (Courtesy Image) Pat Sweeden says "influential artists are the Old Masters like Vermeer and Monet. I'm also inspired by Georgia O'Keeffe, as well as local artist Barbara Kennedy and my teacher and friend Dan Thornhill." (Courtesy Image) A Place To Call Home Artists open new Rogers gallery BECCA MARTIN-BROWN NWA Democrat-Gazette A s a new presence on the Rogers art scene, the Artists of Northwest Arkansas hope to bring to the table "a wide array of art, art workshops, educational opportunities and scholarships, and an organization that artists in the Northwest Arkansas area can belong to and feel welcome," says ANA spokesman Gary Johnson. As an organization, the Artists of Northwest Arkansas have been accomplishing all those things since 1991. The big difference is now the members have a long-term home. "The Board of Directors has been wanting to expand into a larger space for quite some time," says Johnson. "We've rented spaces to hold education meetings, board meetings and workshops, that were adequate; however, [they] didn't always meet the needs of the organization. Further, many of the artists in the organization wanted to have a gallery where they could exhibit their works for sale on a more permanent basis rather than the sporadic monthly shows from galleries in the area. These didn't always allow the artist to show their full range of art with just one showing per year or longer between showings. "This space in Rogers came to us through the Rogers Experimental House," he goes on. "They were seeking a tenant to occupy a portion of the first floor of the building they are in. It fit our overall needs. ANA has never been well known because we haven't had a place to call home. Now that we do, I feel confident that ANA's membership will expand. Our hope is to slowly develop programs to meet the needs of our artists and the art community as a whole." Founded in Fayetteville in October 1991 by artist Beth Vacanti, ANA has hosted shows at the Arts Center of the Ozarks in Springdale, the Fayetteville Community Creative Center, Art Ventures in Fayetteville and the Fayetteville Town Center. Now, 12 charter artists will rotate their work through the Rogers gallery every two months, with an all-member show lasting a month between each rotation, in June, September and December. "The membership has never had this kind of opportunity to hang art three to four times yearly," says Johnson. "The charter artists will hang different art every quarter to keep the public interested. … Our goal is to not have the same pieces hanging forever, as that gets a bit boring. We want repeat visitors and plan to publicize each change of art in social media to inform art patrons throughout the region." Plans also call for a regional or national exhibition during one of those quarters, he adds. "We have a large number of artists on our waiting list who also want to exhibit, and as we reconfigure our available space, we'll slowly add an artist or two to increase our numbers of artists wanting this kind of opportunity," Johnson says. "Our charter artists may FAQ Art On The Bricks Hosted by the Rogers-Lowell Area Chamber of Commerce, the Art on the Bricks art walk takes place from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. the second Thursday of every month. Each month has a theme, which on June 10 will be Art, Antiques & Anime. Dates for the rest of 2021 are July 8, Aug. 12, Sept. 9, Oct. 14, Nov. 11 and Dec. 9. Find out more at artonthe bricks.com. ROGERS See Art Page 6