APRIL EVENTS!

SMALL WORKS ON PAPER 2025 EXHIBITION MOVES TO FAYETTEVILLE

The Arkansas Arts Council’s annual touring exhibition, Small Works on Paper, will open on April 3 at the Community Creative Center, located at 505 W. Spring Street in Fayetteville. This year’s exhibition features my 7x7 watercolor piece, Provenance.

The artwork will be on display in the McCoy Gallery from Thursday, April 3, through Wednesday, April 30. Gallery hours are Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. A reception will be held on Friday, April 4, at 5:30 p.m.

Now in its 38th year, Small Works on Paper is a juried exhibition showcasing artwork no larger than 18 x 24 inches, created by Arkansas artists. This year’s exhibition features 40 pieces by 35 artists and will tour nine venues statewide. Most works will be available for purchase, with all proceeds benefiting the artists.

The Small Works on Paper exhibition celebrates Arkansas artists and provides an exciting opportunity for the public to engage with their work. Don’t miss this chance to see a diverse collection of artwork and support local talent!

Provenance (7x7) This work explores questions of chronology, ownership, custody, and the location of historical objects, as well as the challenges of determining their provenance and authenticity. It examines how objects considered to be art are often subject to evolving interpretations over time.

DRAWING FUNDAMENTALS AT COMMUNITY CREATIVE CENTER

Join us for Drawing Fundamentals, a six-week studio course at the Community Creative Center!

This course explores essential drawing techniques, including line, perspective, value, and figure drawing. Perfect for beginners and those looking to refine their skills!
Mondays, 6:30–8:30 PM • March 31 – May 5 (March 31, April 7, 14, 21, 28, & May 5) • Community Creative Center, Fayetteville, AR

“FOR REAL” DUO EXHIBITION AT HISTORIC ARKANSAS MUSEUM

On view through May 25, 2025, in the Trinity Gallery for Arkansas Artists at the Historic Arkansas Museum.

Graphic nonfiction merges the visual appeal of comics with the depth of literature, making it a powerful medium for memoirs and documentary storytelling.

Fayetteville-based artist and author Sean Fitzgibbon explores eerie historical stories through visual storytelling. His latest graphic nonfiction book, What Follows Is True: Crescent Hotel, unravels the chilling history of the Baker Hospital, a Depression-era cancer clinic run by conman Norman Baker. Fitzgibbon’s haunting, hand-painted panels bring this dark chapter to life.

Little Rock artist and educator Kasten Searles blends digital and traditional techniques in her nonfiction work. Her latest project offers a personal, evocative account of the March 31, 2023, tornado that tore through Little Rock, using delicate linework and expressive ink washes to depict the storm’s devastation and resilience.

Copies of What Follows Is True: Crescent Hotel are available in the HAM Museum Store. Fitzgibbon’s next book explores the Plum Bayou Mounds’ history, folklore, and science.

Kasten McClellan Searles, head of the Art Department at Arkansas Tech University, has work featured in magazines and HAM’s Collecting Arkansas Made and Knife Gallery exhibits.

Special thanks to Curator of Exhibits Carey Voss.

Historic Arkansas Museum • 200 E. Third St, Little Rock

BAKER'S DEMAGOGUERY CONTINUED

Norman Baker was a charismatic demagogue and former vaudeville entertainer who weaponized the media to build his influence. Through his radio station, KTNT ("Know The Naked Truth"), and his publication, TNT ("The Naked Truth"), he spread misinformation, vilified his critics, and carefully crafted a public image of himself as a fearless crusader and misunderstood, persecuted hero.

Check out my 240 page, graphic, nonfiction book "What Follows Is True: Crescent Hotel" tho read the full story. https://www.seanfitzgibbonart.com/order-your-book/what-follows-is-true-crescent-hotel

"FOR REAL" DUO EXHIBITION AT HISTORIC ARKANSAS MUSEUM

This exhibition is on display in the Trinity Gallery for Arkansas Artists at the Historic Arkansas Museum in Little Rock, through May 25, 2025.

Graphic novels combine the aesthetic sensibility of comic books with the academic legitimacy of literature. And while graphic non-fiction is a more recent addition to this genre, it’s an extremely effective form for memoirs and documentary-style storytelling. The combination of words and images produces an almost cinematic effect, transporting readers into an immersive space that feels relatable and real.

Fayetteville-based artist and author Sean Fitzgibbon uses visual storytelling to explore unusual places and strange (but true!) events. For his most recent graphic nonfiction book, What Follows Is True: Crescent Hotel, Sean investigated the tragic history of the Baker Hospital, a Depression-era cancer treatment center that was briefly housed in the Crescent Hotel. Using moody, atmospheric imagery, each hand-painted panel sets the stage for the tale of Norman Baker, a real-life con man whose deadly lies were more
frightening than any ghost story.

Kasten Searles employs a few digital tools in her art practice, but her latest foray into nonfiction storytelling still relies heavily on her expert drawing and painting skills. Kasten’s current project shares a harrowing personal account of the tornado that ripped through Little Rock on March 31, 2023. She depicts the tornado’s aftermath with a survivor’s sensitivity, juxtaposing delicate linework with tempestuous ink and watercolor washes to evoke the chaos of displacement and recovery efforts.

You can pick up a copy of What Follows Is True: Crescent Hotel in the HAM Museum Store. Sean Fitzgibbon’s upcoming work includes a graphic nonfiction book about the history, folklore, and science surrounding the Plum Bayou Mounds site.

Kasten McClellan Searles is an artist, illustrator, and educator living in Little Rock. She serves as the head of the Art Department at Arkansas Tech University in Russellville, where she teaches illustration, design, and studio art. Her artwork is regularly published in magazines, and Kasten’s illustrations are included in HAM’s Collecting Arkansas Made and Knife Gallery exhibits.

Special thanks to Curator of Exhibits, Carey Voss.

Through May 25 • Historic Arkansas Museum • 200 East Third St • Little Rock, AR