- University News Archive - ��Vlog��ý Little Rock

��Vlog��ý Little Rock student, longtime friend hold pop-up art show

Ajani Oyindamola — Tue, 03 Sep 2019 12:32:16 +0000

A University of Arkansas at Little Rock student artist and her longtime family friend will display their unique art styles during a debut pop-up show. The show, “Weavings & What Not,” will debut during the SoMa After Dark event on Friday, Sept. 6, from 5-8 p.m. at South Main Creative, 1600 S. Main St., Little Rock. A drawing for a free piece of original art will be held during the debut.�� Cassandra Christ, a junior art history major from Little Rock and Donaghey Scholar, and her longtime friend Jack Foolery, a 64-year-old artist from Little Rock, were inspired to display their weavings, jewelry, poetry, and other art after a shared learning experience. “I taught a basic weaving class at South Main Creative, and Jack took it,” Christ said. “He loved weaving after he took my class. We both incorporate found objects in different ways into our art. I was so curious to see what Jack would come up with because he has such a wacky, creative mind. Jack is an outsider artist since he hasn’t had any formal training. Valerie Wingert, owner of South Main Creative, saw Jack’s art and loved it.”�� Pop-up shows, which are often held in smaller, non-traditional spaces, give young and nontraditional artists the opportunity to get more exposure. Christ and Grace Lytle, a senior art history major, curated South Main Creative’s first pop-up show, “Twenty-somethings,” last March. The show featured several ��Vlog��ý Little Rock student artists and young local artists who displayed ceramics, fine jewelry, paintings, photography, collages, and textile art. Now the store holds up pop-up shows every month.

��Vlog��ý Little Rock art history students Cassy Christ and Grace Lytle organized South Main Creative’s first debut pop-up show, “Twenty-somethings,” in March. Photo by Benjamin Krain.

“We like to bring a bunch of artists to do these pop-ups, and we want to showcase this great variety of artists that we have in Little Rock,” Christ said. “We want to give artists who may not have had the opportunity to show in a gallery. Now we have a platform and a way to share that. Jack has been doing art his whole life and has never had a show, and I think he deserves it. These shows are helping the artists and the community.”�� Christ has known Foolery, who is a college friend of her mother’s, her whole life. The two friends share a love of art that has grown ever since Foolery did fun art projects with Christ as a child. For Christ, the show is a representation of their friendship and how that friendship has inspired them as artists. “I am very excited about the show,” Christ said. “This is a very different experience than the ‘Twenty-somethings’ show, where I also had a curative and administrative role. This show is just about two people, and it’s more personal to us. It’s a reflection of our relationship with each other. You can see some of the things I taught him in his work and some of the things he taught me growing up. It’s a very personal project that I am excited about sharing with people.” “Weavings & What Not” will be on display through Sept. 30. South Main Creative is open 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Tuesday to Saturday and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday. Over the summer, Christ worked as an object research and teacher programming intern at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville. She was responsible for writing content documents about artifacts in Crystal Bridges’ permanent collections that are used as references for docents, and she assisted in teaching art workshops for educators.�� “I loved my internship at Crystal Bridges. During one of the textile workshops, I got to teach weaving to a group of 25 teachers,” Christ said. “I think my experiences at South Main Creative helped me get my foot in the door.”��

Windgate Center freshens galleries with new art, paint

Janea Snyder — Tue, 26 Jun 2018 18:53:07 +0000

New art from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock’s permanent art collection is on display in the Windgate Center for Art and Design through July 20, including three works of art donated or loaned by ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Basketball Coach Darrell Walker and his wife Lisa. The Walkers collect art by modern and contemporary black artists, and their collection has been featured in exhibitions around the country. The couple has donated nine works to the university’s permanent collection and loaned additional works to the curated exhibition currently on display in the Brad Cushman Gallery. Two works included in this exhibition are “Separation II,” a 1998 acrylic on paper work by artist Herbert Gentry, and “Council of Convenience,” a 1995 lithograph by artist Juan Logan.

Separation II by Herbert Gentry

Walker is also loaning “The Heartbeat of Something Unanimous,” a 1990 oil on canvas by artist Moe Brooker to the exhibition. The Cushman Gallery has been newly repainted and the works re-installed. Other additions to “Works from the Permanent Collection” include art by Alice Leora Briggs, Helen Phillips, Francoise Gilot, Elsie Bates Freund, Arnold Zimmerman, Adrian Louis Brewer, Alecia Walls-Barton, Gustave Baumann, Lorre Hoffman, Ron Meyers, Hugo Crosthwaite, Jack Radcliffe, John Harlan Norris, William Bailey, Allison Short, Chris Jenkins, Mamma Andersson, Jockum Nordström, Alex Leme, Jaime Erin Johnson, Robyn Horn, Heidi Hogden, and Trevor Bennett. The exhibition is comprised of drawings and paintings; fine art prints and photographs; sculptural objects, ceramics, and contemporary crafts. The collection represents the work of professional artists with regional, national, and international reputations and art produced by students studying art and design at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. The Brad Cushman Gallery is open 9 a.m.- 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Basketball Coach Darrell Walker poses with an oil painting, “The Heartbeat of Something Unanimous,” by artist Moe Brooker in the Brad Cushman Gallery in the Windgate Center for Art and Design.�� Photo of Benjamin Krain

��Vlog��ý Little Rock to host ‘Estamos Aqui’ exhibit as part of community reading program

Ajani Oyindamola — Mon, 18 Sep 2017 13:06:08 +0000

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock will host an exhibit that features artists exploring their Hispanic and Latin American culture and heritage through contemporary serigraphs, a printed design produced by means of a silkscreen. The “Estamos Aqui (We Are Here)” exhibit will be on display in the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Art Gallery III from Oct. 11 to Nov. 10. The exhibit is part of the National Endowment of the Arts Big Read program, which encourages communities to engage in reading programs and events that broaden understanding of the world and region. Big Read will run from Tuesday, Sept. 19, to Friday, Nov. 3, and will feature presentations, book discussions, film screenings, and related arts programming. Ottenheimer Library is the only library in Arkansas to receive the grant for the program this year. In 1993, Chicano painter and printmaker Sam Coronado of Coronado Studios provided his workspace and equipment for an Artist-in-Residence program in Austin, Texas, where underrepresented artists could learn serigraphy. The residency featured artists from diverse ethnic and professional backgrounds, but was especially known for fostering contemporary printmaking within the Mexican-American and Latino community. The resulting portfolio of prints speaks to the duality of Latino and Chicano artists living and working across the United States and in other countries, exploring their celebrations, sorrows, challenges, popular culture, and personal experiences. The serigraphs feature family and religious symbols, political motifs, Mexican “Lucha Libre” wrestling matches, video and performance art, neighborhood themes, and Mexican graphic traditions.

Delilah Montoya’s 2007 screenprint, “Los Dos Corazones.”

“Featuring vivid colors and sometimes startling imagery, the works in ‘Estamos Aqui’ encourage audiences to ask questions about the nature of cross-cultural exchange and discover how artists find their voice through personal stories and experiences that become part of the artistic process,” ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Gallery Director Brad Cushman said. Curated by Cushman, “Estamos Aqui” is a traveling exhibit that has visited 17 venues in 10 states from 2013 to 2017. The ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Art Gallery is located in the Fine Arts Building. The gallery is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, and 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday. For more information, contact Cushman at becushman@ualr.edu or 501.569.8977. In the upper right photo,��Quintin Gonzalez’s 2007 screenprint, “Chicano 15,” is among the works that will be on display in the “Estamos Aqui” exhibit at the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Art Gallery.��

New ��Vlog��ý Little Rock photography club holds first exhibit

Ajani Oyindamola — Thu, 10 Aug 2017 18:06:16 +0000

University of Arkansas at Little Rock graduates and students have started a new photography club and are displaying their skills at the club’s first photo exhibit at the.�� The exhibit, will run Aug. 11 until Oct. 8. A reception for the artists will be held during the Second Friday Art Walk from 5-8 p.m. Friday, Aug. 11, at Historic Arkansas Museum, 200 E. Third St. in Little Rock. Participating artists include Benjamin Deaton, Megan Douglas, Jessica Frazier, Robert Harpool, Trinity Kai, Rayna Mackey, Adrian Quintanar, Nathaniel Roe, Alecia Walls-Barton, Craig Wynn, and Dylan Yarbrough. Rayna Mackey, a 2017 ��Vlog��ý Little Rock graduate and photographer, said alumni and students were inspired to form the club to share their love of fine arts photography. “The name ‘No-Type’ came about because, as a group, no one specific type of photography is used with mediums ranging from digital to analog to alternative process photography,” Mackey said. In the exhibit, No-Type members portray the theme of identity through their own definitions and artistic photography styles. “Identity is conceived from personal circumstances and conditions a person is born into,” Mackey said. “These factors can shape how an individual aligns themselves with reality. Throughout life, experiences can morph an individual’s beliefs and the perceptions of an individual, including how others perceive them.” ��

‘Nasty Woman’ exhibit coming to ��Vlog��ý Little Rock

Ajani Oyindamola — Tue, 06 Jun 2017 13:56:40 +0000

An art exhibit celebrating the female voice in art will be shown June 14 to Aug. 25 at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. “The show explores topics dealing with the woman’s perspective, from reflection on historic female figures to contemporary issues surrounding the female body, the political climate, and varied iterations of the experience of being a 21st century woman,” said Margo Duvall, assistant professor of art at Henderson State University and the show’s curator. The “Nasty Woman” exhibit will be on display in Gallery 1 of the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Fine Arts Building. A closing reception featuring talks with Duvall and participating artists will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. Friday, Aug. 18. The work of three ��Vlog��ý Little Rock faculty members will be featured in the “Nasty Woman” exhibit. Several of the artists included in the exhibition have studied art at and graduated from ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. Mia Hall, interim chair of the Department of Art and Design, Joli Livaudais, assistant professor of photography, and Heidi Hogden, visiting professor of painting, are among the 36 female artists from across the nation whose work was selected for the show. Livaudais’ work, “The Mother, Exhumed,” is a life-size casting of a woman’s upper body made from epoxy resin and photographs of bees and beehives. “It ought to be a really great show, and I am proud to be in the company of so many fierce women artists,” Livaudais said. The title of the show, “Nasty Woman,” which was first displayed at Henderson State in March to celebrate Women’s History Month, stems from comments made during the 2016 presidential election.

Joli Livaudais’ work, “The Mother, Exhumed,” will be on display at the “Nasty Woman” exhibit at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock.

During the third debate in October 2016, President Donald Trump responded to a comment made about him by Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, who was answering a question about social security, by remarking,.” On Twitter, #NastyWoman was trending within minutes. “While it was first mentioned in a derogatory context, it has become a uniting force among women across the globe,” Duvall said. “For many, it represents strength, unity, and the ability to use one’s voice to be heard. The participating artists interpret their reactions through a dynamic use of photography, printmaking, painting, sculpture, and video pieces.” Participating artists include: Zina Al-Shukri, Heather Beckwith, Darcie Beeman-Black, Megan Berner, Cynthia Buob, Beverly Buys, Susan Chambers, Melissa Cowper-Smith, Norwood Creech, Nancy Dunaway, Margo Duvall, Melissa Gill, Mia Hall, Louise Halsey, Diane Harper, Tammy Harrington, Heidi Hogden, Robyn Horn, Erin House, Jeanie Hursley, Catherine Kim, Kimberly Kwee, Joli Livaudais, Angie Macri, Hannah May, Rosemary Meza-DesPlas, Catherine Siri Nugent Laura Raborn, Emily Rogers, Dina Ropele Santos, Dominique Simmons, Kasten Searles, Katherine Strause, Brittany Wilder, Kat Wilson, and Miranda Young-Rice. The ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Art Gallery is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Admission is free. For more information, contact Brad Cushman at becushman@ualr.edu or 501.569.8977 or Margo Duvall at duvallm@hsu.edu or 870.230.5207. In the upper right photo, Zina Al-Shukri’s charcoal drawing, “Gushing with Confidence and Jealousy,” is one of the works on display in the��“Nasty Woman” exhibit at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock.��

Boswell Mourot Gallery will display Brad Cushman’s art

Ajani Oyindamola — Thu, 01 Jun 2017 17:21:37 +0000

New etchings and paintings from Brad Cushman, the director of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock Art Gallery, will be on display at from June 10 to July 1.�� An opening reception for the exhibit, “Though False Intended True,” will be held from 6-9 p.m. Saturday, June 10, at Boswell Mourot Gallery, 5815 Kavanaugh Blvd. in Little Rock. Landscapes, trees and their reflections, weathered surfaces, and textures have inspired this series of paintings and mixed media works. “Cushman is drawn to the expressive use of color and texture,” said Kyle Boswell, owner of Boswell Mourot Gallery. “He manipulates paint with brushes, his fingers, and rollers used for relief printing. He wipes the surfaces of these paintings on paper and on board much like a printmaker hand wipes plates.” The exhibit will also feature two new political satire paintings and gestural drawings inspired by Van Gogh’s peasant drawings. Cushman received a Master of Fine Arts in painting from the Cranbrook Academy of Art. He is the voice of “Picture This” on the Little Rock NPR stations, and he produces a television show entitled “Inside Art” in conjunction with University Television at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock.

Brad Cushman’s painting, “Rivercrest II”

Chancellor Rogerson’s landscape paintings on display May 9-31

Ajani Oyindamola — Fri, 28 Apr 2017 13:15:12 +0000

At the age of 18, Andrew Rogerson made a decision that would affect the rest of his life. Should he follow his love of art or his passion for science?�� “Since the age of 14, I have painted very seriously in oils,” said Rogerson, chancellor of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. “When I was 18, I had to make a decision on whether to become a scientist or go to the Glasgow School of Art. I chose science, but never lost my love of art.” While following a distinguished career in research and higher education, Rogerson continued his artistic pursuits as a painter and photographer. Rogerson’s landscape paintings, as well as highlighted works from the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Annual Student Competition, will be on display from May 9-31 at the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Art Gallery 1 in the Fine Arts Building. The exhibition is part of Rogerson’s investiture celebration, with the ceremony taking place at 3 p.m. Thursday, May 11, at the Jack Stephens Center on the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock campus. “Andrew Rogerson paints landscapes with a photographer’s vision,” ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Gallery Director Brad Cushman said. “The world as seen through a lens influences his view of the natural world. His paintings are often the result of photographs he has taken that inspires him to reinterpret the image through painting.” Rogerson’s paintings have been influenced by the places he has lived during his career as a microbiologist, research scientist, professor, and administrator. They include landscapes from the lush green of Scotland to the coastlines of northern California as well as the mangrove ecosystems in coastal Florida and the verdant landscapes of central Arkansas. The exhibit is free and open to the public. The ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Art Gallery 1 is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. For more information, contact ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Gallery Director Brad Cushman at becushman@ualr.edu or 501.569.8977.

Chancellor Andrew Rogerson’s work, “Riding with Jack, Granny Hollow Road,” is one of 12 paintings that will be on display from May 9-31 at the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Art Gallery 1.

��Vlog��ý Little Rock to host exhibits featuring final work of graduating students

Ajani Oyindamola — Fri, 21 Apr 2017 15:00:12 +0000

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock will host three spring exhibits featuring the work of graduating art students.�� The first exhibit features the capstone projects of graduating art students and will be on display from April 21 to May 8 in the Maners/Pappas Gallery in the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Art Gallery. The exhibit will include the work of Andrea Clark, Hannah Klenk, Hillary Klenk, Laura Montalvan, Taylor Nolley, Matthew Radcliff, Sydney Reid, Sarah Sikes, and Mira Warg. �� A second exhibit will highlight the art of ��Vlog��ý Little Rock seniors earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts. The BFA Senior Exhibition will be on display from April 22 to May 8 in Gallery III.

Cali Moritz’s “The Creator”

This exhibit features the illustrations of Zachary Tallent, the paintings of Cali Moritz, the photography of Trinity Lovell, and the drawings and paintings of Jordan Lyn Gribble. A reception for the two exhibits will be held from 5-7 p.m. Saturday, April 22, at the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Art Gallery. A thesis exhibition for Matt TerAvest, who is earning a master’s degree, will be on display from May 15 to June 6 in the Maners/Pappas Gallery. All exhibitions are free and open to the public. The ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Art Gallery is located in the Fine Arts Building and is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. For more information, contact ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Gallery Director Brad Cushman at becushman@ualr.edu or 501.569.8977.

��Vlog��ý Little Rock to host photo shoot for dogs April 1

Ajani Oyindamola — Wed, 15 Mar 2017 13:42:36 +0000

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock will hold a photo shoot for man’s best friend on Saturday, April 1.�� During the “Puppy Mugs” event, student and faculty photographers from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock will take portraits of dogs to raise money for programs in the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Department of Art and Design. The pet portrait fundraiser will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Fine Arts Building Room FA267. The photographers will use classic solid backdrops and fashion lighting to make each four-legged friend look his or her best. The cost is $25 for two 5×7 pictures or one 8×10 picture or a digital file of the photo. For more information, contact Carey Roberson at cwroberson@ualr.edu or Joli Livaudais at jklivaudais@ualr.edu or 501.569.3182. ��

Donors pledge nearly $500k for art and design scholarships

Ajani Oyindamola — Thu, 23 Feb 2017 19:41:14 +0000

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock has raised nearly $500,000 for endowed scholarship funds for art and design students.�� Tom Clifton, dean of the College of Arts, Letters, and Sciences, announced the scholarship campaign progress during a Feb. 23 topping out ceremony at the site of the future Windgate Center of Art + Design, located on the northeast corner of campus off 28th Street near Fair Park and Boulevard. “The Windgate Center is the culmination of a 22-year relationship with the Windgate Foundation,” Clifton said. “As our commitment, the university has promised to raise $3 million in scholarships for students attending this art school.” Construction is 25 percent complete on the new state-of-the-art educational facility scheduled to be completed in November and open Jan. 8, 2018. The new center is funded by a $20.3 million gift from the Windgate Charitable Foundation. After the new building was announced, the university launched a $3 million endowed scholarship campaign to make art and design education more affordable to students. During the ceremony, Nabholz construction officials raised a 400-pound beam — signed by Robyn Horn of the Windgate Charitable Foundation, Chancellor Andrew Rogerson and his wife, Janessa, as well as donors and art faculty — to the top floor of the Windgate Center. The American and Arkansas flags as well as a ceremonial tree lie on top of the beam.

Nabholz construction officials raise a 400-pound beam to the top floor of the Windgate Center on Feb. 23. Photo by Lonnie Timmons III/��Vlog��ý Little Rock Communications.

The Windgate Center shows the university’s commitment to providing a high-quality and affordable educational experience for art and design students in central Arkansas. “Current studies are showing that creative industries account for about one in six jobs,” Rogerson said. “It’s imperative that we include liberal arts as an equally valuable education component. Today, employers are seeking students with an arts and design background. They have the skills for a creative workforce, and employers value abilities in communication, collaboration, critical thinking, and problem solving.” In addition to educational programs in art and design, the Windgate Center will provide non-credit classes open to the community as well as art exhibitions, workshops, and lectures. The Windgate Center will become a premier gathering place for the arts in Little Rock. The ceremony was broadcast live on Facebook and a replay can be viewed at . Contact the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Office of Alumni and Development at 501-569-8326 or visit to support art and design scholarship at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. In the upper right photo, donors, art faculty, and administrators sign the beam that marks the highest point of the Windgate Center of Art + Design at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. Pictured, from left to right, are Win Bruhl, Deborah Baldwin, Belinda Schultz, Janessa Rogerson, and Anne Mourning. Photo by Lonnie Timmons III/��Vlog��ý Little Rock Communications.��

- University News Archive - ����Vlog��ý Little Rock

����Vlog��ý Little Rock student, longtime friend hold pop-up art show

Windgate Center freshens galleries with new art, paint

����Vlog��ý Little Rock to host ‘Estamos Aqui’ exhibit as part of community reading program

New ����Vlog��ý Little Rock photography club holds first exhibit

‘Nasty Woman’ exhibit coming to ����Vlog��ý Little Rock