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

��Vlog��ý Little Rock to Host Artist Kukuli Velarde as Windgate Distinguished Lecturer

John Hill — Mon, 12 Dec 2022 13:34:07 +0000

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock will welcome acclaimed Peruvian American artist Kukuli Velarde as the next Windgate Distinguished Lecture Series featured artist for the Spring 2023 Semester. “We are genuinely excited for the opportunity to host Kukuli Velarde and her CORPUS exhibit at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock,” said Nathan Larson, interim art gallery director at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. “This exhibition offers an insight into how our contemporary culture is the product of decades and centuries of assimilation and overlapping of cultures from across the globe.” The Windgate Distinguished Lecture Series, which began in 2020, is a lecture series that brings nationally known scholars, artists, makers, and art and craft influencers to ��Vlog��ý Little Rock on an annual basis. The series is funded by a grant from the Windgate Foundation. Based in Philadelphia, Velarde is a multi-talented artist working in ceramic, painting, drawing, and installation. Much of her work draws on pre-Columbian traditional forms and iconographies, highlighting colonized and syncretic identities and aesthetic systems. Her latest exhibit, “Kukuli Velarde: CORPUS,” will be on display from Monday, Jan. 9, to Friday, March 3, 2023, in the Brad Cushman Gallery in the Windgate Center of Art and Design. The Windgate Distinguished Lecture, “A Voice of My Own,” will begin at 6 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 24, 2023, in the Stella Boyle Smith Concert Hall in the Fine Arts Building. The lecture will be followed by a reception from 7-8:30 p.m. in the second-floor lobby of the Windgate Center. During her visit, Velarde will also visit classes and review artwork with ��Vlog��ý Little Rock students. CORPUS is comprised of ceramic and fabric works that encourage reflection on the meaning of survival in the face of colonialism. Fifteen ceramic sculptures, each with matching tapestries, will be presented in a symbolic representation of the annual Corpus Christi festival in Cusco, Perú. The sculptures reference indigenous pre-Columbian forms and iconographies in a visual representation of syncretic aesthetic, cultural, and religious traditions. “Kukuli blends the imagery and ceramic forms of Pre-Columbian Peruvian cultures with the Catholic imagery brought by the colonizing conquistadors to create a visual voice uniquely her own,” Nathan Larson, interim art gallery director at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. “But this voice is deeply rooted in the culture of assimilation; the culture she grew up in and the culture she now re-represents for us.” Velarde received a BFA from Hunter College in New York City. She is the recipient of such awards as the John Simon Guggenheim Fellowship (2015), Pollock-Krasner Foundation grant (2012), and Joan Mitchell Foundation grant (1997). Her work can be found in the collections of Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Lima, Perú; Museum of Fine Arts, Houston; and the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, among many others. The ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Art Gallery is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. Saturday, and 2-5 p.m. Sunday. For more information, contact 501-916-5104 or email Larson at nglarson@ualr.edu.

��Vlog��ý Little Rock Holiday Art Sales Returns Dec. 1-2

John Hill — Mon, 28 Nov 2022 13:46:09 +0000

It’s the most wonderful time of the year for art lovers! ��Vlog��ý Little Rock will host its annual Department of Art and Design Holiday Art Sale on Thursday, Dec. 1, and Friday, Dec. 2. The holiday sale will be held from 6-9 p.m. Thursday and 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Friday in the Windgate Center of Art and Design. Patrons who attend the sale will have the chance to purchase a wide array of unique and beautiful items from the students, faculty, and staff in the Department of Art and Design. The Holiday Art Sale gives student artists a chance to learn about the fast-paced world of buying and selling art and what it takes to earn a living as an artist. This sale, which is free to attend and open to the public, is a great opportunity to buy handmade holiday gifts from local artists while also supporting ��Vlog��ý Little Rock students. “This is a great time to come check out the Windgate Center of Art and Design and see what the students, faculty, and alumni are making,” said Kensuke Yamada, assistant professor of ceramics. “It’s been three years since we’ve been able to hold the Holiday Art Sale, and there is a lot of anticipation for everyone to show their best work and holiday cheer.” The event will also feature music, hot cocoa, faculty art demonstrations, and more. For more information, contact Prof. Yamada at kyamada@ualr.edu.

��Vlog��ý Little Rock to Host Art Exhibit Featuring Faculty Work

John Hill — Mon, 24 Oct 2022 18:36:11 +0000

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock Art Gallery will host its Faculty Biennial Exhibition from Oct. 24 to Nov. 18 in the Brad Cushman Gallery in the Windgate Center of Art and Design. The group exhibition, which is free and open to the public, features studio art and design created by the faculty members in the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Department of Art and Design. A reception for the exhibit will be held from 5:30-7 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 18, in the Windgate Center. The exhibit will include work by Robert Bean, Kevin Cates, Jeremy Couch, Liz Koerner, Joli Livaudais, Lydia Martin, Alexander Mirzoyan, Peter Scheidt, Krista Schoening, John Shea, Ricky Sikes, Rachel Spencer, David Warren, Michael Warrick, and Kensuke Yamada. The studio disciplines featured in the exhibit include drawing, printmaking, photography, painting, graphic design, metals, ceramics, and various sculptural processes. The ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Art Gallery is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. Saturday, and 2-5 p.m. Sunday. For more information, contact 501-916-5104 or email Nathan Larson, interim gallery director, at nglarson@ualr.edu.

��Vlog��ý Little Rock ArtWORKS Lecture Series to Feature Elaine Grogan Luttrull Oct. 14

John Hill — Wed, 12 Oct 2022 13:14:19 +0000

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock will present an evening with Elaine Grogan Luttrull on Friday, Oct. 14. The free public lecture, “Financial Wellness in the Arts,” will begin at 6 p.m. in room 101 of the Windgate Center of Art and Design as part of the artWORKS lecture series. Luttrull will explain how professionals working in the arts can build healthy financial habits despite common challenges in managing cash flow and relying on uncertain sources of income. Topics will include reviewing a framework for managing income and expenses, listing key metrics to build wealth, describing how to diversify income to meet expense needs, and drafting next steps for future planning. Luttrull is the founder of Minerva Financial Arts, a company that builds financial literacy and empowerment through education and coaching. Her workshops and presentations have been featured nationally by art groups, several state and regional arts councils and commissions, and colleges and universities. Luttrull taught at the Columbus College of Art and Design for 10 years, including four years as the department head for Business and Entrepreneurship. Before that, she served as the director of financial analysis for the Juilliard School and in the Transaction Advisory Services practice of Ernst & Young in New York. She is the author of “Arts & Numbers: A Financial Guide for Artists, Writers, Performers, and Other Members of the Creative Class.” She also contributes to creative industry guides, including those from the and the . The ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Department of Art and Design’s artWORKS 2022 lecture series provides community events each year dedicated to the visual arts. For more information, visit .

��Vlog��ý Little Rock to Host Oct. 6 Artist Talk with Margo Duvall

John Hill — Fri, 30 Sep 2022 13:00:34 +0000

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock will host an artist talk with fine art photographer and art educator Margo Duvall Thursday, Oct. 6. Duvall, a visiting professor of photography at the University of the Ozarks, will give a presentation on her photography exhibit, “All She Needed to Do,” that is currently on display in the Focus Gallery in the Windgate Center of Art and Design at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock through Oct. 7. The artist talk, which is free and open to the public, will begin at 6 p.m. in Room 101 of the Windgate Center and will be followed by a reception. Duvall’s photography exhibit focuses on preserving the photographs of her beloved grandmother, Bobbie Jones, who passed away at age 96. The photographs capture Duvall’s grandmother’s love, laughter, pain, struggle, and joy. “She had 96 incredible years. The traces of these 96 years are there in her photographs. And now we are left to sift through what remains,” Duvall said. “The moments captured… the special occasions, the mundane, the beauty of youth, the good ole days… are all frozen in time and held still in the emulsion. This work attempts to hold those traces close, to give them space and another life. Some images attempt to recreate her moments through a modern lens. Some images just treasure the stillness that is… what remains.” An artist and educator from Little Rock, Duvall’s work investigates photography’s role in the development of memory and identity through traditional photography methods as well as installation-based pieces. She earned her bachelor’s degree in studio art from Humboldt State University in 2005 and her Master of Fine Arts in Photography from San Jose State University in 2009. She has taught at numerous colleges and universities including Henderson State University, University of California, Berkeley, University of Nevada, Reno, San Jose State University. The exhibit is on display from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday in the Focus Gallery in the Windgate Center of Art and Design on the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock campus. For more information, contact Focus Gallery Director Joli Livaudais at jklivaudais@ualr.edu.

��Vlog��ý Little Rock to Open ‘Ghosts of a Dead Flame’ Exhibit Oct. 3

John Hill — Fri, 30 Sep 2022 12:37:12 +0000

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock will open the exhibit, “Ghosts of a Dead Flame,” on Oct. 3. The new exhibit by John Shea, professor of ceramics at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, will run from Oct. 3-28 in the Ann Maners and Alex Pappas Gallery in the Windgate Center of Art and Design. The exhibit is free and open to the public. The exhibit features abstract geometric ceramic sculptures that focus on perceptions of metaphor. A metaphor is an abstract form of communication where two different ideas or meanings are coupled, but those ideas and meanings are understood through shared language and culture. However, metaphors shared across cultures and language groups are often hard to understand and can get lost in translation. The abstract ceramic forms in “Ghost of a Dead Flame” represent the artist physically and visually working out how two different ideas or meanings – the soft forms combined with the angular forms – come together to create singular, understood objects or ideas. “The work is a reflection of my own personal interest in the way that abstraction acts as both an indicator of an individual as well as a kind of collective meaning that coalesces around random matter,” Shea said. “The way it both is and isn’t something recognizable at the same time.” Shea holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the School for American Crafts at the Rochester Institute of Technology and a Master of Fine Arts from the University of Wisconsin – Madison. He has worked as a resident artist at the University of Montevallo and an artist for Bullseye Glass and Mudshark Studios in Portland, Oregon. The ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Art Gallery is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday or by appointment. For more information, contact 501-916-5104 or email Nathan Larson, interim gallery director, at nglarson@ualr.edu.

��Vlog��ý Little Rock to Host Arts and Business Panel Discussion

John Hill — Mon, 19 Sep 2022 14:10:32 +0000

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock is working to connect the arts and business through an upcoming panel discussion. The panel discussion is set for Wednesday, Sept. 21, at 9:30 a.m. in the Reynolds Business Building Auditorium Room 103. As part of the panel, the participants will discuss how art and business are connected and the importance of philanthropy in supporting students in both fields. Panelists Include:

Leslye Shellam, Donor to the L. Dickson Flake Endowed Scholarship and donor of the Linda Blaine Flake Endowed Art Student Scholarship
2022-2023 Flake Scholarship Recipients: Ashley Lawrence, Lamar Townsend, Kailey Whitaker, and Annika Wade
Michael Johnson, Director of Development for the College of Business, Health, and Human Services
Joseph Lampo, Director of Development for the College of Humanities, Arts, Social Sciences, and Education

In addition to the panel discussion, the scholarship recipients for the L. Dickson Flake Endowed Scholarship and the Linda Blaine Flake Endowed Art Student Scholarship will be recognized. Wednesday’s presentation is a first for ��Vlog��ý Little Rock to combine the business school and students from the Windgate Center for Art + Design art students in one scholarship presentation to show a greater benefit to the community. To learn more about other advancement opportunities at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, visit /development. In the upper right photo, ��Vlog��ý Little Rock studio art major Caleb LeFevre, left, presented philanthropist Leslye Shellam with a charcoal drawing during a celebration of World Art Day in 2021. Photo by Ben Krain.

��Vlog��ý Little Rock, Syrian Emergency Task Force to Host Three-Day Caesar Exhibit by Syrian Military Photographer

John Hill — Thu, 15 Sep 2022 14:00:27 +0000

The , in partnership with the University of Arkansas at Little Rock Middle Eastern Studies Program, is hosting a three-day Caesar exhibit from Sept. 21-23 on documented human rights atrocities and mass graves in Syria. The Caesar exhibit is a traveling exhibit that showcases 30 photographs of the 55,000 smuggled out of Syria by a former Syrian military photographer, pseudonym “Caesar,” documenting the brutal torture of thousands of men, women, and children by the Assad regime inside its prisons. The exhibit will be located in the Ann Maners and Alex Pappas Gallery in the Windgate Center of Art and Design at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. Caesar’s photos constitute first-hand documentation of the scale and brutality of the atrocities perpetrated by the Assad regime. They have been verified by the FBI’s International Human Rights Unit. These photographs and other documents, known as the “Caesar files,” currently serve as key evidence in many prosecution cases against members of the Assad regime. Previous exhibits have been held in various prestigious institutions, such as the US Congress, the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C., the United Nations Headquarters in New York, the Nobel Peace Center in Norway, the European Parliament, the United Kingdom parliament, as well as prestigious universities such as Harvard, Princeton, Yale, and Georgetown. The Caesar exhibit will conclude with a panel of experts at 5 p.m. Friday, Sept. 23, in Room 101 at the Windgate Center. The panelists will discuss a range of topics related to justice and accountability concerning the Caesar files. Dr. Katrina Yeaw, coordinator of Middle Eastern Studies at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, will moderate the panel. Those interested . The panelists include Congressman French Hill, U.S. Rep. for Arkansas’s 2nd Congressional District; Mouaz Moustafa, executive director of the Syrian Emergency Task Force, and Omar Alshogre, Syrian activist and former political detainee. Parking for the events are in lots 14 and 15 on the campus.

Stewart Gains Valuable Experience Through Internship with Johnny Cash Sculptor Kevin Kresse

John Hill — Fri, 26 Aug 2022 13:19:42 +0000

Nicole Stewart, a junior studio art major at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, had a rare opportunity to work on a public sculpture that will be placed in the U.S. Capitol Building after interning with Johnny Cash sculptor Kevin Kresse this summer. The National Statuary Hall Steering Committee selected Kresse, a ��Vlog��ý Little Rock alumnus and skilled artist, in June 2021 to create an eight-foot-tall bronze statue of the country music star as one of two new statues that will represent Arkansas in the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington, D.C. Idaho artist Benjamin Victor is creating the second statue of Daisy Bates, a civil rights leader and journalist. As part of her internship, Stewart has worked on the Cash sculpture throughout the summer and has learned all the “tips and tricks” that go into creating a sculpture. Stewart equates interning with Kresse to “learning karate from Mr. Miyagi.” While already a fan of Cash, Stewart said she’s learned a lot more about the musician’s activism and good works during her internship. “We’ve talked a lot about his activism and his work with prisoners,” Stewart said. “I like working on something that talks about Johnny Cash, his message, and what he stood for. It’s pretty amazing to be a part of documenting someone so important in history that is being immortalized in the nation’s capital. It’s a great honor to work with Kevin on that.” Stewart met Kresse while working on the 7th Street Mural Project together in downtown Little Rock. Stewart later told Michael Warrick, a professor emeritus of art at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, that she would like to intern with Kresse. Warrick, who is a longtime friend and sculptor partner with Kresse, was happy to connect the two. “Nicole is the third intern I’ve had from sculpture majors that’s worked with him over the years,” Warrick said. “It’s a great opportunity to have a young artist work with a senior artist to gain knowledge and skills and perspective. Nicole is one of the best. She was my studio assistant this summer for the two artWAYS workshops I did. Her energy, her aptitude, and her skill set is out of the box and through the roof.” Kresse identified Stewart as a “dynamo” who has stepped up to help him complete the Cash project this summer. “When I was having a rough week, Nicole was jumping in, and I realized what a great eye she has,” Kresse said. “I told my wife that I can tell more at this age which young artists will make it through their personality if they have the grit and determination to do it, rather than seeing their portfolio. She has the work ethic and the eye and the grit to become a great artist.”

��Vlog��ý Little Rock alum Kevin Kresse, right, and assistant Nicole Stewart, left, work on a clay model of Arkansas music legend Johnny Cash at the Windgate Center of Art + Design from which a bronze statue will be cast. Photo by Ben Krain.

When Stewart joined ��Vlog��ý Little Rock in 2018, she saw it as a second chance to complete her college education. After graduating from high school in 1999, Stewart attended community college for a short time before beginning a career in event planning and catering. “At first, it was intimidating to come back to college,” Stewart said. “A lot has changed since 1999. I’ve been really fortunate to have all these incredible mentors. It’s been really inspiring for me. Even though I am in my 40s, I’m so happy I came back. I’ve had great experiences at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. Plus, I came back right when they opened this new art building. I came back at the perfect time to pursue art.” Stewart will graduate from ��Vlog��ý Little Rock in 2023 with a bachelor’s degree in studio art focusing on sculpture and a minor in applied design focusing on ceramics. While she had previously given art up for 15 years before going back to college, Stewart is more dedicated than ever to having art in her life, participating in everything from sculpting and painting to insect taxidermy and bone carving. “Art is a buffet, and I want to take a bite out of all of it,” she said.

Artist Kevin Kresse Brings Music Icon Johnny Cash to Life

John Hill — Fri, 29 Jul 2022 12:53:28 +0000

��Vlog��ý Little Rock alumnus and famed Arkansas artist has spent the past year of his life taking on a monumental task – creating an 8-foot-tall statue that will capture the life and legacy of country music icon Johnny Cash. Once complete, this bronze statue will grace the halls of the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington, D.C., where statues representing our nation’s best reside for all to see. Kresse, of Little Rock, showed off his work while visiting with members of the public July 25-28 at the Windgate Center of Art and Design at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock and was moved by the community’s reaction to his work. “So many people came through, and it was a very rewarding experience,” Kresse said. “I had some people who got emotional seeing it, and that’s always a good sign in my business. It’s difficult assessing your own work when you are in the middle of it. I’m at a point where I am feeling very happy about the piece.” Members of the community were fascinated by Kresse’s work. Klansee Tozer, a senior graphic designer at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, said she and her daughter, Lani, were blown away by seeing the clay model of the statue up close in person. “Walking in, it was very big, massive is what came to mind,” Tozer said. “Seeing it up close, I could see the texture of the clay and how he worked his magic to form this realistic image of Johnny Cash. It was very breathtaking. I am just impressed by Kresse’s talent, and that Arkansas is being represented by this great ��Vlog��ý Little Rock artist.” Arkansas currently has statues of attorney Uriah Rose and U.S. Sen. and former Gov. James Clarke on display at the U.S. Capitol. Both statues are more than a century old. In 2019, the state legislature approved legislation replacing them with statues of Cash and Daisy Gatson Bates, a renowned civil rights activist. Gov. Asa Hutchinson created the National Statuary Hall Steering Committee to oversee the replacement of the state’s two statues. The committee selected Kresse to create the Cash statue in June 2021.

KARK interviews Kevin Kresse about his Johnny Cash Sculpture during a public visit at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock.

Born in 1932 in Kingsland, Arkansas, Cash moved with his family at age 3 to live in the Eastern Arkansas farming community of Dyess, which was created in 1934 as part of President Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal program. Arkansas State University restored the Cash family home and opened it as a museum in 2014. Kresse’s statue represents Cash during the golden age of his career while he starred on “The Johnny Cash Show” that aired on ABC from 1969 to 1971. In the statue, Cash carries a guitar on his back and a Bible in his right hand. “It was kind of a golden time for Johnny Cash,” Kresse said. “He was healthy and happy, and it seemed like an appropriate time frame. The guitar on the back was an iconic image of Cash. Having the Bible in his hand at his side felt appropriate. His faith was such an integral part of who he was, but he never pushed it on people. I also didn’t realize until I was well into the project that he was actually an ordained minister.” Kresse’s clay model of the Cash statue is nearing completion and will be delivered to the Crucible Bronze Foundry in Norman, Oklahoma, on Aug. 8. The foundry employees will review the clay model for technical issues before creating molds for the final bronze statue. State authorities plan to unveil the statues of Cash and Bates during a December ceremony in Washington, D.C. Cash’s family has also been involved in the creation of the statue, providing Kresse with stories about Cash as part of his research as well as providing feedback on photographs of the sculpture in process. Roseanne Cash, a singer-songwriter and Cash’s oldest daughter, saw the upper part of the statue for the first time on , when she received an honorary doctoral degree from Arkansas State University for her support in preserving the Cash childhood family home. “The Cash family is happy,” Kresse said. “Whenever I do a posthumous piece, my biggest goal is to make sure the family is happy because they are the ones who know the subject the best. I was able to show Roseanne (Cash) the bust back two or three months ago. She had an emotional reaction to the piece. That was a very rewarding experience.”

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

����Vlog��ý Little Rock to Host Artist Kukuli Velarde as Windgate Distinguished Lecturer

����Vlog��ý Little Rock Holiday Art Sales Returns Dec. 1-2

����Vlog��ý Little Rock to Host Art Exhibit Featuring Faculty Work

����Vlog��ý Little Rock ArtWORKS Lecture Series to Feature Elaine Grogan Luttrull Oct. 14

����Vlog��ý Little Rock to Host Oct. 6 Artist Talk with Margo Duvall

����Vlog��ý Little Rock to Open ‘Ghosts of a Dead Flame’ Exhibit Oct. 3

����Vlog��ý Little Rock to Host Arts and Business Panel Discussion

����Vlog��ý Little Rock, Syrian Emergency Task Force to Host Three-Day Caesar Exhibit by Syrian Military Photographer