SMALL WORKS ON PAPER 2025 EXHIBITION MOVES TO RUSSELLVILLE
The 2025 Arkansas Arts Council’s Small Works on Paper Exhibition featuring my 7x7 watercolor piece, Provenance,. This annual showcase celebrates the creativity of Arkansas artists through a traveling exhibit that highlights outstanding small-format works.
In March, the exhibition will be on display at the River Valley Arts Center in Russellville.
Location: 1001 E B St, Russellville, AR 72801
Small Works on Paper is a juried visual art exhibition that showcases artwork no larger than 18- by-24 inches. Now in its 38th year, the exhibition showcases artwork by Arkansas artists. This year’s exhibition features 40 pieces of artwork by 35 Arkansas artists. The exhibition will tour to nine venues statewide. This year's Small Works on Paper entries were juried by Mario A. Robinson, a full-time professional artist based in New Jersey.
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.
2025 Small Works on Paper Touring Schedule:
January/February: UA Little Rock's Windgate Center of Art + Design, Little Rock
March: River Valley Arts Center, Russellville
April: Community Creative Center, Fayetteville
May: UA Rich Mountain, Mena
June: Arts & Science Center, Pine Bluff
July/August: Delta Cultural Center, Helena
September: SAU Magnolia, Magnolia
October: UA Monticello, Monticello
November: Harding University, Searcy
Special thanks to Cheri Leffew, special projects/events manager. To read more or see a list of venues for Small Works on Paper, visit www.ArkansasArts.org.
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!
Click HERE for more info.
Mondays, 6:30–8:30 PM • March 31 – May 5 (March 31, April 7, 14, 21, 28, & May 5) • Community Creative Center, Fayetteville, AR
SPRING ARTS & CULTURE FESTIVAL
Is it time to take control of funding your art project?
Join artist Sean Fitzgibbon for a free presentation on how to successfully fund your creative work using platforms like Kickstarter. Hosted by the Northwest Arkansas Community College Spring Arts & Culture Festival, this session will dive into the essentials of crowdfunding.
Learn what crowdfunding is—and isn’t, explore the pros and cons of online fundraising, and discover strategies to build a strong network of supporters. Fitzgibbon will share his firsthand experiences—the challenges, the wins, and the lessons learned—on his journey to successfully publishing a historical graphic novel about The Crescent Hotel in Eureka Springs.
The NorthWest Arkansas Community College Spring Arts & Culture Festival is a multi-day, interdisciplinary event series that brings together artists, academics, intellectuals, and the community to reflect on an annual theme.
Tuesday, March 4
9 AM - 10 AM
NWACC Student Center 108 | 1 College Dr, Bentonville, AR
Free registration
Don’t miss this opportunity to gain practical insights and kickstart your funding journey!
Click HERE for more info.
RISK: A COLLECTION OF WORK BY NWACC FACULTY
Join Us for the NWACC Faculty Art Exhibit RISK: A Collection of Works by NWACC Art Faculty
Exhibition Dates: March 3 – March 27, 2025
Reception: Tuesday, March 4 | 3:00 – 5:00 PM | NWACC IDL | Hosted by the Art Club
Location: NWACC IDL, One College Drive, Bentonville, AR
How does risk manifest in art? Is it found in bold color choices, unconventional techniques, or a defiance of tradition? Does it emerge in themes of uncertainty, vulnerability, or the fine line between success and failure?
I’m honored to have my piece, Illusory II, featured in this exhibit. This work was born during the creation of my graphic nonfiction book, What Follows Is True: Crescent Hotel, which explores the dangers of demagoguery in the upland South of the late 1930s. The book delves into the unsettling history of the Crescent Hotel during its time as the Baker Hospital—a fraudulent Depression-era cancer clinic in Eureka Springs, Arkansas.
During this dark chapter, countless individuals risked everything, placing their faith in a charlatan who falsely promised a cure. Illusory II captures the fragile hope and misplaced trust of that era—an unsettling theme that remains all too relevant today.
Join us for this thought-provoking exhibition and explore how artists embrace risk in their creative practice.
“TUNE IN” AT CRYSTAL BRIDGES MUSEUM OF AMERICAN ART
Join Us for “‘Toon In” at Crystal Bridges!
Saturday, March 15 | 11 AM – 3 PM
Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art
Free | No tickets required
Celebrate the vibrant characters of KAWS: FAMILY at this free, family-friendly event! I’ll be joining other live artists in creating a dynamic community mural, bringing creativity to life right before your eyes.
With hands-on activities for all ages, this is the perfect opportunity to explore the work of KAWS, unleash your imagination, and make lasting memories. Don’t miss this exciting celebration of art, creativity, and community!
KAWS: FAMILY is organized by the Art Gallery of Ontario and curated by Julian Cox, Deputy Director & Chief Curator, Art Gallery of Ontario. The Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art presentation is curated by Alejo Benedetti.
Drop by anytime between 11 AM and 3 PM—see you there!
More info HERE
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.
More info HERE.
