FIRST FRIDAY
Monthly Gallery Walk gets underway Friday
The monthly Hot Springs Gallery Walk, 5-9 p.m. today, will showcase works of art created by local and visiting artists. Featured artists are often present to discuss their pieces and guests have the opportunity to see a wide range of fine art.
The free “first Friday” event and opening receptions are open to the public.
Artists’ Workshop Gallery
610-A Central Ave.
This month’s featured artists are Jan Briggs and Jerry Matusky.
Briggs endeavors to paint our world as she sees it — colorfully adding passion and glory, always endeavoring to command your attention. She often concentrates on vulnerable things, like water and wild life, especially endangered species; barns, old churches and regional scenes are also among her favorites. Creating in a variety of mediums, she will also present colorful florals loosely painted with black ink.
“One of my primary concerns is exploring color intensity and harmony,” Briggs said in a news release. Her August show will include new subjects and techniques.
Briggs studied art at Henderson State University, became a layout artist, and worked in the public schools and with the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts. She returned to HSU and received her BFA in 1999.
Garnering many awards, Brigg’s art hangs in private and commercial collections. She is a member of the Traditional Art Guild, Three Rivers Art Guild, Ouachita Artists and Plein Air Painters.
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 peered into the depths of a universe,” Matusky said in the release.
And so it is too with Matusky’s paintings of the world beyond our own. Working with oil paint on canvas, he shares his vision of what the infinite holds.
A self-taught artist, Matusky began his art career four years ago after retiring from the culinary arts. 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 August are Joanne Kunath and Dianne Morgan.
Artists’ Workshop Gallery open Monday through Saturday, 10 am-5 pm; Sunday, 12-5 pm.
Blue Waters Fine Art and Design
1304 Central Ave.
Blue Waters Fine Art and Design will be open 5-7 p.m. Friday for Gallery Walk and will feature a Retrospective Drawing Exhibition by architect Robert Frager. The exhibition will be featured Friday through Sept. 5.
According to a news release, after serving in the military following World War II, Frager attended the University of Illinois in Chicago to become an architect in a time before computer-aided drafting, or CAD, which was invented in 1957.
“Many, if not most, architects continued to render their architectural plans 2-D on paper using hand-drawing tools,” the release said. “These hand-rendered works succeeded in expressing the artistic ideas for structures in a specific environment. Some were often works of art in and of themselves.”
Curator Laura Blue Waters said in the release that her goal for the exhibition is “to celebrate the professional achievements in the working life of my friend Bob Frager, whom I met almost (three) years ago at TriLakes Ironworks.”
“Bob made himself a part of our lives after that,” she said. “He has submitted designs and ideas for architecture in Hot Springs and the surrounding areas. One of these designs was for my ideal studio and art gallery, which he did as a personal favor. He even went as far as checking with the City of Hot Springs on the legality and compliance of the plans.”
According to the release, Frager’s drawings on display “have energy and life in them that would not transfer in computer-generated plans.”
“Many of the proposed projects offer soothing hope and tranquility for individuals in recovery, the sick and the dying,” the release said. Others projects have different goals of celebration of history and of natural resources.”
Blue Waters Fine Art and Design is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. Appointments may be made at 501-701- 8036.
Justus Fine Art Gallery
827-A Central Ave.
The August exhibit at Justus Fine Art Gallery will mark the
15th year of business for the gallery. The August Gallery Walk is also the 30th year of the Hot Springs Gallery Walk.
The exhibit at Justus Fine Art will feature a selection of work by Randall Good, Robyn Horn, Dolores Justus, Sammy Peters, Tony Saladino, Sandra Sell, Gene Sparling, Rebecca Thompson, Steven Wise, and others. The show will open with a reception from 5-9 p.m. on Friday, in conjunction with the monthly Gallery Walk. The exhibit will be on display through Aug. 31.
“Being able to showcase the work of a wide variety of accomplished artists and seeing the work appreciated has been a great experience,” Justus said in a release. “I am so appreciative of those who have been supportive of the gallery and of the arts in our community.”
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.
Opening receptions are held in conjunction with the Hot Springs Gallery Walk held from 5-9 p.m. the first Friday of every month in downtown Hot Springs.
Gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday and by appointment. Call 501-321-2335 or visit http://www. justusfineart.com for more information.
Katchen Studio & Gallery
620 West Grand Ave.
Due to water damage at Legacy Fine Art, artists Carole Katchen and Patrick Cunningham will hang a temporary show at Katchen Studio & Gallery 5-9 p.m. Friday for Gallery Walk.
“It would be a disaster not to participate in the 30th anniversary of Gallery Walk,” Katchen and Cunningham said in a news release.
“Daisy McDonald will join us and we invite all of our friends to stop by Friday night,” they said in the release.
Call 501-617-4494 for more information.
Landmark Building
201 Market St.
The Landmark Building will feature two art students, Nancy Salas and Victor Gomez, during Friday’s Gallery Walk from 5-8 p.m.
Salas is a studio art major at Henderson State University in Arkadelphia and Gomez is an accounting and art major at Hendrix College in Conway. Their presentation begins at 6 p.m. where they will discuss how their latino heritage has influenced their artwork, developing their techniques and styles, and their current inspirations and ideas.
“Latinos Unidos” is an art exhibit showcasing the rich history of the Latino culture. The works are diverse in style and subject, but all carry the common tie of the beauty of the Latino heritage, a release said. The artists are are immigrants or descendants of immigrants from Argentina, Brazil, Columbia, Cuba, Mexico, Panama, and Puerto Rico that live in Arkansas or elsewhere in the United States.
“Latinos Unidos” is currently on exhibit at the Landmark Building through Aug. 30. The gallery is open 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday through Friday, with extended hours until 8 p.m. for Gallery Walk on the first Friday of each month. The gallery is also open by appointment on Saturdays and Sundays. Contact Donna Dunnahoe at 501-5450534 or hsu.landmark@yahoo.com.
The “Latinos Unidos” featured artists include: Miguel Arrue, Luis Atilano, Maria Botti-Villegas, Ana Sofía Camargo, Jean da Silva, Hector del Campo, Charles Degollado, David Gomez, Victor Gomez, Isaac Helguera, Liliana Hueso, Patricia Langewis, Jocelyn Lechuga, Lisandra di Liberto, Daniella Napolitano, Nancy Salas, Luis Saldaña, Sector Sick, Inez Valdes, Juliana Vallejo, Lourdes Valverde, X3mex, and Sabrina Zarco. The show was organized by Will Hogg, of The Latino Art Project, and Donna Dunnahoe, HSU-Hot Springs Academic Initiative.
For more information call 501-625-3837. Visit the Facebook page, HSU-Hot Springs Academic Initiatives and http:// www.thelatinoartproject.com.