LITTLE ROCK — Several young artists from the River Valley & Ozark Edition coverage area have their work on display in the 53rd Young Arkansas Artists exhibit at the Arkansas Arts Center in Little Rock.
The exhibition will be on view through July 27 in the Alice Pratt Brown Atrium and the Sam Strauss Sr. Gallery.
“On behalf of all the staff at the Arkansas Arts Center, we are honored to acknowledge and celebrate the artistic excellence of these young Arkansas artists,” said Todd Herman, Arkansas Arts Center executive director. “I congratulate the 2014 recipients, who truly represent the best of our state’s young artistic community.”
The exhibition showcases artworks in all media created by students in kindergarten through the 12th grade in Arkansas. Members of the Arkansas Art Educators Association juried the entries, selecting approximately 100 works out of the more than 450 submissions for the exhibition.
Neal Harrington of Russellville was the guest juror, awarding one Best of Class and two Honorable Mention awards from each grade.
Harrington is an associate professor of art at Arkansas Tech University in Russellville, where he is also chairman of the art department and gallery director.
Selections from the 53rd Young Arkansas Artists exhibition travel to schools and other venues in Arkansas as part of the Arkansas Arts Center’s State Services traveling exhibition program.
Local students with works in the show include the following:
• Academic Plus Charter School, Maumelle:
A fifth-grade project with a yarn and twig creation, The Weaving Twig: Contributors include Davis Corrigan, Brandon Hendrix, Lily Meachum, Hope Shrell, Macy Standrige and Brandon Wilcox.
• Art with Mrs. Jennifer, Wooster:
Fifth-grader Lily Woodward had an an oil pastel, Safari Celebration, selected.
• Carl Stuart Middle School, Conway:
Seventh-grader Shamard Thomas won a Best of Class award with a graphite self-portrait.
• Florence Mattison Elementary School, Conway:
First-grader Mia Hausman won an Honorable Mention award with a marker, crayon and tempera-paint piece, Toucan in the Rainforest.
• Jim Stone Elementary School, Conway:
Second-grader Lincoln Parker’s untitled mixed media was selected.
• Julia Lee Moore Elementary School, Conway:
Kindergartner Illias Palmer’s mixed media, Snow Owls, is in the exhibit.
• Pottsville Junior High School, Pottsville:
Seventh-grader Gabby Thurman won an Honorable Mention award with a charcoal, Dance Asylum.
Eighth-grader Emma Gregory won a Best of Class award with a charcoal, The Perfect Bite.
Ninth-grader Celeste Parker won an Honorable Mention award with a charcoal, Eyes on the Horizon.
• Theodore Jones Elementary School, Conway:
Kindergartner Magnolia Smyers won a Best of Class award with a mixed media, I Can Run Run Run!
• Vilonia Junior High School, Vilonia:
Ninth-grader Lauren McHenry has an acrylic, The Lion, in the show.
The Arkansas Arts Center is at Ninth and Commerce streets in Little Rock. Gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays. The gallery is closed Mondays and major holidays. There is no admission charge.
For more information, call (501) 372-4000 or visit www.arkarts.com.