Several artists in and around central Arkansas will participate in the Conway League of Artists’ Studio and Gallery Tour from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday.
“This is our second year to hold this self-driving tour of local art studios and galleries,” said Susan Peterson of Conway, president of the Conway League of Artists. “We were pleasantly surprised with the turnout last year and are hoping for an even bigger response this year.”
Peterson said other towns in Arkansas sponsor similar tours.
“We thought if other communities could do it, we could, too,” she said. “The tour helps promote our organization and gets others involved in the arts.
“Rather than just looking at art, people taking the tour will be able to see the artists at work and sit down with them and ask questions. Our artists will be working in all media, including watercolor, oil, acrylic, ceramic and sculpture.”
Peterson said the tour is planned for Mother’s Day weekend as “a good activity for families.” Individual artists will offer their works for sale.
Artists opening up their studios in Conway will be Lois Giorgis, 890 Heather Circle; Steve Griffith and V. Noe, Griffith Art Studio, 805 Monroe St.; Amy Ness, Blackbird Academy of Arts, 1058 Front St., No. 102; Sheila Parsons Talley, 1805 Hillman St.; Susan Peterson, 3450 Clearwell Road; Maryann Schigur, Back Door Studio, 3190 Prince St.; and Karen Freeman and Rita Makintosh, 125 N. Woodland Drive in the Treasure Hills subdivision.
Pauline Butts will take part in the tour at 24 Huntington Drive in Greenbrier, and Joyce Hartmann will be at the Rock ’n’ Pine Studio, 958 Morningside Road N. in Choctaw.
Scheduled to participate in the tour at White Wagon Farm and Sage House Gallery, 24627 Arkansas 356 N. near Maumelle, are artists Dave Cook of Maumelle, Janice and Marvin Crummer of Vilonia, Mary Ann Stafford of Maumelle and Suzann Waggoner of Mount Vernon.
The Fairfield Bay Artists Gallery and Studio at 130 Village Place in Fairfield Bay will feature artists Karen Gehl, Charlotte Rierson, Robbie Miller, Doris Sexton and Van Swink, all of Fairfield Bay.
Admission to the tour is $5. Advance tickets may be purchased at Carmen’s Art and Antiques and PK’s in Conway, or at any of the participating studios. One ticket allows admittance to all locations and is good for five chances to win original artwork. A detailed map of locations and information is available at www.conwayleagueofartists.org.
Membership in the Conway League of Artists is open to anyone 18 and older. Membership dues are $20 a year.
Peterson said the Conway League of Artists has nearly 100 members.
“The league is a great way to network and receive support from other artists,” said Peterson, who works in watercolor, oil, acrylics and clay.
“I can’t make up my mind,” Peterson said with a laugh.
She is a retired college professor with 18 years of experience at the University of Central Arkansas and three years at Slippery Rock University in Pennsylvania. After she retired from Slippery Rock, Peterson began taking art lessons as a “creative outlet,” she said.
Members of the Conway League of Artists display their works at several venues in Conway, including downtown banks, the Conway Regional Outpatient Surgery Center and the Faulkner County Library.
“This gives the artists some visibility,” Peterson said.
The Conway League of Artists has two main exhibits during the year — the Tri-County Show, which is held in the fall, and the spring show, which is
usually in April and ends to coincide with the Toad Suck Daze festival in Conway, where some of the artists display their works in the downtown storefronts.
The organization meets at 7 p.m. the second Wednesday of each month at the Faulkner County Library.
For more information on the Studio and Gallery Tour or the Conway League of Artists, visit www.conwayleagueofartists.org.