Springs Gallery Walk
The monthly Hot Springs Gallery Walk, 5-9 p.m. Friday, will showcase works of art created by local and visiting artists.
Featured artists are often present to discuss their pieces, and guests will get the opportunity to see a wide range of fine art.
The free first Friday event and opening receptions are open to the public at the following galleries:
• American Art Gallery, 724 Central Ave. — The gallery will feature a demonstration by Valerie Hanks-Gotez, who will demonstrate the art of pine needle basket weaving from
5:30-8:30 p.m. during Gallery Walk. Jimmy Leach, Margaret Kipp, Bill Sorrells and Ellen Schumacher will present wall art. Limited edition prints by G. Harvey, John Paul Strain and Mort Kunstler; Russell, Remington and Couse giclee canvas open edition framed Western artwork; and Southwest jewelry by various artists will be available. Ernie Bolieu will be present to discuss design and stones. Work by Thomas Kinkade will be shown in Gallery II.
• Artists’ Workshop Gallery,
610-A Central Ave. — The November featured artists are Nina Louton and Jerry Matusky.
A native Arkansan, born the ninth of 10 children on a farm near Denby Point, which is now under Lake Ouachita, Louton began studying art with her mother focusing on paper, clay, cloth, wax, and gourd art as well as clothing design and gardening.
Louton has a B.S.E. and master’s degree from Henderson State University. She said she believes art is a gateway to academic achievement. “I often allow the subject to dictate the way I paint; I love to express my feelings with color, light, shape and shading, and to allow the flow of life with its excitement, enjoyment and pain. Building pottery satisfies something special for me — opening the kiln on a set of new glazed pottery is beyond exhilarating,” she said.
As a lifelong fan of classic science fiction, Matusky was inspired by the writers and filmmakers who opened the door of imagination to the possibilities of the cosmos. “With the launch of NASA’s space probes, they captured images of our nearest neighbors, and the Hubble deep space telescope that peered out into the depths of the universe, the possibilities seemed endless,” he said. Working with oil paint on canvas, he shares his vision of the world beyond.
A self-taught artist, Matusky began his art career four years ago after retiring from the culinary arts on the Las Vegas Strip. He spent most of his adult career in food service, including owning a restaurant in Bakersfield, Calif. Earlier, Matusky majored in oceanography at Long Beach State College and was an abalone diver for two years. He completed his degree at Rancho Cucamonga Community College, majoring in computer science and math. He relocated to the Hot Springs area in 2014 to be near his brother, Dave, and lives in Mountain Pine.
The featured miniature artists for November are Jan Briggs and Linda Shearer.
Artists’ Workshop Gallery is open Monday through Saturday,
10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, noon to 5 p.m.
• Brickhouse Grill, 801 Central Ave. — The restaurant features a permanent display of original celebrity pop art by artist Jan Sullivan Booker, who goes by the name J-Sully. Her work consists of large, bold celebrity portraits on canvas. She draws her subjects from the world of music, movies, television, and horse racing from the past and present and her style has been influenced by Warhol, Toulouse-Lautrec, and Lichtenstein.
• Emergent Arts, 341-A Whittington Ave. — The gallery will host a reception and community fiesta this month during Gallery Walk featuring music, face painting, dancing, food, and a giant puppet procession around Whittington Park.
• Gallery Central, 800 Central Ave. — Glass artist James Hayes will be present during this month’s Gallery Walk and he will be signing glass during the event. The gallery will offer works including bowls, decanters, bottle stoppers, and pendants. The Christmas tree is full of handblown glass ornaments. Knife artist Claude Lambert will showcase beautiful knives, Charles Guess will debut new art, and Houston Llew will showcase his Spiritiles.
• Justus Fine Art Gallery,
827-A Central Ave. — The November exhibit at Justus Fine Art Gallery, entitled “A Natural Perspective,” will feature work by Robyn Horn, Dolores Justus, Jill Kyong, John Lasater, and others. The exhibition will open with a reception from 5-9 p.m. Friday in conjunction with Gallery Walk. The show will be on display Nov. 3-29.
Wood sculptures and mixed media paintings by Horn combine natural and designed elements to create a new unity of form and texture. Horn’s sculptures are included in many notable museum and public collections.
An installation by Kyong will also be featured in the exhibit. Her piece, entitled “Connections,” uses a variety of woods fashioned into boxes and stones to communicate ideas about our need for relationship.
Lasater’s landscapes reflect an attention to details and scenes that others may miss. An acclaimed plein-air artist, he teaches workshops in venues around the United States and internationally. Lasater’s honors include national plein-air painting awards, artist-in-residencies, feature articles in both Southwest Art and Plein-air Magazine, and mentions in other art magazines.
Justus’ paintings are based on elements in the natural world, but are rendered with a looseness that blurs the line between abstraction and representation. Her work has been exhibited in solo and group shows throughout the nation and abroad for more than 20 years. Her work is also included in many public, corporate, and private collections.
Owned by artist Dolores Justus, Justus Fine Art Gallery offers a wide range of original art including sculpture, paintings, ceramics, photography, and more by recognized artists. Gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Wednesday through Saturday, or by appointment. The gallery is located at 827-A Central Ave. For more information, call 3212335 or visit online at http:// www.justusfineart.com.
• Legacy Fine Art Gallery,
802-B Central Ave. — Legacy will feature work from artists including Carole Katchen, Elizabeth Weber, Garcia, and more.
• Riley Art Glass Studio, 710 W. Grand Ave. — Charles and Michael Riley will show their original blown glass art in their newly renovated studio. They will present a live demonstration from 5-7 p.m. and will be open until 9 p.m. Christmas ornaments are now available in the gallery and several color combos will be available during Gallery Walk.
The Riley brothers create everything on site, ranging from paperweights to ornate chandeliers. A wide variety of items are always on hand. The brothers have been working together for 11 years. In 2003, Charles Riley was inspired to pursue glass blowing and attended the prestigious Penland School of Crafts in North Carolina, followed by an apprenticeship with David Goldhagen. He went on to teach his brother the art of glass blowing.
Visitors can see the brothers execute their glass blowing techniques live from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, though summertime heat requires them to start earlier in the morning and stop at around noon, so visitors are encouraged to visit during morning hours until outside temperatures become cooler.