CONWAY — It’s been awhile since Virginia Potter has been active in the local art scene, but she is now painting almost daily and said she is enjoying it.
She recently received the Best of Show award in the Conway League of Artists Fall Show with her painting Poppies. She will be recognized formally with a check for $500 at the League’s on Wednesday meeting at the Faulkner County Library, where the exhibit is on display.
“I am so excited about it,” she said of the honor. “I have been the caregiver of my husband, Cliff, for the past 15 years,” she said. “He passed away in April. I miss him terribly.
“I have now dedicated myself to my art. I know he would be thrilled that I am doing this, as he was one of my biggest supporters.”
Potter’s award-winning painting is an acrylic on canvas.
“What I like about it is that it looks like it’s been around a long time,” said Potter, who said she has been painting for “50-plus” years. “I painted it from a photo I took 20 years ago of my sister-in-law
[Betty Lawrence’s] poppies in Michigan; she now lives in Arizona.
“I always said I wanted to paint Betty’s poppies, and now I have. I just painted it in the last few months.”
Potter, 75, said she is excited, too, about becoming active once again in the Conway League of Artists.
“I was one of the founding members,” she said, adding that others included Rebecca “Becky” Oswalt, Ann Cullum and the late Dorris Curtis and Jackie Guerin. “That was back in 1973, when members of the community were trying to save the old [train] depot. That effort failed, but the friendships survived.
“At that time, there was no place for artists to exhibit their work in Conway except for the colleges. There was no organized group for artists, so we just formed our
own group.”
Potter is now a member-at-large of the Conway League of Artists’ board of directors.
“This organization has served so many people over the years,” she said. “We want to see it continue and to thrive. We are always looking for new members, … excited new members,” she said. “If you want to get people excited about something, you have to be excited as well.”
Potter said prospective members and guests are always welcome at the group’s monthly meetings. The Conway League of Artists meets at 6:30 p.m. the second Wednesday of the month at the Faulkner County Library. Membership dues are $25 per year.
In addition to reconnecting with the Conway League of Artists, Potter has also rejoined the Arkansas League of Artists. She has become active in two other artistic endeavors as well — Artists in our Midst in Morrilton and Artists and Biologists Unite for Nature (ABUN, formerly the 52 Weeks Nature Painting Challenge), a Facebook group that promotes the conservation of endangered species and their respective habitats by asking artists to create artworks that can be used by biologists and conservation organizations. Potter has helped ABUN schedule a “plein air paint out” for Nov. 11-13 at Petit Jean
State Park.
Other winners in the Conway League of Artists Fall Show, which was judged by Joe Lampo, director of development and external relations for the University of Arkansas at Little Rock College of Arts, Letters and Sciences, include the following:
• Shelia Parsons of Conway won the Hagans Dodge Purchase Award of $500 for her painting Travel Treasure. Parsons also received $100 as the first-place winner in the Still Life/Floral category with the same painting.
• Becky Oswalt of Conway won the Jackie Guerin Beauty in Nature Award of $100 for Shades of Blue.
Winners in various categories were also named, with all first-place winners receiving $100 each; second-place winners, $50; and third-place winners, $25. Those winners include the following:
Wildlife/Animal
• Pauline Butts of
Greenbrier for her entry
Roseate Spoonbill.
Portrait/Figure
• Sue Duvall of Conway, first place for her entry
Contemplating Mischief;
• Amy Ness of Conway, second place for her entry Pride on Sunday; and
• Emily Hill of Damascus,
third place for her entry Waiting.
Land/Sea/City Scapes
• Robin Parrish of Morrilton
first place for her entry Old Home;
• Leslie Collier of Conway, second place for her entry Newkirk Beach on Petit Jean; and
• Susan Peterson of Conway, third place for her entry Stroll in the Park.
Abstract/Modern
• Charlotte Rierson of Fairfield Bay, first place for her entry Circus of Life; and
• Coe Wilson of Morrilton, second place for her entry Driftwood.
Three-Dimensional
Installations
• Tim O’Brien of Conway, first place for his entry Wall Sconce; and
• Lois Giorgis of Conway, honorable mention for her sculpture Keeping in Touch.
The Conway League of Artists Fall Show will close Wednesday. The exhibit is open to the public free of charge and may be viewed during regular hours at the Faulkner County Library, 1900 Tyler St. Hours are 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday; and 1-5 p.m. Sunday.