SAAC to host artist's reception for the 'Famous People' exhibit
The South Arkansas Arts Center invites the public to an artist's reception honoring Dr. Moises Menendez and his exhibit of charcoal and graphite works, "Famous People."
The reception will take place Saturday, Feb. 1 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Arts Center, 110 E. Fifth St. in El Dorado.
The exhibit is contained in a two-part series to be shown back-to-back in subsequent months at the Arts Center, featuring a collection of portraits of luminaries and notable persons throughout history who have inspired and challenged the artist during his life. Saturday's reception marks the close of Series I, which was available for viewing in the Lobby Gallery last month, and which will continue to hang in the gallery for the reception.
Series II will begin Tuesday, Feb. 4 and hang until Feb. 28, with another artist's reception on Feb. 21.
Each exhibit includes approximately 22 pieces, all original portrait drawings by Menendez.
A local surgeon, Menendez hails from Lima, Peru, where he began dabbling in art at an early age. After success in artistic endeavors as a child, Menendez eventually set aside his artistic pursuits to attend medical school. His interest in painting and drawing resurfaced many years later, and he says he has enjoyed learning new techniques and painting his family and grandchildren's portraits.
As his motivation for this project, Menendez referenced a quote from the like-minded famous sports figure, Babe Ruth, who said, "I've heard people say that the trouble with the world is that we haven't enough great leaders. I think we haven't enough great followers. I have stood side by side with great thinkers — surgeons, engineers, economists; people who deserve a great following — and have heard the crowd cheer me instead."
Menendez's goal is to complete at least 50 portraits of notable people and to show the new generation how much benefit they have obtained from the work and dedication of people such as Pasteur, Curie, Bell, the Wright brothers, Salk, Morton, Edison, Faraday, Pavlov, Florey and others.
"Most of my career I have been intrigued and amazed about history, especially with people who were discoverers or inventors," Menendez said.
"History is important because it allows us to understand our past, which in turn allows us to understand our present.
"In 2012, I decided to start a series of portraits
of people who have contributed to society through their work. This exhibition of famous people is part of history, and those people should be honored and imitated. They were as human as the rest of us with similar desires, goals, defects, qualities, values and so on. Most of them fought for their beliefs and did not give up despite the negative circumstances," he said.
Series II of Menendez's "Famous People" exhibit is free and open to the public. The portraits can be viewed in the Lobby Gallery of the Arts Center during regular hours, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
For more information about this exhibition or the artist's receptions, contact the SAAC office at 870-862-5474 or visit www.saac-arts.org.