CREATIVE COMMUNITIES
Cities offer ways for residents to express themselves through art .............................................................
Whether it’s simple finger-painting by a child or a large mural on a wall, art is a way to express emotions and see the world through a different point of view.
The citizens of White County have embraced the arts throughout the county’s history, and there are still many great ways to learn about and experience art in the area. For those interested in learning more about the arts, the following places in White County are great places to start.
SEARCY ART GALLERY
Housed in the historic Black House on Race Avenue, the Searcy Art Gallery allows visitors to experience a wide variety of art styles. Each year, the gallery hosts six exhibits and also regularly showcases works by artists from across Arkansas. The Black House has a history that dates back to 1858, when the dwelling was a two-room log cabin. Through expansions and remodels under the supervision of the Arkansas Historic Preservation program, the Black House has become a vital part of the downtown-Searcy experience.
For more information, call (501) 279-1094.
HARDING UNIVERSITY
Students looking to further their art experience and knowledge are in luck, due to the vast programs at Harding University in Searcy. The university has two degree programs through its Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Fine Arts degrees. The Department of Art and Design at Harding offers more than 60 art courses, four majors and teacher licensure.
Harding also hosts a variety of exhibits at the Mildred Taylor Stevens Art Center. This facility has two painting studios, pottery and printmaking studios, two-dimensional design studios and much more.
For more information, visit harding.edu.
ARKANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY-BEEBE
For convenient classes that cover a variety of art topics, Arkansas State University-Beebe provides a diverse range of programming. The school’s catalog offers painting, graphic design, color theory, photography, drawing and much more. ASUB also has courses on art history, ceramics and other topics. The school’s Creative Arts Enterprise Associate of Fine Arts program helps students combine their artistic spirit with entrepreneurship. The program helps provide students with a solid business education, along with art instruction.
For more information, visit asub.edu.
WHITE COUNTY LIBRARY SYSTEM
Patrons of the White County Library System have a world of art at their fingertips. Guests can find a variety of art-related books at the library. The system has locations in Searcy, Judsonia, Bald Knob, Beebe, Bradford, El Paso, Rose Bud and Pangburn. The library’s interlibrary-loan system can also get books that might not be available at one location to patrons without them having to drive to the other library.
The White County Library System also offers e-books through applications such as Libby. This allows art lovers to check out art books on their phones or tablets and enjoy the books instantly.
In addition to books and e-books, the library system offers Universal Class, an online learning platform. Universal Class has more than 500 online courses that are self-paced and instructor-led. The site has a variety of art-related classes such as digital photography, face-painting, fashion design, interior design, watercolor painting and more.
For more information, visit whitecounty libraries.org.
DOWNTOWN SEARCY
It’s easy to see the impact art has had on downtown Searcy. The area has come alive over the past few years with several murals being painted on downtown buildings, along with the installation of Art Alley, which runs from Race Avenue to Arch Avenue. Mat Faulkner, owner of Think Idea Studios in Searcy, said the mural program has made downtown Searcy a tourist destination, with many people coming to see the murals and take photographs. Faulkner said that since the murals were installed, many local businesses have reported getting more foot traffic than before.
“More local businesses started moving in [downtown] and in other communities because they heard about what we were doing,” he said.
BALD KNOB ART ALLEY
Taking inspiration from Searcy’s Art Alley, the city of Bald Knob had planned to launch its own Art Alley project, but because of the COVID-19 pandemic and the retirement of Bald Knob High School’s EAST Project teacher, the Art Alley has been put on hold, said Barth Grayson, mayor. He said that once the pandemic is over, he hopes the new EAST teacher will pick up where the former teacher left off.