“Celebrating the Arts in August” with the South Arkansas Arts Center
- Ongoing: until Tuesday, August 31, 2010
- Monday: 9:00am
- Tuesday: 9:00am
- Wednesday: 9:00am
- Thursday: 9:00am
- Friday: 9:00am
- Where: South Arkansas Arts Center, El Dorado
- Cost: Not available
- Age limit: Not available
“Celebrating the Arts in August” with the South Arkansas Arts Center
The South Arkansas Arts Center, located at 110 E. 5th Street in El Dorado, announces its calendar of events for “Celebrating the Arts in August.” The month long “Celebration” is sponsored by The William H. and Theodosia Murphy Nolan Family Foundation, Louis and Linda Hall, the South Arkansas Arts Center’s “Gladys and Homer Rogers Entertainment and Educational Series,” and the Arkansas Arts Council.
The celebration begins August 3, in the Merkle and Price Galleries, with “Collaborations: Two Decades of African American Art,” an exhibition of artwork from artists featured in the Hearne Fine Art Gallery in Little Rock, owned by El Dorado native Garbo Watson Hearne. Each artist is also featured in the book “Collaborations: Two Decades of African American Art Hearne Fine Art 1988-2008,” published by Blue Lotus New York. The exhibition continues through August 30.
“Collaborations” celebrates and invites regional and national art enthusiasts, collectors, and educators to discover and reacquaint themselves with American artists of African descent.
“These artists represent four generations of art making in America. Both established and emerging artists have supported Hearne Fine Art’s mission to share the richness of the African American culture by collaborating with Hearne Fine Art every two to three years in either a solo or a group exhibition,” according to Garbo Watson Hearne, director.
Hearne’s curatorial vision for this exhibition is to exemplify the multiple cultural influences and personal histories that reflect time, place, joy, pain, triumph, defeat, and success. The selection of artists illuminates the diversity of styles and media, which include watercolor, pastel, sculpture, printmaking, photography, mixed media, fiber art, oil, and acrylic on canvas.
A “Collaborations” exhibit reception and book signing with Garbo Watson Hearne will be hosted in the Merkle Gallery on Saturday, August 28, from 6:00-7:30pm.
On August 3 and 4, as part of SAAC’s outreach program, every child in the Boys and Girls Club Summer Program will participate in “Many Hands, One Rhythm Drum Circle,” a pre-back to school, two hour drum workshop lead by local teachers, Shelton Harden and Dee Post. SAAC volunteers are invited to join in the fun as classroom assistants for the event.
Whispers from “The Pines,” an evening of poetry readings by members of South Arkansas Poets of the Pines, a local writers group, will be hosted in the Callaway Theatre on Saturday, August 14, at 7:30pm. The artists will present readings of their own original poetry inspired by individual pieces of the Garbo Watson Hearne “Collaborations” exhibit. The event is free to the public.
“Drumbeats,” an evening with Africa’s number one storyteller and Arts on Tour artist Zinse Agginie will be hosted in the Callaway Theatre on Tuesday, August 24, at 7:30pm. Using his djembe and odono drums, Zinse adds song and rhythm to the tales he weaves where people become the characters and his audience is taken on a cultural, geographical, and anthropological tour of the deserts, savannas, and rain forests of Africa. Zinse will be accompanied by students from Hugh Goodwin Arts Academy, North West Elementary, and West Woods School. The event is free to the public.
In concert with the exhibit reception and book singing for “Collaborations: Two Decades of African American Art, Hearne Fine Art 1988-2008,” hosted on Saturday, August 28, SAAC is proud to bring five guest artists with works in the exhibit to El Dorado for a selection of three hour intensive visual art and performance workshops. Garbo Watson Hearne, Director of Hearne Fine Art, will also conduct a lecture on collecting and appraising artwork. Anyone who wishes to attend the workshops will be able to do so for $30 per class—SAAC membership is not required.
Arts in August Education Series Workshops beginning at 9:00am until noon are:
7-5 Dance with Larry Wade Hampton of New York, New York, and Jersey City, New Jersey
7-5 Dance is a classification shared by a broad range of dance styles consisting of African-American Soul and Funk, NYC Latin, Afro-Cuban, Haitian, Dunham Technique, Jazz and Flamenco. 7-5 Dance is an eye catching, awe-inspiring performance visual that is an unbelievable physical narration of one’s thoughts, place and time. 7-5 Dance is a style of movement that has always captivated audiences and to this day continues to evolve.
This workshop will consist of a series of light stretching segueing into fundamental rhythmical exercises, which will then develop into a complete sequence of steps and movements thus exemplifying the 7-5 Dance.
Relief Print Workshop with Aj Smith of Little Rock
Artists will explore the linoleum cut relief print processes. Instructions cover how to make a “linocut” fine art relief print without the use of a printing press. This is an opportunity for artists to experience the beginnings of printmaking as done several hundred years ago. Artists may continue to use techniques learned to produce quality prints in the home-studio, without the expense of purchasing a press. The experienced printmaker and artists who have used watercolors will also explore contemporary “monoprint-monotype” printing techniques using watercolors.
Silverpoint Drawing Workshop with Marjorie Williams-Smith of Little Rock
Silverpoint is a drawing technique that dates back several hundred years. Before artists used graphite for drawing, they used metal! Contemporary artists have re-discovered this ancient technique and applied it to a variety of subject matter. Experience this fascinating technique for yourself.
Workshops beginning at 1:00pm until 4:00pm are:
Abstract To Realism: Creative Surface Explorations with Wet Media with Rex R. Deloney of Little Rock
Explore creative techniques while experimenting with new and unusual painting surfaces. Participants will explore several techniques to create patterned and textured surfaces with watercolors and acrylics through using sponges, adhesive spreaders, gels and other mediums. Deloney will show examples of his work and demonstrate how the techniques can be used to enliven compositions. Participants will create painted surfaces that may be used as abstract imagery or backgrounds for different subject matters including still life, landscape, or figurative work.
Still Life Oil Painting with Larry Wade Hampton of New York, New York, and Jersey City, New Jersey
This workshop will entail a “live” observation painting of a still life. This still life will consist of the arrangement of several objects relating to the primary forms and colors, sketching the composition and placement of objects on the page (surface) and blocking in of atmospheric hues and shadows. The objective for each participant is to capture the information in a representational appearance within his or her own style.
Sculpture with Susan Williams of Little Rock
Workshop attendees will create a free formed abstract work of art. The class will emphasize the use of shape and negative space. The finished product will have a bronzed effect. This workshop will allow the novice as well as the seasoned artist to get in touch with their creative instincts as it relates to form.
For more information about “Celebrating the Arts in August” or a detailed list of workshops, including supply lists, visit www.saac-arts.org or contact the South Arkansas Arts Center’s office at 870-862-5474.
This event was posted July 29, 2010 and last updated July 29, 2010
