Traveling exhibition showcases artwork of artists from across the state of Arkansas
An annual traveling exhibition showcasing Arkansas artists is presented at the Arts & Science Center.
The 2022 Small Works on Paper exhibition is now open and will be on display in the International Paper Gallery through Wednesday, Aug. 14.
Produced and sponsored by the Arkansas Arts Council, Small Works on Paper is a juried visual art exhibition. Now in its 35th year, it spotlights Arkansas artists who are members of the Arkansas Artist Registry.
This year’s exhibition features 39 artworks by 28 artists from across the state. Most works will be available for sale.
“Small Works on Paper is an annual glimpse into the minds and studios of Arkansas's best artists, as well as a preview of new artists and their portfolios,” said Patrick Ralston, Arkansas Arts Council director. “Across three decades it has shown us an evolving reflection of art and culture in Arkansas."
Small Works on Paper is open to current members of the Arkansas Artist Registry, which is free to join and open to all visual artists who are Arkansas residents ages 18 and older.
Every year, an out-of-state juror selects up to 40 works submitted for the exhibition. All work must be original, on paper, completed within the last two years, and no larger than 18 inches by 24 inches.
Local artists selected for this year’s exhibition include Rashawn Penister of Pine Bluff and Crystal Jennings of Rison.
Penister’s piece is Untitled, created with playing cards and acrylics. ASC recently hosted a solo exhibition of Penister’s work, Life’s A Card Game.
Jennings has two pieces, both in graphite and colored pencil, in the exhibition: Apocalyptic Thinking and This is Not a Cloud. Her work has been featured at ASC in previous Small Works on Paper and Pine Bluff Art League exhibitions. She is also a frequent ASC theater volunteer.
The rest of the artists with works selected for the exhibition are: Betsy Brackin Burch of Horseshoe Lake; Brian Cormack of Little Rock; Chris Cranford of Little Rock; Alex DerGazarian of Fayetteville; Margo Duvall of Little Rock; Diana Michelle Hausam of West Fork; Crystal Jennings of Rison; Melissa Lashbrook of Cabot; Sigrid Lorfing of Springdale; Kiaya Luper of Van Buren; Jan Malone of Hot Springs; Dennis McCann of Maumelle;David
McRoberts of Sherwood; Mike Means of El Dorado; Rashawn Penister of Pine Bluff; Jason Powers of Ozark; Laura Raborn of Little Rock; David Rackley of Russellville; Lynn Reinbolt of Searcy; Sabine Schmidt of Fayetteville; Derek Slagle of Little Rock; Lam Tze Sheung of Little Rock; Jan Waldon of Bentonville; Equilla Walker of Little Rock; Cathy Wester of Conway; Steven Wise of Rogers and Anna Zusman of Magnolia.
Artist Ronald Jackson, who was born and raised in Helena and now resides in Fredericksburg, Virginia, juried the 2022 show. He reviewed about 250 entries from which he selected 39 pieces for the exhibition.
He also selected works to receive purchase awards, which are cash prizes equivalent to the value of the artworks. Purchase award pieces become part of the Small Works on Paper permanent collection. Each year, up to $2,000 is available; 11 pieces were selected from 2022’s exhibition.
Each Small Works on Paper exhibition travels to up to 10 venues throughout the state in the yearlong show. After closing at ASC on Aug. 14, the exhibition moves on to Harding University in Searcy, where it will be on view from Sept. 1-30.