Arts center to host artists’ reception Saturday

The South Arkansas Arts Center will host an artists’ opening reception honoring El Dorado artist Gary Hall and the Garrisons, a family of artists from Russellville, from 5 to 6:30 p.m. Saturday. The reception is free and open to the public.

The Garrison family will exhibit a variety of artwork in the Merkle and Price Galleries from Saturday through Oct. 31. This artistic family includes Bill Garrison, his wife Gloria, his son Steve Garrison, daughter Diana Garrison, and Diana’s fiancé, Daniel Mark Cassity.

Bill Garrison, who exhibited at SAAC in 2015, will exhibit new large oil paintings, featuring Arkansas landscapes. Gloria Garrison works in both oil and watercolors and will display primarily landscapes and florals. Steve Garrison’s work combines his math, woodworking and artistic skills and his unique wood sculptures will be on display. Diana Garrison will display her illustrations in a variety of media, including colored pencil and watercolor. Daniel Cassity will exhibit his still lifes and painterly landscapes.

El Dorado artist Gary Hall’s mixed media work, “The Song of the Oil and the Brush,” will hang in the Lobby Gallery Saturday through Oct. 31. Hall, who has a master’s degree in theater arts, currently teaches classes in theater and speech at South Arkansas Community College.

He is a member of First United Methodist Church, where he is a certified lay speaker and active member of the choir. He is currently serving his fourth term as chairman of the Theatre Committee at SAAC.

“This work is a personal retrospective of sorts to celebrate my journey from dark to light. It will take you from the overtly religious to the obliquely profane as I relive the journey from ‘can’t’ to ‘can,’ from question to ambiguous answer. Some pieces are dark and uncomfortable, while others are fun and celebratory of the joy of life. All of them carry an aura of theatricality, because that’s who I am. Come and join my journey and hopefully, you will find the song of the oil and the brush,” Hall said.

For more information on the exhibits, contact SAAC at 870-862-5474 or visit saacarts.org. SAAC is located at 110 E. Fifth St., El Dorado.