What's Up - Your guide to what's happening in Fayetteville, AR this week!
Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/1408892
SEPTEMBER 12-28, 2021 WHAT'S UP! 39 CENTRAL ARKANSAS "Golden Life," by Ana Sneeringer, can be seen in the "She Show" exhibit at M2 Gallery in Little Rock. (Special to the Democrat-Gazette/M2 Gallery) "Chair-Desk," found typewriter desk, poplar, paint, by Peter Scheidt, 2015, is part of the exhibit "An Unbroken Circle" at Historic Arkansas Museum. (Special to the Democrat-Gazette/ Peter Scheidt) "Railroad Right-of-Way (Carwash Mitt Log Cabin)," found material, by James Matthews, 2020, is part of the "Unbroken Circle" exhibit at Historic Arkansas Museum. (Special to the Democrat-Gazette/James Matthews) "These Assorted Plates" — transfer prints, ceramic, 1830- 1850, American and British, collection of Historic Arkansas Museum — are included in the "Conspicuous Consumption: If You've Got It, Flaunt It" exhibit at Historic Arkansas Museum. (Special to the Democrat-Gazette /Rett Peek) we like to base major exhibits on items in our collection, we're always thinking about ways to interpret those items." "Conspicuous Consumption" also helps demystify early Arkansas' reputation as an uncultured backwater as craftsmen and artisans began offering goods that were accessible to many Arkansans, says Victoria Chandler, curator of collections at the museum. "This is following our previous exhibit, 'History in Color,' in which we were debunking the myth of the 19th century being this dark, drab world. This is an extension of that," she says. Assistant curator Jessica Lenehan helped Voss and Chandler put the exhibit together. Design elements such as period- correct wallpaper and ornamental painting elements also help viewers get a feel for Victorian era Arkansas, Voss and Chandler add. "As pumped as I am about the beautiful objects that we are displaying, I have to say that the aesthetic decisions we made are just as much of this exhibit as the objects," Voss says. "The stars are a beautiful 1850s Arkansas-made corner cupboard up against that period wallpaper. It's a little time machine to transport you back to what you would have seen somebody's home." Circling Back The works of three disparate artists make up "An Unbroken Circle," now open at Historic Arkansas Museum's Trinity Gallery. The exhibit features photographer Hursley, Matthews' quilts made of found materials and Scheidt's furniture sculptures. "For this exhibit," Voss says in an email, the museum "selected artists who are bound by concept. Timothy [Hursley], James and Peter use creativity and skillful labor to revive objects, structures, and landscapes that might otherwise be considered metaphorically dead. Their thoughtful modifications reinvent cast-off items and invest them with fresh aesthetic meaning while preserving their original histories." Admission to Historic Arkansas Museum galleries is free. Museum hours are 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday; 1-5 p.m. Sunday. The museum is a museum of Arkansas Heritage, a division of the Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism. See arkansasheritage.com for more information. A Show Of Shes Last but not least, creations by women are the focus of the latest bi-annual edition of "She Show" at the newly expanded M2 Gallery, 1300 Main St., Little Rock. "This is always one of our most anticipated shows," gallery owner Ashley Murphy says in a news release. "It's a great exhibition and with our new expansion, it will be bigger and better than ever." The exhibition features 45 local, national and international artists working in a wide range of styles and mediums — paintings, textiles, photography, ceramics, sculptures and more. Among those included are Ana Sneeringer of India, Lahel Fowler of California and Jeaneen Barnhart of Kentucky. Arkansas artists include Milkdadd, Catherine Rodgers, Mabry Turner, Tammy Harrington, Crystal C. Mercer, Tanya Hollifield and many others. The show will also introduce Little Rock wood sculptor Robyn Horn to M2's lineup. And there's another first: The exhibit will mark the debut of the gallery's new upstairs area. Regular gallery hours are 10 a.m. -5 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday and by appointment. See m2lr.com for information.